Emerging Trends
When CHIRAG began work in the hill villages of Nainital in
1987, we were a small organisation in the vast expanse of Uttar Pradesh. Our
focus was to work towards improving the quality of life of people in rural hill
communities. Our work existed in the villages for all to see - we did not
believe in writing reports or generating data. Aided by funding agencies who
supported our vision we remained as close to the grassroots as we could. We
remained rather disconnected from everything but our immediate surroundings -
aided by the lack of phones, and roads that discouraged all but the most rugged
vehicles.
The environment around us started changing in the mid-90's -
roads improved, a somewhat reliable phone line was laid, and most importantly
the development sector got transformed. With the advent of World Bank funded
projects, start-up NGOs started mushrooming all around us and turf battles for
villages started - to be won by the amount of subsidies given rather than local
capacities built. Funding agencies became more demanding and less tolerant of
local initiatives that deviated from the project proposals submitted.
It took a few years for us to respond to these changes. Our
trusted old computer acquired in 1991 remained under-utilised through the
1990's. All computer work in this primarily local, vernacular speaking
organisation was entrusted to our single 'computer operator'. Following an
organisational development exercise in 1999 - shortly before our part of the
world was cut off from Uttar Pradesh and given the status of a full fledged
state - it was decided that change was needed. We needed to be in tune with the
times - and the need was all the more urgent, now that we were a 'well-known'
organisation in a small state. A move to a more open, democratic organisational
structure was initiated. Professionals were recruited from outside, MIS systems
were initiated - and oh yes, computers were brought - one at a time but within a
few years we found that we had a dozen, none of which were any longer
under-utilised.
We continue to change to this day. We have been clear about
maintaining our rural character, and we retain most of the core staff we had
four years ago. Our vision remains unchanged, and values we held close to our
heart fifteen years ago, remain to this day. But our strategies have changed,
our organisation has expanded, and a diverse group of people co-exist and learn
from one another.
We see our strength in grassroots work. We currently work in
about a hundred and fifty villages. While we have engineers, agriculturists,
foresters and doctors on our staff - our core remains the group that can go into
a village and bring about social change. Call them social workers or development
professionals - these are the people who have the power to persuade villagers to
plan for their future.
We see ourselves as a group with some experience. While we have
finally started to put down our learning's on paper, we are also trying also to
disseminate our knowledge to those around us. Over the past few years we have
tried to work with smaller NGOs and help them build up their capacities and
skills, especially in managing natural resources. While many small groups have
skills to motivate their fellow villagers, we help with relevant technical
expertise in areas such as watershed management. We prefer to call this capacity
building - not training - as we try to transmit real world experience, not just
bookish knowledge.
We see ourselves as a catalyst for change - not a service
delivery agency. While we have built 37 water supply pipelines and 1,500
rainwater harvesting tanks; while we have built over 4,000 latrines and helped
raise over 6 million saplings; while 25,000 patients have been treated at our
clinics and a similar number been through our balwadis and primary school
support programmes; we see our achievements as being quite different. Our
achievements can be seen in the young girl who persuades her village to protect
their forest, and in the woman pradhan who demands her rights from a Government
official. We see our success in the women's self help group that decides on
their own to take a stand against alcoholism, and in the farmers who have
managed to bypass the middle man and sell their produce directly to urban
markets. We see ourselves as a success only when we can make ourselves
redundant. Our motto, holds true to this day and will continue to guide us in
the future:
When their task is accomplished,
Their work is done,
The people all remark,
"We have done it ourselves".
Rajesh Thadani
Executive Director
July 2003
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