Mahiti ManthanaIT for Change and

Mahila Samakhya Karnataka

Project Review with GOI-DIT, UNDP and NISG

Bhuj – March 2008

Mahila Samakhya Karnataka (MSK)

More than just a thrift/credit

facilitating organisation

What is Mahiti Manthana doing?

And how?

Collective Viewing- Video

Community Informatics- Telecentre

Collective Listening- Radio

• Experience over Expertise

• Gender sensitive, relevant,dynamic and low-cost videos in

local dialect

• Conscious focus on“connecting” with the Sanghawomen

Video

Status

• 3 MSK staff become video directors

• MSK includes 70 community screenings in the annual plan 2008-09

• 39 screenings since May 07

• Videos in field – resources for grassroots staff

• Request screenings at Sangha level

• 5 Sangha digital libraries

At present…

• 15 in-house productions + 15 sourced

• 3 productions in progress

• Community screenings begin

• Grassroots staff envisioned as champions of

video – towards a sustainable video strategy

• Social and technical trainings to MM production

team –demystifying technology

• Videos aiding in vibrancy of Sangha – MSK

processes

Video

1. Strengthen MSK’s processes

2. Facilitating gender debate

3. Information transfer (Eg: Social Justice Committee)

4. Motivational: (Eg: Stories of Women and Computers)

5. Peer to Peer Learning: (Eg: Arogya Sakhi)

6. Building Linkages: (Eg: Sarva Shikshana Abhiyaan)

7. Strengthening Sangha Identity: (Eg: Sangha Mane)

8. Strengthening Sanghas: (Eg: Literacy Camp)

Types of MM videos

Impact of Video

MSK• Taking charge of the

medium

• Commencing a cycle of

collaborative content

creation

• Choosing video as a

training tool

• Greater clarity through

video making

Sangha• Rejuvenating peer to peer

knowledge transfer

process

• Creating new collective learning spaces

• Video aiding Sangha to

become a social institution for the

community

• Spurring action

Lessons learnt..Organisations tend to first think of video as merely a “documentation”

tool.

To be convinced of the potential of other forms of video, it is necessary

to demonstrate the ease of making these videos and the positive

effect of these videos in the field.

Continual and regular video production requires a team. This team

must be trained in both social and technical aspects. Video training

needs dedicated time.

Videos that are informed/ inspired by field experience are very

powerful (Savita's video).

Video making is an empowering process. It brings greater clarity

(Mercy and her video on Nari Adalat, Mangla and her video on Literacy,

Shivu and her video on Child marriage), lifts self esteem (Thayamma

and her video, Savita learning camera after direction).

Lessons learnt conti…Video is a very powerful and effective medium. Women's attention tovideo is higher, understanding visual information greater, motivationeasy. This and More about the medium has been proved many times.

The women identify with the sangha women portrayed in the videosand are easily convinced of the message then. Success stories of othersanghas and sangha women are great motivators.

Formats that work and those that don't: discussions are hard tocapture on video. Interviews are much easier to capture. This coupledwith relevant visuals make fast and simple videos. Role plays areeffective and help spark questions, debate. Trainings can be capturedeffectively on video- but need prior planning, and cannot be too longetc.

Leadership level sangha women intuitively and quickly learn skills offacilitating discussions after screening and use video screenings as anopportunity to question, explain, spark debate.

What is Namma Mahiti Kendra

(NMK)?

• Community Information Center for Empowerment – NOT a center for a set of e-services

• Agency to make structural shift in community’s Information and Communication architecture

• Equitable with respect to information access and sharing

What is NMK?

“NMK is like a sack of ragi. We store it and use it

through out the year.”

Objectives of NMKs

• Ensure that MSK as an organisation incorporates technology into their I and C process – RC strategy

• Build Sangha women as the change agents -resource group for the community

Activities

• Database building – Community information and department information

• ICT training

• RTI

• Telemedicine and Tele-legal services

• Entitlements and schemes

• Institutional Linkages

• Pay and Non-pay services

• NMK outreach

• Digital photography

Impact

• Increased attendance

of sangha women at

Gram Sabhas

• Increased

accountability of front

line depts.

• Govt depts. see more

potential in NMKs

• Speed of information access and delivery

• Cost reduction to community

• Confidence to interact with officials

• Addressing corruption both at dept level and

community level

• Most vulnerable families access information –

entitlements, schemes with very little cost

• Demand for department melas - camps

Impact continued…

Impact continued…

• Sangha women as change agents

• Sanghas become equitable – mapping vulnerable families, BPL…

Impact continued…

• MSK counting on NMK as the repository of MSK information

• BJP? Congress? JDS? What next?

Namma Mahiti Kendra

Women and computers

Challenges…

• Not number of people who come, its about number of houses sakhi visits

• Sakhi leaving – and re-strategising

• Transfer of skill to MSK and local talent

• Ownership – institutional over individuals

• Building volunteerism

• Internet connectivity and video conf application

Radio

• Kelu Sakhi – Listen my Friend

• Gyanvani (KSOU), MSK, Sangha Women and MM team

• 105.6 FM

• 9.00 pm Monday & 9.00 am Tuesday

• Across Mysore district

A platform for Sangha women to share

stories and express opinions

A message board for MSK and Sangha

women

A space for peer learning

A space for expert guidance

A showcase for talent

A container of information capsules

A tool for addressing issues

A ‘FRIEND’ – Kelu Sakhi

Kelu Sakhi - Objectives

A typical Kelu sakhi episode

SLOTS

• Sangha Dhwani

• MSK feature/Expert led session

• KSOU Promo

• Sangha talent showcase

• Feedback slot

• MSK update

• Serial slot

Status

• 66 Weeks on air

• Collective listening

• Feedback feeding back to the content

• Sangha action spurred by listening

• KS as intimate tool for addressing issues

• Active secondary listenership – Men and

community

• KS equated as message board for Sangha

women

Impact

MSK• Reach

• Speed of delivery

• HR, Time and Cost reduction

• Aiding in transparency

Sangha• Legitimisation

• Increased awareness of Govt. obligations to citizens

• Motivational peer to peer sharing

• Increased awareness and engagement with social issues

• Validation of mobility

• Tool for conflict resolution

Radio

Lessons learnt..

• innovation is some programmes, ex. feedback slot, NMK and video promos

• Nearly 100 radios distributed,

• + extending this to 2 more taluks,

• understanding of equipment best suited for prodn,

• social and tech trg for good content genr,

• understanding of best formats that work for sanghas

• can afford to repeat programmes when listenership is building,

• atleast 3 members to record during noisy situations,

• leadership women – best programmes quality, and eager to participate,

• auditioning process during recordings – to address disappointments

Sangha Shaale

• The integration of Radio, Video and Namma Mahiti Kendra

Collective viewing

Collective listening

Namma Mahiti Kendra

Going forward...

•Scaling up within the MSK System

•Evangelising and capacity building of NGOs – Centre for Community Informatics and Development (from demonstrating to transfer of skills)

•Impact on the wider ecology - Advocacy

14 (16) services provided at the NMKs

107 (222) resources produced/

accessed (R+V+N)

4 (15) sangha shaales established

33 (22) resource materials produced/

procured/ used (R+V+N)

192 (150) women & Kishoris accessing

health services

32 (40) knowledge/training sessions

3 (6) Mahila Samakhya Karnataka staff

trained

Improved resource support to sangha activity; Improved access to livelihood information and skills/ government services and schemes/ information provided

Improved access to primary health

care

Improved processes of

communication within Mahila

Samakhya Karnataka

OUTPUT

__ (33%) increase in number of women taking up village-level issues

__ (25%) increase in women formally

interacting with elite and officials.

__ (25%) increase in those who

participate in decision-making at the

gram sabha

Empowerment of socially disadvantaged women in the project area and Mahila Samakhya Karnataka Mysore integrates ICTs into their core activities

OUTCOME

indicatorresults