Annual Report Details

Annual Report 1993-1994
The concept of Social Entreprenuership is introduced. Along with it cvonceptualisation of Development Paradigm gave a new meaning to sustainability in developmental activities. Children got a new programme, an innovative platform to meet their sponsor parents – Maitree Shree is introduced.

Introduction

1993 will perhaps go down in the history as one of the darkest years of the century when one event of cataclysmic proportion disseminated millions of lives.  The aftermath of the Latur earth quake was left in destruction.  Yet even in the face of such a grim tragedy, human nature intervened,  Resources poured in from all quarters for the distressed.  Deepalaya also made its humble contribution to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund to the suffering mankind of Latur.
On the political front, apart from the normal diplomatic skirmishes with Pakistan, our international relations improved vastly.  Due to the current liberal economic policy, India has become the favoured hunting ground for those who seek to expand their market.  The social climate is also witnessing a revolution albeit a gradual one.  The National Literacy Mission’s pledge of Literacy for all by 2000 AD has now been taken on a war footing and already many districts in various states have achieved full literacy status.
The grant of statehood to Delhi and the subsequent take over of the elected government in Delhi gives Deepalaya enough reasons to believe that the slum related programme will be a priority area in the new government agenda.  The phase wise regularisation of the slum clusters and their civic upgradation has already been initiated.  The government has expressed its desire to work in close  collaboration with the voluntary sector to speed up the development process.  All such methods augur well for the cause Deepalaya is working for.
Lastly, a consolidated offer by the government, several national and international agencies and the media to draw attention to the plight of child labour has paid off and appropriate legislation are being enacted to make this barbaric practice of child labour a cognisible offense.  This is a major breakthrough.

Major Accomplishments 1993-94
Towards Self Reliance

The mission of Deepalaya is to create, enlighten and establish a new social order which is self-reliant, self governed and exploitation free.  The concerted efforts for the past few years have started bearing fruits.  The handing over of some of the activities to the community associations as part of the phase out strategy is a proof of the same.  Active and whole hearted participation and involvement of the community members, leaders and specially the women is the intangible outcome of effects so far put in.

Awareness Building

The evaluation study by Sanket of Deepalaya Plan Project during 1993-94 clearly indicates that there is an increased awareness of education, preventive health care, hygienic living conditions, skill upgradation, income enhancement, and thrift.  The increasing demand for education is a good outcome of this awareness.  Awareness and concern leads to involvement in the CBO activities is one good indicator.  Today they not only realise the need for education and preventive health care but are ready to pay contribution for the services rendered.

Girl Child

Deepalaya made a positive discrimination towards the Girl Child, and due to this till date the Girl Child enrollment is maintained at 49%.  A special girl child project has been launched to cater to their special needs.  The idea is to provide equal opportunities to express their mental and physical faculties which are other wise neglected.

Education – The Thrust Area

Deepalaya’s liaison and linkage has enabled 60% of the students in the Pre-school and non-formal units of Deepalaya to enter the mainstream for continuing education.  Constant monitoring assures their continuity in education and reduce dropout rate.  The National Open Schools accreditation is a boon to the neoliterates, school dropouts and the working groups.  The results of the Vocational stream were quite encouraging, 85%  cleared the exam of which 78% scored more than 60% marks.

Total Literacy Campaign

Deepalaya launched total literacy campaign towards the end of the financial year.  Gandhi Basti was selected to be the first unit.  As a policy, it is proposed to work in all the 21 clusters where Deepalaya is working to make them totally literate.

Community Based Organisations

Participation and cohesiveness of groups have improved.  The families are being mobilised as cluster groups of 25 families each with a team of 5 active members to oversee the activities  in different sectors. Although programmes are being handed over to the Samitis it will take considerable time to manage the programmes by themselves.  The administrative responsibilities are being met by the community based organisations.  Trainings were organised to equip the community leaders in book keeping, accounts, planning, budgeting, monitoring & supervision of the programmes.  Today a sense of ownership is felt by the Samiti members.

Phase-in Project

In order to meet the challenging demands of other slums in Delhi, to replace the reduction of programme by phase out and to maintain the present size of operations the new phase-in- project has been initiated.  The strategy is in tune with the vision/mission and the programme approach of Deepalaya.  Implementation is as per Deepalaya Development Paradigm.  This Project is launched towards the end of the financial year with the help of seven crusaders having placed in seven slum clusters of West Delhi.

Deepalaya Crusaders

A conscious decision has been taken by the management not to appoint operational staff who are only interested in a professional Career.  Fresh graduates are recruited and necessary exposure cum training is being provided to equip them with the basic know-how for awareness building, community organisation, programme planning, budgeting etc.  After a thorough screening and a three days camp interview, the first batch of crusaders were selected.  Seven candidates are working as crusaders.  Each crusaders has taken charge of one Phase-In project area and their zeal, enthusiasm and commitment is clearly evident from the initial response of the community.

Decentralization of South Delhi Project 

The South Delhi project has been delinked from the Corporate Office for the day to day operations.  Support is still extended for planning and budgeting.  Positive steps are taken towards integrated development.  Community health care and community organisation programmes are being streamlined.  Income generation & skill upgradation activities are slowly picking up.

Deepalaya School 

The school has been delinked with the South Delhi Project for day to day operations and the Principal Cum Administrator has taken complete charge of the same.  Children achieved laurels both in academic and non-academic (extra curricular) activities.  The presentation organised immediately after the summer workshop spoke volumes.  On the occasion of  Ã¢â‚¬Å“Maitree Shreei” the performance at Mavalankar Auditorium” was highly appreciated by the public at large and the press.  The curriculum, teaching methods and the quality of the education imparted had made the school very popular among community from where children came to attend school.

Linkages

The corporate office besides over seeing the activities of the projects is also responsible for meeting the statutory requirements of the organisation.  Concerted efforts at all levels have resulted in establishing vital linkages with Government, Semi Government Corporate and Private business houses and different voluntary agencies for necessary professional support and services.

Recognition

Deepalaya has made an in road into the slum improvement Board, a pivotal body set up for guiding the activities directed towards slum improvement, various government bodies like Urban Basic Services, Ministry of Human Resource and Development appreciate the activities under taken by Deepalaya in the slums.

Organisational Visibility

Communication efforts of Deepalaya are directed towards bringing visibility and credibility for the organisation.  Today Deepalaya is widely known because of the repeated exposure of the Commercial on Zee and Star TV, free of cost.  Deepalaya could also make an in road on to the National hookup under the programme Parakh.  The press coverage and hoarding campaigns add up to the mileage.  The 2 fold increase in the total funds resourced clearly indicates the same.  Maitree Shree- an annual sponsor parents meet was initiated for better interaction and communication between the sponsored child and the parents,;  Kala-Arpan was organised as an event where in artists of repute painted and donated their canvas to Deepalaya for the cause of the poor.  Abhinaya ’93 the integration exercise initiated during the last financial year was organised on a much larger scale involving many more public schools.  Although the communication division is operating on a marginal budget with negligible staff on roll, the resources generated are worth admiration.
International Dent:

Realising the potential for raising funds in the UAE, the Chief Executive visited UAE and the positive response has made the efforts cost effective.  A beginning has been made and holds lot more scope for mobilising resources.

WEST DELHI PROJECT (DPP)
The PHASE-OUT

Attuned to the mission of Deepalaya and dovetailed with the basic philosophy and strategy for sustainable development, phase out has been initiated in this project after over 6 years of concerted efforts for integrated community development.  Increased participation, involvement and the degree of concern and seriousness shown by the community is paving the way for a smooth handing over of the program to the community based organisations.

Phasing out is a slow process and a clear cut strategy has been worked out with set indicators at every step.  The whole exercise has been divided into 3 distinct phases.  Necessary care is being taken to educate the community about the process so as to ensure sustainability of the program for the benefit of the poor and needy.  Regular brainstorming sessions are organised to educate the staff about the process, the steps involved and their roles and responsibilities.
Some of the targets set forth for phase I of phase out have been achieved.  The team of animators, cluster leaders and voluntary workers are identified.  Necessary preparation has been made for registering the local community based organisations as legal entities.  Cancellation criterion have been laid down and discussed with the community leaders and the concerned families.  Necessary training is being imparted to the identified volunteers, community leaders, executive members of the CBO for programme planning, budgeting and programme management.

Some Samitis have taken complete charge of the administrative responsibilities.  Monitoring and supervision of the educational activities, limiting the role of Deepalaya staff in cross verification, is one of the tasks undertaken by Samiti.  The Samiti is gradually taking over the job of book keeping, maintenance of accounts and store records as also handling of petty cash.  The CBO are also responsible for smooth recovery of the investments as also for collecting the community contribution for the services rendered. The community level workers are part of the Samities.  These activities are coordinated by the central coordination committee.

Empowered Women

One of the major success of the program is the emergence of women leaders at the helm of affairs of the Samities.  Presently the number is relatively less but the present level of consciousness, concern and motivation is likely to involve and identify more women leaders.  The matured group of women understand and appreciate the problems.  They are relatively more sincere and seriously involved and concern for the longer sustenance of the programmes.

Programmes

The education and health sector have been maintained at the same level with a marginal increase.  Some of the activities are taken over by the Samiti’s/Social entrepreneurs from within the communities.  The strategy of phase-out clearly demands for self managed groups and institutions. The decrease in the number of remedial education units plus increase in the number of adult education units, NOS enrollment for certification are positive steps in this direction.  The administrative responsibilities for organising the educational programmes are being taken over by the Samities and the staff of the Deepalaya are overseeing the same.

The programmes in the sector of community organisation and income generation have shown a two fold increase which is evident when one looks at the utilization of funds.  Besides empowering the community leaders for programme management, empowerment of individual families, both economically and socially is also a pre requisite for phase out.  240 cluster groups of 25 families each with Punch (a team of 5 active members for monitoring the activities in each sector) have been formed.  Training for programme planning, implementation and management have been imparted to willing active members of the community, irrespective of their being part of the executive committee etc.  The sense of ownership is clearly evident looking at their participation, involvement and concern.

Economic empowerment of the individual families is very essential before phasing out from the area so as to ensure continuity of the various programmes.  Identified groups/families/individuals have been supported for improving their skills or for initiation/expansion of income generations activities.  This sector has shown a two fold increase as compared to the previous financial year which is in tune with the basic philosophy of phase out.  Economic empowerment for the sustenance of the programmes in all other sectors is essential so that they are able to pay off for the services rendered to them.  The above stated facts are fully endorsed by Sanket an external consultancy group who conducted the evaluation study.

SOUTH DELHI PROJECT

The geographical area of operation for the South Delhi Project remains the same namely Sanjay Colony, Golekuan (Okhla Phase II & I), Transit Camp (Kalkaji Extn) Gandhi Basti and Tagore Basti (Okhla Depot I & Opposite East of Kailash).  The programme areas have been expanded and the integrated development approach has been further strengthened.  Special emphasis was on consolidation of programme and strengthening of the community for better participation.

The South Delhi Project has been decentralised and the new organisational structure facilitates smooth and independent operations.  Necessary support is extended from time to time for drawing up their annual plans and budgets.
Salient Features

a)During this period more emphasis was on spreading Deepalaya activities within the Basties at different locations decentralising the activities for better out reach.
b)More and more linkages are established with Government, Semi Government and private bodies for different services to avoid duplication of efforts and to utilize the available resources.
c) The concept of social entrepreneurship has been introduced and community people have been identified and trained to take charge of the grass root level activities.
d)Special emphasis was given to organise the skilled and potential youth/women into groups to undertake income generation activities.  During this period as many as 37 informal groups have been formed for undertaking economic activities.
e)Equal stress was laid on binding the community into formal associations and groups for collective action and decision making.
f)Thrift and credit groups initiated to tap community’s own resources.
g)Special need group (physically handicapped and slow learners) being given special inputs for rehabilitation.

Expansion in education sector has been slow but steady.  Space has been the limiting factor for further expansion.  The awareness level and concern of the parents for education is increasing day by day.  Understanding the space limitations, the community is actively joining hands to identify and create more space within the community for educational and related activities.  The community has realised the need for education and they are willing to pay for the services rendered.  The overall attendance of 75% and the negligible dropout rate are clear indicator to evaluate the degree of involvement and concern of the community for education.  Only 10% of the students from the pre school units could be accommodated in Deepalaya school for want of space.  Nearly 65% of the students trained by Deepalaya in the pre-school and non formal educational units could be enrolled with the formal MCD schools.  A positive discrimination is made in favour of the girl child, and during this period a special girl child project has been launched, to cater to the exclusive needs of the girl child, both academic and extra curricular faculties.  The overall enrollment of the girl child is maintained at 48%

Equal opportunities are made available to all the children to explore and identify the latent talents.  Besides giving them opportunities for participating in various extra-curricular activities, their identified talents are further groomed and nurtured by associating them with reputed institutions and personnel.

The preventive health care and health care education has been are of emphasis for achieving health for all.  The mass awareness and concern for healthy living conditions have improved the sanitation, health and environmental conditions in their vicinity bringing down the frequency and incidence of communicable diseases.  Even the incidence of Diarrhea and Malaria was very low due to improved sanitation and hygienic living conditions.  The growth monitoring and medical check up data clearly indicates that awareness exposure to low cost nutrition has made a considerable impact.  Tuberculosis is one of the common occupational hazards and to combat the same necessary linkage has been established with Cheshire home.

Community based health workers are instrumental in bringing out the above changes.  Regular training was imparted to improve and enhance their existing skills.  12 Health workers were imparted 6 months Nursing training to enable them to provide specialized services to the community.  Special drives and programs were organised for immunisation, deworming, cancer detection, AIDS  awareness, Dental care, Eye care, Oral dehydration, family planning and sanitation etc.

Community Organisation has been further strengthened which is clearly evident looking at the total number of groups formed and the degree and involvement and participation of the community in different programmes.  In all 10 formal groups have been formed and as many as 47 informal/interest groups have also been formed for partaking/facilitating different activities.  A sense of ownership is being created for better involvement and participation.  Communities concern for generating community based resources and infrastructure is strengthening their group feeling.  Another positive indicator is the concern for samiti resources.  The response for saving is quite encouraging.  Some of the indicators are as follows :-

a)Overwhelming response to the Rupee-a-day scheme
b)Sustaining the recurring deposit scheme for the child’s future
c)Response to the women’s saving scheme
d)Response to the thrift and credit scheme.

Income Generating Programmes are still trailing.  Some groups have been formed and saving initiated.  Matching grant/assistance to be released.  The existing IGP units are being strengthened for improving the quality and profit margin.  Necessary linkages are being established for marketing.  Skill training is imparted for computer operations, typing, cutting and tailoring, machine knitting, hand knitting, tie & dye, embroidery etc. for proper employment or for establishing self employment units.