EMPOWERING LIVES through Strategic intervention STORIES OF CHANGE AND TRANSFORMATION AMBUJA CEMENT FOUNDATION A write shop organized by ACF during March 10th to March 13th 2013 at Rabriyawas in Pali District of Rajasthan helped the staf members of ACF come up and document various interventions done by them at various locations across the country. As part of the documenting the learning’s inherent to these actions ACF publishes these as cases for others who are also involved in similar eforts elsewhere. Tey will surely take cue from these learning’s and initiate actions for improving their own eforts to make MDG and women empowerment a reality. Tis publication is for wider circulation and dissemination. Published August 2013 For further information please contact Ambuja Cement Foundation www.ambujacementfoundation.org 2 Acknowledgement Foreword 1. Te Social Development Agenda of ACF Anagha Mahajani 2. Making MDG work in CSR Nabarun Sen Gupta 3. Saving Two Lives Jitendra Bais A Case of Maternal and Child Health Intervention by Bare Foot Health Workers 4. Decorating the Education Landscape in Villages Sangita Mulkalwar and Sopan Nagargoje A Case of Education Volunteers Called Balmitra 5. Reaching Health to Women and Children Kanhaiya Lal Sharma A Case on MCH Intervention at Jaitaran, Rajasthan 6. ATM of Drinking Water Shailesh Tulsibhai Dungrani and Manoj Kumar Chauhan 7. Coming Together Motiben Chavda and Ajeet Singh A Case Of Women’s Empowerment Trough SHG Federation 8. An Emerging Livelihood Portfolio Amandeep Saini A Case of Women-Run and Managed Dairy Cooperative 9. Where Doctors Did Not Reach Dalip Sharma and Yogesh Sharma A Case of Bare-feet Women as Veterinary Service Providers 10. If You Save Water, Water will Save You Brajesh Singh Tomar Low Cost Method For Obtaining Potable Water In Fluoride-Afected Villages 11. Knitting Fortunes Anasuya Dutta A Case on Intervention in Knitting at Ropar, Punjab 12. Reforming Mindset Saroj N. Ambagade A Case of Sanitation Intervention in Maharashtra Biography Abbreviations 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Te facilitator would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the work that ACF have done since so many years. It is their untiring eforts that we have tried to capture and appreciate through this exercise. Tese eforts have helped in bring smiles in families across the country. Te case write shop was conceived to document the learning inherent in these process. Tis book has been possible due to the eforts put in by the authors. Tey made the life of the case writers and facilitators both smooth and comfortable. I would like to extend a special thanks to Mr. Devkant Viswakarma for his imaginative creation and depicting the interventions through sketches which now appears as part of this book. I would also like to acknowledge the support extended by Ms. Bharti Gaur and Ms. Advaita Marathe in facilitating the process. A very special thanks to Mr. Sibaji Bose who helped the language editing of these cases and also to Ms. Sajana Jayaraj of ACF, who helped in the editing this book. Nabarun Sen Gupta 4 FOREWORD Stories that speak of struggles and change, of movement and progress are always inspiring. Each day, team members of Ambuja Cement Foundation experience incidences that challenge our perceptions about rural India, about women, and the will of communities to bring in meaningful change in their lives. As Ambuja Cement Foundation, we are the CSR arm of Ambuja Cements Ltd. We frst began our social development work in the communities around the Ambuja plant in Kodinar, Gujarat, 20 years ago. Today, our work has expanded to 12 states and 22 locations across India. It has enabled us to work constructively in the areas of Natural resource management, Health, Education, Skill Training and Women’s Empowerment in rural India, impacting lives of more than two million people. Each year, ACF enables feld teams to hone skills in documentation and writing, enabling us to share our work better. Te stories featured in this book span the core areas of education, health, sanitation and empowerment from across the nation. Tey have been written by the ACF feld team and tries to put in perspective the challenges faced in the feld, and ways to address them through a participatory development strategy. Tis book features inspiring people, who individually and collectively are transforming lives in their villages through their work as health workers, animal care givers, teachers and entrepreneurs. Each story is a testimony to their self-belief, and I warmly invite you to read through these stories of empowerment Pearl Tiwari Director Ambuja Cement Foundation 5 Te Social Development Agenda of ACF Anagha Mahajani An ability to respond to the felt needs of the community by taking the community along; and a strong belief in the capacity building of the locals, has helped ACF take a big leap in meaningfully reaching out to over 1.5 million people during last 20 years. While working on MDGs, ACF strongly believes that its development initiatives will seek to produce expected, visible outcomes, while the processes strengthen people’s ability to participate more fully. Hence, both - the projects and the process - are equally valued in ACF. In the broader development context, opportunities for participation are a path towards empowerment which is built through enhancing capacities and a sense of ownership. ACF attempts to reach out to all sections of the community with a focus on facilitating participation of the marginalized. Women in this case become the center of focus considering their consistent and sincere eforts to change themselves, their community and the environment. ACF hence works closely with women, and has been able to evolve processes that create an impact on families, communities and villages. Every efort documented in this book is an example of wide-ranging local initiatives by ACF and their interrelationship in bringing about overarching sustainable change in the living standard of the people. Each of the case mentioned here initially evolved as a small local initiative but subsequently grew as a model in itself and in long run has aligned itself with larger systems like NRHM, NBA or a federation. It’s been a journey on the path towards sustainable future for the initiatives. Te measured outcomes have been colossal including increase in earnings, positive change in yield, improved breed and hence better productivity. All this has led to improved access to fnance and in turn freedom from exploitation for resources from economic position. But signifcantly achievements are numerous also in terms of improved technical knowledge and skills, better communication abilities and enhanced confdence as well as negotiating capacity. 6 Te story of RRWHS brings in value of considerable reduction in drudgery to fetch water and its positive impact on community health and sanitation. Moreover it has been an opportunity for women to create their own role identity at community level like in case of swasthya sakhis, balmitras and pashu swasthya sevikas. Federation of SHG groups has emerged as an apex body highlighting the relevance of efective supply chain management by providing high value services and sharing dividend with the members. Community members have come together for a cause, committed to work together by contributing, overcoming several challenges and have been able to resolve issues in cases such as sanitation. Te efort has led to bringing harmony among community members as evident in the case of SHG federation and in case of PSS it is extended to improved harmony at family level since women are supported to take on the challenges involve in higher responsibilities. With its mission ‘Energise, Enable, Involve communities to realize their potential’ ACF continues to ignite local talent in bringing about meaningful change in their own life. And the enhanced capacities continue to spin-of change in community’s vision for an enriched future for all. *** 7 Making MDGs Work in CSR Nabarun Sen Gupta Te Millennium Development Goals foundations have been working for a (MDGs) to which the Nation States are long time on issues like providing health signatories have ignited a few sparks of facilities, undertaking educational responsibilities from many Corporate interventions in schools and carrying Foundations. Many corporate out drinking water and sanitation foundations have been working for a programmes in villages in and around long time on issues like providing health the factory premises. However, one can facilities, undertaking educational observe certain subtle diferences in interventions in schools and carrying the methods that ACF adopts on these out drinking water and sanitation issues. As a result of ACF’s innovative programmes in villages in and around approaches, sustainable changes have the factory premises. However, one can taken place and these initiatives, over observe certain subtle diferences in a period of time, have become people’s the methods that ACF adopts on these movements. Herein lies the diference issues. As a result of ACF’s innovative between ACF’s work and that of other approaches, sustainable changes have corporate foundations. Te cases in taken place and these initiatives, over this volume seek to make an in-depth a period of time, have become people’s portrayal of the methods employed movements. Herein lies the diference by ACF. We shall briefy dwell on between ACF’s work and that of other this aspect before going on to share corporate foundations. Te cases in some outcomes and some important this volume seek to make an in-depth takeaways for those involved in similar portrayal of the methods employed initiatives elsewhere. by ACF. We shall briefy dwell on this aspect before going on to share Te initiatives, more than anything else, some outcomes and some important signify a challenging but progressive takeaways for those involved in similar journey at all the locations where the initiatives elsewhere. ACF teams have intervened. In most of these journeys the beginning was Te Millennium Development Goals made from nothing. In some cases, (MDGs) to which the Nation States are the teams had people with prior signatories have ignited a few sparks of experience of working on these issues. responsibilities from many Corporate In other cases, the team developed its Foundations. Many corporate own understanding as it worked on 8 the idea and then through time-bound Invest in HR at the grassroots: One implementation took the same to common strategy adopted by the ACF logical conclusions. At all times, there team was to work towards augmenting was always a strategy that guided the the skills and attitudes of the HR work. Let us examine some of them. chosen from among the benefciary groups. Tis strategy came at a reduced Investments in learning by doing: price, but became sustainable over a ACF invested a signifcant amount in period of time. Te investments made experimenting around the idea. Te by ACF in selecting, training and ideation was informed by the time providing honorarium to the health invested by the team in learning about volunteers named swasthya sakhis, the community and the issues. Tis to the educational volunteers called helped the team to slowly but surely balmitras in schools and also to the Para make eforts towards evolving robust Vets in Darlaghat, Himachal, turned strategies which worked in this context. out to be extremely sound and prudent Examples of these strategies can be seen in the long run. Tese people, even afer in the case of knitting in Rupnagar (also their disassociation with ACF, retained called Ropar). Te team experimented their newly learned necessary skill sets. with diferent income generating Consequently, they were much better opportunities with the women, which of than others in their own villages helped them in realizing the mantra and stepped in to serve the community of success. In the case of the women’s when the situation arose. ACF invested federation starting a business venture on in training them through structured behalf of its member self-help groups, and well-designed sessions and also the women members had to learn about in helping them as they practiced the business ventures prior to deciding on knowledge. Tey received honorarium the mode of operation. Investments from ACF for practicing and were also were made by the ACF team in provided inputs throughout by the exposure visits, market visits and visits management team that monitored their to suppliers. In the case of both the work. All these investments led to the initiatives on maternal and child health creation of a cadre of para-professionals. in Rajasthan and Maharashtra, the work Some of them have since graduated to started with the traditional strategy become government staf. of sending mobile dispensaries to the far-fung villages. However, soon they Taking support of the state in making realized that the strategy of initiating things work: Te strategy that probably the preventive care approach would be helped ACF the most was taking into more efective. confdence the state machinery in 9 carrying out its work. In no location Making people pay for the goods did ACF decided to go on its own. Even and services: Tis strategy, which is though they had their own resources construed as having the essence of and resources under their own control, liberalization and thus having many they never intervened alone. Even at detractors who swear by welfare the grassroots they worked through economics, has actually shown some consultation with the government very positive results. People paying for functionaries. a service tend to take the value of the service more seriously. As they pay, A classic example of this strategy could they put a stamp on its quality. ACF be found in the case of Dairy at Ropar understood this from the very day it where ACF coordinated with the Milk ventured into the role of taking service Federation. Te Para Vet training, to the people. Te knitting training where the local Animal Health Ofcer came at a price – albeit a small one – and became the trainer of the Para Vets, is a there was a fee. Te knitting machines similar case in point. In the case of the had to be purchased by the women who Para Vets the strategy included time to wanted to make a living out of it. ACF time training of the women. Te animal consciously did not provide any subsidy husbandry ofcer would organize – though it had the resources to do so. camps where the Para Vets worked with the medical teams in carrying out Te dairy machines came from the vaccination drives, etc. contribution of all the three parties – the federation, the members and then In the same vein, the example of ACF. Te chaf-cutting machines in convincing the government ofcers Darlaghat were paid for by the families at the block level to provide resources that bought them while ACF provided for building sanitation facilities in the transportation cost. In the case Maharashtra shows the importance of balmitras, the community started ACF gave to these aspects. Te balwadi paying a token amount towards the support system also went through the honorarium of the balmitras, proving channel of the Government. Te Block that the community appreciates quality education ofcer, the school headmaster and is ready to pay if the services ofered and the Village Education Committee have the mark of quality. Tis propensity were consulted while selecting the of the community came to the fore in balmitra candidates. Te cases have the case of the sanitation movement in proved that such coordination eforts Maharashtra and the drinking water with the government were critical to the initiatives in Rajasthan and Gujarat success of these interventions. also. All those who wanted the services 10