Theme

October 19, 2015

CFTs in Maharashtra

Required to be run by the government and be embedded in the local community, Cluster Facilitation Teams need to provide the necessary impetus to generate demand, to create the right type of infrastructure for the people and the area, and to strengthen gram panchayats to take decisions for their communities
October 18, 2015

Exploring Mendha Lekha: An Ideal Village

Stepping out of the position of being a passive receiver of state largesse, a tiny village in Maharashtra has found its power, over the last two decades, in a collective decisionmaking process that takes cognisance of the needs and capabilities of each of its people, paving the way for enhanced confidence to interact with the government, agencies and the outside world, and creating living conditions and environment worth emulating
October 17, 2015

Kudumbashree-PRI Collaboration in Kerala: An Approach to Poverty Alleviation

Starting in a modest way by engaging in neighbourhood groups, the Kudumbashree model spread like wildfire through the state of Kerala, which was already practising devolution of power and decentralized planning; it became “a process, a project and a delivery mechanism for the poor.”
October 10, 2015

MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK Reflections on the MGNREGA-NRLM Convergence CFT Project

Seeking to transfer, in a sustained and well-designed manner, the knowledge of best practices and theoretical understanding of concepts from CSOs to frontline functionaries, the CFT project promises rich and multi-fold dividends from this investment in human resources, impacting all programmes at the block level
October 9, 2015

Deepening Democracy

Emphasizing the immense value of having women in leadership roles in village bodies, this article laments the restrictive steps being taken by governments to impose mandatory criteria such as having a bathroom in the house or being able to read and write on candidates wishing to contest elections
September 4, 2015

Applying Organization Development Principles in Gram Panchayats to Effect Change: A Case Study

That gram panchayats through organization development, including appropriate organization design, incentive structures, and behaviour norms, strengthen and improve local governance and ensure service delivery to citizens at the last mile effectively is being proved in Karnataka and Maharashtra
September 1, 2015

PRI–CBO Convergence: Democratic Equations

Carving out an alternative space for ensuring the advancement of the interests of the poor, community based organizations work with panchayati raj institutions in many areas of public service delivery and poverty alleviation, despite deficient state laws and policies on the one hand and inadequate human and financial resources on the other
August 8, 2015

Indigenous Backyard Poultry Promotion: The Keonjhar Experience

Focusing on making BYP a financially viable enterprise, and through systematic handholding of SHG women, training them and ensuring regular deworming and vaccinations for the birds, the CAHWs have set villagers on the path to progress and prosperity.
August 7, 2015

Using Sunlight for Irrigation

In a region that had a perennial source of water but no means to use it to irrigate fields, in a region that could not dream of having more than one crop a year, the use of solar energy for lift irrigation has ensured water supply in the fields for irrigation through the year and has transformed the lives of the farmers
July 10, 2015

Examination Day: Passed with Flying Colours!

Working closely with women at the grass roots, helping them gain the confidence to find their voice, blurring the divisive lines of caste and religion, and uniting them to work towards their dreams of living vibrant and dignified lives is a reality we can work towards