by Jenny Becksted

Along with working on several funding proposals for the Natural Resources Development Unit of Seva Mandir, I have been helping develop a new initiative – a Rural Renewable Energy Program. The concept is essentially a micro enterprise / hybrid business incubator model that will train rural youth in selling and servicing renewable energy products in their village. We’ll start with the most accessible: solar. Here’s a snap-shot I recently wrote for a local Rotary Club chapter, Udaipur Heritage, who is partially funding the project:

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Did you know that many villages in Udaipur District can’t even turn on a light?

It’s true. Many villages in this region, most of which are tribal, either have no access to electricity, inadequate and/or erratic access, or simply can’t afford the high cost of getting on the grid. Families are forced to turn to kerosene “chimneys” that provide dim, costly, dangerous, and unhealthy evening light to work, cook and study by.

Among other barriers to well-being, there is a lack of livelihood options in the region. 93% of families depend on self-farming practices and migration labour is on the rise. Without many options, many youth feel little hope of living a better life.

Is renewable energy a viable option for rural communities? (psst. Yes!)

Last fall, Seva Mandir, in a partnership with a Delhi-based manufacturer, successfully distributed subsidised solar lights in 15 villages outside Udaipur. There were positive results:

Rather than a hand-out, households contributed Rs.300 for a solar light.
Families have reduced kerosene usage – some 100%!
We’re hearing an increasing demand for more renewable energy options.
A number of youth have expressed interest in making a business out of solar.

Seva Mandir responds with the Rural Renewable Energy Programme:

This exciting new programme will create a platform to:

Create alternative and sustainable livelihoods for rural youth and women.
Promote and create better access to clean and affordable renewable energy options that improve health, environmental, economic, and social well-being.
Establish a foundation and support system that nurtures a sustainable entrepreneurial approach to the wide-spread adoption of renewable energy.

The long-term programme will be kicked off by a 3-year, Rs.29 lacs (~$63,000) plan to provide technical, business, and financial training for 12 youth entrepreneurs; promotion of alternative energy options through marketing campaigns and partial support for purchase of demonstration solar products to around 1,000 households; and seed grants and on-going support services for the budding entrepreneurs.

The initial phases of the programme will support 6 clusters in Udaipur and Rajasmand Districts. A cluster includes 1 Youth Resource Centre, up to 8 villages and at least 2 youth entrepreneurs. Through participation in the programme, entrepreneurs will be prepared to negotiate with product manufacturers, sell and perform post sales services, and will have the foundation and support to succeed in their new business venture.

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To help get a feel for this project, I’ve been out in the field a lot this month – in villages interviewing folks using solar lights and also with other NGOs doing similar work. A few weeks ago I went to a village outside of Jaipur to see a government scheme in action: a subsidized solar lantern charging station that is run by village entrepreneurs. An international NGO, Humana People to People, is facilitating this program in a total of 34 villages in Rajasthan. They graciously took me to Chhota Kakrana Village to visit with Rohitashi Devi, who has been operating her station for the last year.
Rohitashi has a total of 50 lanterns and says she rents about 35 a day for Rs.2 (~$.04). She sets aside 30% of her income for repairs and potential lantern replacements and thus supplements her family’s monthly income by about Rs.1500 (~$33). With this, and the money saved not purchasing kerosene, she’s able to buy extra food and study supplies for her three kids in school. She says she’s really happy to have this opportunity and loves that other village kids come to their house to study at night – no burning eyes under that LED light!

We’re looking into this program as something to supplement our efforts in creating “solar entrepreneurs.” We’re also looking into additional products that would ease other common burdens, such as mobile charging options, solar cookers and water pumps. In addition to lighting with kerosene, people cook, often in their homes, with either kerosene or collected fuel wood (a dwindling resource) – both of which are unhealthy; they travel long distances and pay hefty fees to charge their mobile phones; and they use diesel fuel to pump water from wells and feed agricultural fields.

I also visited with several families in Sada Village, Kotra Block who bought the subsidized solar lights as a part of Seva Mandir’s program last year. Out of the three households we visited that day, two reported not using any kerosene since receiving the light. By eliminating kerosene use, they are saving themselves more than Rs.100 a month (including the 25km round-trip travel that was necessary to acquire needed kerosene from neighboring Gujarat). This is obviously very encouraging news and we hope to get out to a number more of the 65 households who’ve received lights since the fall to get their feedback. We hope this is a common trend. Additionaly, a growing number of communities are (sometimes vehemently) asking for solar options.

We know these technologies are improving all the time and that they offer great benefits to those rural families that are able to utilize them. We also know that they often come with high up-front costs, out of the reach of many of those that Seva Mandir serves. We’re doing a lot of research on domestic companies that have development programs and packages that help ease some of these burdens. We’re also looking into other funding options like village level funding mechanisms and other low-interest and feasible credit mechinisms.

There is a lot of reason to be excited about Seva Mandir’s new Rural Renewable Energy Programme. The entrepreneurial approach taken will help create a new cadre of local business men and women who might otherwise be forced to migrate from their homes in order to eek a living and raise a family. The more widespread access to renewable energy products has the potential to improve people’s lives on many levels as well as aid in the effort to curb changes in climate due to unsustainable energy use. Renewable energy technologies are a critical tool in the box of any development organization. Seva Mandir recognizes this and sees this programme as an important step in bringing these powerful options to rural Southern Rajasthan.

Jenny Becksted has been working with Seva Mandir since September 2009, as a Clinton Fellow for Service in India, a 10-month Service Corps Fellowship sponsored by the American India Foundation based in New Delhi and the U.S. She hails originally from Colorado, but has made her home in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia – “a place not much unlike the developing world, in challenges, hope and inspiration.”

“Discussing Gender with Youths in Palesar, Kotra Block” by Ali Berks (UK)

In November I travelled out to the YRC in Palesar early on a Sunday morning to observe a session organized by the youth volunteer on child marriage and gender. A year ago Seva Mandir designed a module to help the youth volunteers discuss sexual and reproductive health and gender in their YRC. Youth volunteers were given a 5-day training session in using the module. The module is designed to make training sessions fun and engaging for youth, using a variety of activities, games and visual aids. A year on, I was there to evaluate how the module is being used by youth volunteers. Read the rest of this entry »

A “Viewpoint” by Nikhila Anoth (India)

A field trip to any village or ‘block’ of Seva Mandir shells out something new, expected or otherwise, something that is forgotten on the ride back home or that stays in your mind and keeps re-surfacing at odd times, when you’re sitting in the library, waiting for the WiFi to resume and debating between pakoras or paratha for lunch or just stretched out on the sofa, weaving in and out of a mid-day crisis. Read the rest of this entry »

Story by Mike Reilly (USA)

The Dal Mill Project is a small operation in a small village on the Gujrat-Rajasthan border created to raise the income of the local peoples through value-added processing of lentils.

The town of Medi is almost entirely agriculturally based as can be seen when entering the town and finding a school, a mill, and a converted shop with guard-goats on watch. Although the mill may easily be passed by as a misplaced garage, and the machinery is no more impressive than a large washing machine and a sanding belt, the process of producing the finished product themselves and cutting out the middlemen provides a potential of over a thousand families an additional seven percent to their wages. These additional funds, as I have seen, can turn a household from a day-to-day struggle where domestic violence and shortened school years are the regular to a functional home with hopes for the future.

Sometimes the amounts set aside by families can be as little as ten rupees per month and may seem insignificant to some. But I have seen that the change that arises from the ability to set something aside, no matter how small, create enough stability so that a community can sensibly root themselves in a place and make formidable progress.

Some problems that I have also observed are deeply rooted in a long history of poverty. Many of the potential members simply don’t think the concept will work and wait for it to be proven wrong by the brave guinea pigs. The current members don’t seem completely convinced due a lack of confidence in the process. I think the biggest issue relating to confidence is missing formal sales and marketing team. There are people in charge of the procurement and the processing team but sales and marketing is left as a last minute operation. This issue would easily be remedied by providing enough additional funds to hire a sales and marketing manager. In hiring a manager, real relationships and partnerships could be formed with not only wholesale markets but retail as well to increase profits.

I have seen the beginning stages of the project before profits are made and also one that sees the potential for this project. The Dal Mill Project is not a means of aid or relief but a hand out and a way for the members to help themselves by getting involved and making things better on their own terms.

“Self-Governance and Self-Confidence: The Women Take Charge” by Hilary Dragicevic (Canada) - January 2010

The GVC (village development committee) of Kharmandala village in Badgaon Block was first established in 1992 and now, in 2010, holds the largest GVK (collective village corpus) overseen by Seva Mandir. The relative success of the Kharmandala GVK can be greatly attributed to the highly equitable operation of its GVC.

I observed a meeting of this GVC in December 2009 and it was one of the largest, most energetic groups I had yet seen. Over 25 villagers were in attendance, in addition to the 11 GVC members (of which five were female). It was a pleasant surprise to see that the women of Kharmandala were in control of the entire meeting. The women’s confidence level could be clearly linked to their involvement with the GVC; the committee had provided them with a place and a platform to discuss their issues openly and where they were treated as equals. This was a revelation; in many other villages that I had visited, the women still struggled to have a voice or a position of significance in the GVC.

One of the attendees, Hameri Bai, was the lone female post-holder on the GVC. As Treasurer, she is responsible for administering the GVK and her leadership role has clearly had many positive impacts on how other women in the village participate in the decision-making process. Hameri Bai, a mother of three who has held her post for the past six years, has ensured that all of the female members of the GVC are engaged in committee activities by putting them in charge of the GVK loan repayments. One purpose of the GVK is to lend money to groups or individuals who wish to undertake a project in their village to improve their ability to earn income. Therefore, the repayment of loans is central to the overall function of the GVK and it speaks volumes that the women of Kharmandala have been entrusted with this important task. When asked about the women being assigned this responsibility, Hameri Bai responded that “we are all here to work for our village, the men and the women. We all have a part in this.”

As the meeting carried on, I realized that I was witnessing the process of development unfold and in a truly democratic way. Given a proper forum for discussion and repeated trainings in self-governance and women’s empowerment, the 262 households of Kharmandala will surely continue to thrive and will hopefully remain as an excellent example of the benefits of an all-inclusive GVC.

Story of Women’s Short Stay Home from Jamie (Scotland)

I recently visited the Women’s Short Stay Home (SSH) which is situated in Udaipur and has been run by Seva Mandir since 2004. The SSH aims to provide refuge for women who have been the victims of domestic violence and tries to create an environment where rehabilitation can occur: either through attempts to resolve the disputes with the husband or by providing them with the tools to start afresh. Facilities available include counseling, medical care; efforts to educate any children caught up in the mess and attempt to find these women a way to achieve economic independence.

One woman, Keisibai, who had recently arrived, was understandably tentative in speaking to me but what she said reflected a courage that she claimed the SSH had given her even in just a few short weeks. Openly stating that she no longer wanted to remain with her husband and that she dreamed of gaining economic independence in order to send her children to school. This ambition will undoubtedly need much assistance. Keisibai was regularly electrocuted by her husband and thus it seems that the role of SSH counselors and fellow women will be critical in helping her to succeed. While this revelation was personally very shocking, it is unfortunately quite common for women who arrive at the SSH to have been tortured and sexually violated by their husbands.

A more positive observation was the sense of community and kinship that was evident between the 21 women currently at the center. Recreational activities such as day-trips, the celebrations of children’s birthdays and of festivals have helped to create this spirit. As does the communal cooking and cleaning duties which led Anisha, a resident for over a year, to explain to me ‘we are all sisters here’. It was amazing to see how the shared experiences of these women brought them so close together. With the children happily playing around outside the atmosphere was one of a very large family home rather than a rehabilitation center.

Story of Bagdunda Balwadi from Joe (USA) (January 2010) –

The pre-school center “Balwari” in the village of Burdunga was set up in 2006. Roopibai, a thirty two year old mother of two, runs the Balwari Center caring for each child as if they were her own. The children lovingly refer to her as “Buha Buha” meaning “auntie.” Roopibai has a 5th class education and is a great source of relief to many mothers in Burdunga.

Between the ages of one to five years, nineteen students (11 girls and 8 boys) are currently enrolled in the Balwari. Prior to the Balwari, many mothers were left with the burdensome task of caring for their children throughout the day along with doing laundry, cooking, and other household duties. Earning a livelihood was simply out of the question.

When Roopibai rings the bell at the Balwari each morning, the children come running for their daily activities granting mothers several extra hours to farm thereby producing extra income for their families. The mothers say they are less likely to get sick due to the reduced stress that comes with caring for children day in and day out. As well, the mothers have more time to gather water, clean their homes, and cook.

The children at the Balwari have the opportunity to interact with their peers, sing songs and poems, eat snacks, and have a nourishing meal of khichdi each day. Malnutrition is common in villages like Burdunga and for this reason Roopibai understand the significance of feeding the children nutritious food. Roopibai has noticed that mothers who send their children to the Balwari are more likely to send their children to school when they get older. For the time being, Roopibai says her favorite part of her job is “playing with the kids.”

November 27, 2009

The session on Hind Swaraj - a book written by Gandhi ji - The session was taken by Mr. Kishore Saint. The way the session on review of Hind Swaraj was carried out was outstanding. The interaction helped us in understanding the real meaning of swaraj – i.e. self control and self discipline and civilization as interpreted by Gandhiji. Knowing more of Gandhiji in view of freedom, responsibilities, individual suffering and identifying other’s suffering, commitment etc put whole new dimension on understanding Gandhi.
The participants loved the session and interacting with the resource person.

Course Administrators

Saturday, November 14, 2009

The seminar on “issues on Governance” on Saturday went absolutely very well. We had Mr. K.C. Maloo, Director, institute of local self governance and responsible citizenship, and Shri Bhati sb. to share their views on the topics.

Mr. Maloo concentrated on topic related to formal structure of governance wherein he explained very lucidly and simplicity the various structure of Indian government. The discussion centered on what is a difference between governance and government. He explained the characteristics of good governance and factors affecting it. He also showed charts in explaining the rural governance system and the roles and duties of the officials associated with it.

Bhati sb. initiated his topic by explaining the four pillars of governance. He added that NGO is the fifth pillar of the governance. He also explained very lucidly the non-formal structure of governance and giving a rich historical background for our governance System. He concentrated more on the relationship between the two structures. He also explained the challenges and limitations both the structures.

Course Administrators

Sunday, November 1, 2009

The seminar on gender issues went very well. We had Ms. Ranjani, who has worked more than 25 years in the field of gender, poverty and health. Around 18 participants attended the sessions.

The session started with gender web game wherein a story was read and the participants were made to identify the in which section (Gender, sex, age, class, ..) it falls. The game ended wherein the web was formed which helps in understanding better causes of poverty and gender discrimination.

The second session was on gender and MDGs (Millennium development goals) wherein the India’s and Rajasthan’s gender data of various areas was given. Each group was given to a different set of data and was ask to analysis and present. The session helped to analysis and understands the gender in more perceptive way.

During the second half field visit was planned. The participants were taken to Rama village of Badgaon. At Rama village, three groups were made. One group interacted with SHGs members, other with women who worked in NREGA. The third group was made to do household survey wherein they asked individual women regarding the health and nutrition questions.

All the three questionnaires were designed by the resource person. The discussions at Rama village were done very well.

Later in the evening debriefing session was done. During this the participants presented their findings. The debriefing session came out with realities of the gender, poverty within the village.

All in all, a very useful and informative session and everyone enjoyed the presentations and also the field visits.

Course Adiminstrators