Case2-January-2013

Institutional update of DHAN Collective

I feel proud to share that our organization has achieved a great feat of bringing over one lakh poor families out of poverty and the declaration of the same was made during the 16th Foundation day event held on 2nd Oct, 2012. This remains as a source of inspiration and excitement for all DHANites. The earlier focus of the organization was poverty reduction and however we were successful in eradicating poverty in these one lakh families. However there are more challenges ahead. How these families were able to come out of poverty has to be well documented and this should remain as a resource for enabling others to come out of poverty. I present here few suggestions for enhancing the effectiveness of our program initiatives along with the progress made in the last year.

• Making the federations as Prosperity centers which can give counseling for improvement in the income of families by way of livelihood support, financial and other supports. The livelihood initiatives done in the last year should be carried on much more vigor in the coming years. Though the focus of the year 2013 is Agro biodiversity and Food and Nutritional Security, livelihood focus should remain throughout.
• Annual report 2012 carries a lead paper on our livelihood experience and everyone should go through it and use it for implementing livelihood activities in their locations. This livelihood experience and Livelihood policy of DHAN collective also is available as separate booklets which will be much useful.
• Availing entitlements to poor people with whom we are working is a ‘No cost” initiative. Old age pension, assistance for differentially abled, widows and destitute etc. can be facilitated by the locations and federations. The Mission on women empowerment has lot of utilized funds which can be explored.
• With respect to insurance Micro pension and health mutual are picking up. The United health insurance has extended its support further to March, 2013 for health insurance. People mutual should reach more and more number of people in the coming years.
• SUHAM Trust needs an outstanding ovation for it significant contribution in expansion and strengthening of the health initiatives. Lot of health programs are in place and Salem region owns a fullfledged secondary care hospital completely owned by the people. PHCs are getting opened across the states viz. Vizakapattinam, Tirupathi, Kottampatti etc., and more request is coming from the field for initiating PHCs. The Anemia program implemented in many locations is giving excellent results. Such health initiatives should get replicated in all locations
• Getting CRISIL rating for KDFS is in progress which will ensure fund flow for KDFS. SRTT has contributed thirty lakhs as seed money for initiating branches in Ratlam, Balswada and Koraput.
• KTL has registered “Maruthi Mooligai Producer company” for medicinal plants and making itself sustainable will be its focus in the coming years. KTL can adopt some learning’s from the Bhuldana Urban Cooperative Bank for its business interventions.
• The achievements of the Vayalagam Tankfed Agricultural Program were shared already. Sub basin approach will be followed largely in our tank program in future. This year also Vayalagam program will participate in the India water week event to be held in April, 2013.
• KCBP had a good success through MAVIM program covering one lakh families through it. In Andrapradesh, the team is working in a crisis situation, the state government being against the functioning of any other NGOs in the process of facilitating their SERP initiative. A strategy has to be worked out either to work along with them or to fight with them. In Tamilnadu our collaboration with Pudhu Vazhvu program remained under constant threat due to under performance. However the performance has improved very much recently and issues got resolved. The program has intensified its review and follow up process which is yielding results. The program is working in Assam and planning to expand to Nagaland also in the North eastern region. In Madhyapradesh the Wadi model is being implemented for the first time.
• Rainfed agricultural development program is really growing well with Mr.Palanisamy and Mr.Karthikeyan leading the team. Lot of new opportunities also have emerged. The rainfed team can collaborate with KF at least in 50 new locations to be initiated for effective results. Self-regulation is largely practiced in this team and hence needs less supervision. However CAIM project remains as a challenge and Palanisamy’s frequent visit to Maharashtra and discussions has settled the problem to some extent.
• The Tata-Dhan Academy is expected to function as an independent institution by March,2013 and follow a broad based approach. The training programs conducted meets the 25% of the cost and more funds are needed. One year Leadership programs in both English and Tamil are planned through this institute.
• The Panchayat program got life through the European Union funded project currently under implementation in 750 panchayats in Tamilnadu with focus on Women panchayat leaders.
• The ICT team needs to be strengthened further. One ICT federation is in the offing shortly in Melur and Kottampatti. The hardware and software team were effectively contributing for the entire DHAN collective institutions.
• The new theme Climate change started with a fund support from giz and the other themes Youth and Migration are yet to have a takeoff.
• The SUHAM, Education and Tourism are other cross cutting themes. The Tourism theme has initiated Heritage walk in Madurai, Tirunelveli and Pudhukottai districts of Tamilnadu. Also Ecowalk – is held every third Sunday in Madurai by Madurai Green. Madurai Green is constantly involved in planting 50,000 to 60,000 trees every year.
• Micro justice the new concept has initiated three legal clinic and trained many para legal volunteers.
• All centers are doing great works and they should further integrate with programs to reap mutual benefits.