TABLE OF CONTENTS - Sehgal Foundation · message from the chairman annual report 2003-04sehgal...

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TABLE OF

CONTENTSMessage From The Chairman 1

The Sehgal Foundation 3

Sustainable Village Development 4• Water Management 4• Income Enhancement 6• Rural Health 8• Family Life Education 10

Ghaghas Feature 12

About the Foundation 18• Our Team 18• Project Implementation Team 19• Use Of Funds 20• Events 2003 21

�MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN�

�ANNUAL REPORT 2003-04�SEHGAL FOUNDATION�1

INDIA’S TRYST WITH DESTINY, HERALDED MORE

THAN FIFTY YEARS AGO, IS YET TO BE FULFILLED

INDIA’S TRYST WITH destiny, heralded morethan fifty years ago, is yet to be fulfilled. In themeantime, the changes that have occurredacross the sub-continent could hardly havebeen imagined by the generation thatwitnessed partition and the end of an empire.But midnight’s children are now in their senioryears, and a younger generation is ascendant.Trained in skills that did not even exist a fewyears ago, destiny is too long off to satisfy theyoungsters of this digital age. In fact, they areright to be impatient. For all the progress thathas undeniably been made, it is as if timehas stood still in many of our rural andurban areas.

We all know that development is a complexprocess, and one that in a sense never ends.History is not over. At the same time, we mustnot sanction inaction and bureaucracy underthe rubric of cultural complexity or socialimmobility. Equitable access to water, publichygiene, vocational skills, to name just a few,can be quickly and significantly improved withrelatively simple assistance. The basicdevelopment issues of India are well known.We have a wealth of talent, scholarly expertise,and committed organisations pursuing animpressive range of grassroots goals. We are

not however making the impact we would like.In his ‘Vision 2020’, India’s President Kalamhas called upon his country to transform itselfinto a developed nation. The clock is tickingdown on this goal. Health and education arejust two areas where we are still failing a largeportion of the population. Just 42% ofchildren between the age of 12 and 24 monthshave completed their immunisation schedule,while 14.4% have had no vaccination at all.While there has been massive growth in theprivate health sector, it is hardly accessible tothe three quarters of Indians who live at orbelow the subsistence level. The result is thatone third of Indian women do not receive aprenatal check-up during pregnancy, and 54%of babies are delivered without support fromtrained personnel. Even in the most modestprivate hospitals, the cost of an average staycan exceed twice a family’s monthly income.

Regarding education, the state has committeditself to providing free and formal education toall children up to 14 years of age. However,school drop-out rates are high – only 1% ofrural girls that enroll in class I will make it toclass XII. In part this is because schoolscannot adequately cater to the needs of veryyoung people. A survey of India’s schoolsrevealed that nearly 52% lacked playgrounds,89% do not have toilets, and 59% have nodrinking water.

For our part, we are seeking to make our ownsmall contribution to the sustainabledevelopment that is so eagerly sought byIndia’s village communities. In 2003 progresshas been made in the villages of ruralGurgaon, where we are active. I have seen

myself in the eyes of young children, mothers,fathers, and old men, just what can beaccomplished by rolling up our sleeves andgetting to work. We are starting to make adifference in areas of water management,family life, health, and income enhancement.

This year an earthen check dam was completedin Rangala Rajpur, while in Ghaghas acomprehensive programme has revitalised thelocal water table and water supply. A campaignto build latrines and soak pits has also had asignificant impact on public hygiene. Localwomen report that latrines are the single mostimportant development for them. Almostunbelievably, in Ghaghas for example, onlytwo of the more than 300 families have alatrine. For everyone else, the nearby fieldsmust function as an open-air toilet. The lack ofprivacy and loss of dignity is deeply felt bywomen and elderly people. It is these smallinterventions that can have such a largeimpact. What’s more, they are very low cost.

In this our second year of field operations, wehave also learnt a few hard lessons that madeus stop, think, and start again. Our efforts tointroduce drip irrigation, for example, failed –the investment is too great for the average

We are therefore already looking beyond theshort term. By 2007 we expect to beginexpansion to eventually cover 40 villages.The scale of our activities will require us totrain local ‘village champions in sustainabledevelopment issues and activities. Our visionis that these village champions will becomeprogramme leaders. In the longer term, ourvision for 2011 onwards is to reach severalthousand villages. Small is beautiful, but tomake a significant impact in India, we mustbecome bigger.

This year the Foundation team, especiallythose working directly in the villages, showed atremendous commitment to empowering ruralIndia. I am also grateful to all the localvolunteers who have worked with us.For a village youth, woman, or man to taketime and effort to assist the Foundation, is nosmall mark of what we have achieved. I lookforward to working with the Foundation andour friends in the villages and elsewhere in theyear ahead.

Suri Sehgal Chairman

�MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN�

farmer, instead we have now identified aninexpensive indigenous equivalent system, andwill start to promote it in rural Gurgaon.We began a campaign to enroll boys in avocational training programme, only to findthat the few who qualified and were selected,lacked the emotional security and motivationto actually attend. We will focus on providingjust such counseling this coming year.While young women and mothers are eager toattend our Family Life Education programme,the same cannot be said of their malecounterparts. We will re-double our effortstherefore in the coming year.

At the same time, it is extremely heartening towitness the efforts of others in the goal ofvillage development. This year I had the honorto participate in this initiative through aUS-based NRI (non-Resident Indian) HomeComing. India’s expatriate community is atremendous resource. Together, we have skillsand resources that our country of origin needs.At a follow-up meeting in Delhi supported bythe Foundation, several inspiring NRIinitiatives were also showcased. The talent isthere, we must put it to use to benefit ourrural communities.

The Sehgal Family Foundation has alsocontinued to support initiatives in the area ofgenetic improvement of crops, ecology, andthe conservation of genetic resources.Programmes in these areas are on-going atseveral institutes both in the US and elsewhere.Amongst noteworthy grants, this year theFoundation provided a further US $1 million tothe International Crop Research Institute for theSemi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). ICRISAT is usingthe endowment to improve resistance to downymildew disease in bajra (millet), and to grainmold and shoot fly in jowar (sorghum). Part ofthe new endowment will also be used to conductresearch on sustainable management of naturalresources in rural Gurgaon. Research byICRISAT has had a tremendous impact on thewelfare of farmers throughout the developingworld. Additionally, we provided on-goingsupport to the Missouri Botanical Gardens, theAshoka Trust for Research in Ecology andEnvironment, and to Trees for Life.

In India we want to make a positive differenceto the lives of people in four villages in ruralGurgaon. At the end of 2002 we gave ourselvesfour more years to meet this goal, and so havethree to go. Of course, four villages in ruralIndia is only the proverbial drop in the ocean.If it takes a village to raise a child, it will takethousands of revitalised villages to raise a newgeneration of children to whom hope comes asnaturally as does food, water, education,prosperity, and health.

IN INDIA WE WANT TO MAKE A POSITIVE

DIFFERENCE TO THE LIVES OF PEOPLE ...


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�THE SEHGAL FOUNDATION�


SUSTAINABLE VILLAGEDEVELOPMENT

THE FOUNDATION HAS also provided supportthis year to the following organisations:! International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)! Trees For Life! Ekal Vidalaya! Association for India’s Development! Asian Agri-History Foundation! Gandhi College! Swaraj Foundation! NRI Homecoming! Plant Database Consortium (On-going)! Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology & Environment (ATREE)! United Nations Pride of India Campaign! Acumen Fund! Iowa State University! Various Community Grants, USA

THE SEHGAL FOUNDATION is addressing sustainabledevelopment in India’s village communities. Outside ofIndia, we support research on biodiversity and ecology, aswell as various community initiatives seeking to improvethe local social and biological ecology.

In India we focus on four programmes:! Water Management! Income Enhancement! Rural Health! Family Life EducationOur goal is to improve the overall well-being of villagersthrough grassroots activities and empowerment of localinstitutions. To that end, we work through a ProjectImplementation Team (PIT) based in the ruralcommunity, and actively collaborate on all projects withthe village council (the Panchayat). Programmes aresupported by our IT and Communications services group.We currently work in villages in rural Gurgaon,near Delhi.

PARTNERORGANISATIONS

THIS YEAR WE have benefited from aclose partnership with CEDPA (Centrefor Development and PopulationActivities) and ARAVIS (Aravali VikasSangathan). We are using CEDPA’smanual ‘Choose a Future’, in our FLE(Family Life Education) programme.This year, we have also collaboratedwith CEDPA in their nation-widepre-testing of a new manual targetingadolescent girls.The manual was used by theFoundation in five villages with over130 pupils. We have also been invited tojoin BLOOM (Better Life Options andOpportunities Model); their programme to build capacityand provide technical assistance.

We are funding ARAVIS to work on sustainabledevelopment in the Sohna Block of rural Gurgaon. ARAVIShas been involved in development work since 1986, and iscurrently active in 45 villages in rural Haryana.

�SUSTAINABLE VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT�

ACCORDING TO THE 2002 Government of India Census Household Survey, only 29% of ruralhomes have direct access to water. Most other households draw water from community taps, handpumps, and wells. In villages in Gurgaon District, water supply and wastewater disposal is limitedand erratic. Homes are generally not directly connected to the public water supply pipe. Instead,the pipe is usually opened at various points along its length, and water is illegally diverted. Whenthe water supply is on, water flows uncontrolled into the street. This leads to water wastage, lowwater pressure, and a messy and unhygienic environment. Domestic wastewater is similarlydisposed of in the open.

WATER MANAGEMENT

THIS YEAR, A ROOFTOP rainwater harvest structure was installed on the village mosque inAgon. Collection from rooftops is a tried and successful rainwater harvesting technique in India,though dissemination of this simple technology is not widespread. The mosque rooftop,depending on the rainfall, can potentially harvest 205,000 liters of water. This water is channeledto a defunct well, through which it reaches the ground water table. The well is now used forwatering animals.

ROOFTOP WATER HARVESTING




A WATER LITERACY CAMPAIGNTHE FOUNDATION ALSO conducted a door-to-door campaign covering the village ofAgon. Agon has about 618 households and apopulation of approximately 4,700. The PIT(Project Implementation Team), comprisingtwo men and one woman, surveyed thenumber of homes with a water connection,those having home taps, and those withconnections but no effective water supply.

The PIT then focused on 25 households toexplain the issues of water management, andintroduce the use of taps and soak pits. Soakpits are simple drainage structures thatfacilitate the disposal, filtration andpercolation of wastewater into the ground.A typical soak pit is one meter in diameter, andone meter deep. A desilting trap is placed justbefore the point where the water enters thesoak pit. The desilted waste water dischargesinto soak pit – a below ground brick structurefilled with layers of sand and broken brick. Thesand acts as a fine filter, allowing clear water topercolate into the ground.

The structure costs around Rs. 300, which isaffordable by most people in the villages. In all,10 soak pits were constructed in the focusneighbourhood, and 22 taps were installed.Taps are priced at Rs. 30 (Rs 45 = US $ 1). Theuse of taps and soak pits in Agon has turnedotherwise muddy streets into a dry and cleanenvironment. To date a total of 59 soak pitshave been constructed, 21 of which in Agon.

IN SEPTEMBER A check dam toprovide water to the village ofRangala Rajpur was completed. Inrecent years, the local waterharvesting and supplyinfrastructure had fallen intodisrepair, aggravating thecommunity’s water problems. TheRangala Rajpur check damproject was first proposed to thecommunity’s Water Committee in2002. The community agreed topay 25% of the total cost, and theFoundation the rest. In 2003 thecommunity requested and wasgranted funds from the localgovernment covering a part oftheir share. Each household

contributed 10 kilograms ofwheat to make up the villagecontribution. The village alsocontributed cash and labour. Thecheck dam was completed beforethe onset of this year’s monsoonsin July. Water has alreadypercolated from the dam into theground, and previously dry wellsare beginning to fill again. Thewell water level in the nearbyvillage of Paul has also risen byabout 6 feet.

This year, water from the checkdam was used to bring 10 acres ofpreviously fallow common landunder vegetable cultivation.

Vetiver grass is being planted onthe dam to enhance its stability,and a series of storage ponds arealso under construction.

The first phase of acomprehensive ridge to valleywater management programmewas also completedin Ghaghas – see theGHAGHAS FEATURE.

RANGALA CHECK DAM

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INCOME

ENHANCEMENTIT IS ESTIMATED that 75% of people designated as poor in India, livein rural areas. Poverty is an extremely complex issue – even agreeing onthe criterion of the designation is a matter that occupies serious scholars.

THIS YEAR WE provided further training to farmers on the use ofraised bed vegetable cultivation to reduce use of water, and producehealthier and more robust plants. Several ‘see and believe’ trips withlocal farmers were organised to a village where raised bed cultivation oftomato was on-going. The Foundation then provided an interest-freeloan to the Ghaghas Fruit and Vegetable Grower Association topurchase a bed maker and chisel, each costing Rs 7,000. Proper soilpreparation, row spacing, plant-to-plant spacing, and the use of low-cost polythene plant nurseries, can also significantly improve yields.Training on these practices was provided to the growers.

To address problems of soil degradation, a vermicomposting initiativewas launched this year. Use of compost is common in India, howeverthe traditional composting methods take 12 months, and yield onlymoderately improved fertiliser. Good quality vermicompost can beready in 45 -50 days under normal conditions, and has a higher contentof Nitrogen, Phosphorus and micronutrients than traditional compost.Six women and three men each received one kilogram of earthwormsand technical support on vermicomposting. Significantly, the womenwere encouraged to travel outside their village to receive the training, aswell as to a nearby village to claim free mustard seed from a localgovernment official as part of an incentive programme on offer to usersof vermi-compost. There are now 41 vermicompost units in 6 villages,most run by women.

BEST AGRICULTURAL

PRACTICES

investment required is, we learntlater, one that farmers are reluctantto make.

The Foundation is now workingwith International DevelopmentEnterprises, India, to introduce alow-cost drip irrigation system.At Rs. 10,000, this system uses

BY CONTRAST WITH the successof raised beds, the Foundationfailed to make an impact with theintroduction of drip irrigation.Drip irrigation conserves waterand helps enhance plant healthand yield. A demonstration systeminstalled by the Foundation wassuccessful, but the Rs 40,000

an electric or diesel pump tofill an overhead tank, so thatgravity generates water pressurethrough the irrigation piping.With reduced pressure in thesystem, it is possible to uselower grade piping than theexpensive PVC material used incommercial systems.

THE DRIP DOWN EFFECT



COMMON LAND REFORMSTHIS YEAR THE Sehgal Foundation began aninitiative to develop common lands in Ghaghas,Goela, and Agon. Village common lands areadministered by the local Panchayats, but are oftenunder-utilised or neglected. Communitymobilisation began in February with a series ofvillage meetings, focus group discussions, andhome visits. The Panchayats in each village werealso involved, but have limited power to decideland-use rights. By year-end, and despiteconsiderable efforts, we were not able to makesignificant progress.

Already we are in discussion with the Panchayat fora five-year lease of approximately 10 acres in eachvillage. This small start will hopefully get quickapproval and lead to greater results in the mid-term.

VOCATIONAL TRAININGSINCE MOST VILLAGE youth in Gurgaon do not have higher education or vocational qualifications, theFoundation initiated a campaign targeting employment. Working with the Rural Development and Self EmploymentTraining Institute (RUDSET), the goal was to provide vocational training and follow-up. Trades in high demandinclude general business development, computer hardware management, beauty care, and air conditioner andrefrigerator repair.

Those whose profile matched the RUDSET requirements were encouraged to apply for training. Finally, just fourcandidates were accepted for training on hardware management, of which none eventually agreed to attend thetraining course. Foundation staff believes that lack of confidence was the prime reason. While disappointing, welearnt it is necessary to provide greater counseling to youth prepared to apply for such trainings.

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RURAL HEALTHYOU WOULD NOT want to fall ill in ruralGurgaon. Despite considerable improvementsto the national healthcare system andinfrastructure, general access to timely andquality care is not yet assured. Officially,curative care is available through village healthsub-centers and Primary Health Centers.Community Health Centers and DistrictHospitals are also located in the largerpopulation centers. At the village level,interaction is mostly with the public AuxiliaryNurse Midwife and the Aanganwadi (childcare) worker. In reality, the sub-centers andPrimary Health Centers of rural Gurgaon aremostly poorly maintained, with rudimentarystructures, and only the sporadic presence oftrained medical staff.

A REFERRAL SYSTEMGIVEN THE STATE OF the healthcare system,it is hardly surprising that villagers arereluctant to use it. Instead, they often resort tolocal untrained and unregistered practitioners,or Jhola doctors as they are referred to inHindi. When the Jhola doctor is unable to offerany curative solution, villagers often turn tosub-standard private nursing homes orhospitals, which they can hardly afford.

On a positive note, government-run healthcamps and mobile medical services do play animportant role in rural Gurgaon. Theseservices can very often eliminate the cost of asimple diagnosis. Most illnesses turn out to beminor, and are easily treatable in such camps.A simple but useful role of the Foundation hasbeen to keep track of these camps and ensurethat villagers know of them.

To that end, the PIT carried out a door-to-door campaign to identify people requiringmedical care in the four villages where we areactive. Assistance was then provided to ensurethat they were able to access appropriatepublic facilities. By the end of 2003, theseefforts were working well in Agon, where agood working relationship has been

established with the local Auxillary NurseMidwife. She now regularly visits the FLEcenter to administer Tetanus Toxoid toadolescent girls who have not beenimmunised, to follow-up on nutrition issues,and to refer girls and other villagers to thePrimary Health Centers or other healthcareproviders for common ailments. Outside ofAgon we have not yet had the same success,and so will refocus our efforts there in 2004.

ENHANCING

AWARENESSTHIS YEAR THE PIT received further trainingon water potability, the safe use of pesticides,immunisation schedules, prenatal care,reproductive health, and on the symptoms,prevention and treatment of fever, malaria,dengue, and tuberculosis. Regular informationsessions on these and other subjects have alsobeen held for villagers and Jhola doctors.



SAFE TRADITIONAL

DELIVERYWHEN AQIL WAS born on October 31st this year in Ghaghas, Saliman,the dai attending, had made sure to trim her nails and wash her hands.This simple act of cleanliness is helping ensure that traditional deliveriesare safe.

Nearly 70% of births in India take place at home with the assistance of adai – a traditional midwife. In villages like Ghaghas, dais attend nearly90% of births. The role of the dai is to counsel women during pregnancyand to help during the delivery. Though typically poor, usually illiterate,and formally unskilled, dais are a fount of much traditional knowledge.Because they attend many births, they are familiar with mostcomplications. Women who become dais are usually also the daughtersof other dais, so that knowledge of traditional birthing practices ispassed on through generations.

While the medical community has come to recognise the valuable role ofthe dai, both with respect to their practical knowledge and acceptancewithin the rural community, there is also a concern that some practicesare ill-advised. The number one issue for safe traditional delivery isensuring hygiene. Very often home births expose the mother and childto a septic and risky environment. For example, it is common practice touse any sharp instrument at hand to cut the umbilical cord. In ruralGurgaon, the child’s navel is sometimes rubbed with cow dung, toprotect it from evil. As a result, incidence of puerperal fever and generalneonatal morbidity is high.

The Sehgal Foundation has been addressing these issues with a series ofdai training sessions, and with the promotion of adai kit. This year the Foundation conducted threetraining sessions for roughly 30 dais. The dai kitcomprises a sterile safety razor, polythene sheet,thread, soap, and a disinfectant, and costs Rs 30.

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FAMILY LIFE

THE TRADITIONAL STRUCTURE of village life can be a source ofgreat community and personal strength. In rural Gurgaon, it is oftenalso a mask for restrictive gender and authority roles. The irony ofFamily Life Education is that the traditional family head is so far largelyunresponsive to it.

Parents and village leaders have considerable decision power over thechoice of life options of their children. By contrast, young men andwomen have essentially no influence on their parents and key decisionssuch as their age at marriage, level of education, and other genderrelated issues. Fathers are in fact the ultimate decision-makers, even ifmothers are consulted. At the same time, women are the primary caregivers, and it is young women and mothers who are the ‘First Movers’ inmatters of education and healthcare.

EDUCATION

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ENROLLING THE

IN 2003 WE began development of a special Parents’ Curriculum whichfocuses on sensitising parents to their own needs and those of theirchildren. This Curriculum was used in six Focus Group Discussionsessions in four villages. The sessions covered issues in their personallives, such as ‘getting to know your children’, family gender roles, thevalue of literacy, care of the newborn, and the role of the spouse. Mostwomen have reported that the course is helping to bring them closer totheir children and to understand their hopes. Additionally, the course isproviding mothers with a formal structure to gather together, wherethey can relax and share their concerns. None of the mothers droppedout of the course or failed to attend a session.

Success with men has been more limited. Interest has been low, andattendance has been erratic. The often-stated reason for this is that workis their priority. A few also admit to awkwardness in discussing issuessuch as family life and child care, which is the traditional role of women.Overcoming these inhibitions is one target of the new course.

GATEKEEPERS

UNLIKE UNLIKE UNLIKE UNLIKE UNLIKE VILLVILLVILLVILLVILLAAAAAGE GIRLSGE GIRLSGE GIRLSGE GIRLSGE GIRLS, boys are readily given the opportunity forrecreation activities. Beginning in 2002 we sought to organise gendersensitisation and other FLE related training around those activities.However, the number of boys enrolled remained low, attendance wasirregular, and volunteering was infrequent. In 2003 we therefore beganan initiative to support the formation of Youth Clubs.

The idea of a Youth Club emerged from the boys of Ghaghas during thePatrika (village newsletter) exercise. Not surprisingly, they were mostkeen on a cricket club. By coincidence, at a community meeting inGoela, the boys also asked for help in starting a cricket club. The GoelaClub is up and running and will start shortly in Ghaghas. The foundingmembers have had to decide their club’s name, fees, age eligibility, andthe club rules and regulations. The boys also nominated a President andTreasurer. The Foundation has provided a cricket kit and will bear 50%of its maintenance cost for three years. FLE classes in the club have alsostarted and the boys have begun volunteering in village development.

CRICKET ON THE

CURRICULUM



BACK TO

SCHOOLIN 2003, THE Foundation’s Family LifeEducation (FLE) course was offered in 16villages in rural Gurgaon. The target audiencehas largely been adolescent girls, but the needsof young men, and parents are also beingcatered to. Family life in rural Gurgaon foryoung people is constrained by limitededucation and access to information, and fairlyrigid gender roles. Poverty compounds nearlyall problems.

The FLE curriculum is designed to impart lifeskills, enhance literacy, and provide recreationopportunities and skill training. Thecurriculum is actually based on an interactivecourse developed by the Center forDevelopment and Population Activities(CEDPA), USA. The course has been verysuccessful in getting girls talking about theirconcerns and the issues they face, while boysare being confronted with the facts of genderinequity for the first time.

To extend the reach of FLE, this year theFoundation approached several village schools.Family life and health awareness do not form asignificant part of any syllabus. Principals atboth public and private schools reviewed thecourse content, and in turn obtained approvalfrom parents to offer the course. In threepublic schools in Agon, Ghaghas and Goela,the course is offered during a free activityperiod. At the private school in Agon, classesare conducted after school hours. A total of 51girls and 44 boys followed the course this year.

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�GHAGHAS FEATURE�

LIFE IN GHAGHASIn the drama that is drought,monsoon failure is only one of theactors however. This year inGhaghas, anxiety for themonsoons was not in their arrival,but rather their stay. The rainswere coming, but the village wasnot prepared. In the Aravali hillssurrounding Ghaghas, rainwatercan be quickly lost. Theinfrastructure to capture the rainshad been neglected for years. Thisyear the villagers were determinedto ensure that a check dam wasable to harvest the plentifulrainfall. So began fifteen franticdays of work in early July. Thismobilisation of the community toensure the ‘monsoon harvest’marked a turning point in theFoundation’s relationship withthe village.

Ghaghas is a typical village in thepredominantly Muslim Mewatarea of rural Gurgaon. Ghaghasvillage comprises approximately300 families, a population ofabout 2,100 people, of which over700 are members of the GramSabha. The Gram Sabhacomprises all villagers 18 andover, and whose names areincluded in the village voters’ list.The local economy is entirelyagrarian, literacy levels arerelatively low, gender bias ispervasive, and poverty endemic.At the same time, the village isgradually opening todevelopment. The Foundation’swork in Ghaghas began in 2002,but this year took a leap forwardwith the creation of a ‘VillageLevel Institution’ or VLI. It wasthe VLI that ensured thecompletion of the check dam.

IN JULY THE rains came inGhaghas, as they have alwaysdone – or nearly always. Villagersremember times when themonsoons were very light.Crops failed, wells went dry andanimals grew weak andunproductive. A government pipesupplied their drinking water, butthe supply was erratic at best, andin any case, only sufficient fortheir barest needs. Private watermerchants did well, but virtuallyno one else did.



A VILLAGE LEVEL Institution(VLI – called a Gram VikasSanstha in Hindi) is a formalbody intended to ensuresustainable development in ruralIndia. VLIs can be registeredunder the India Society Act, orremain unregistered.

Since its inception in 1999, theFoundation has recognised theimportance of forming VLIs toensure the sustainability of itsactivities after it withdraws from avillage. The Foundation decidedto expedite the VLI process andaddress sustainability issues withthe villagers virtually at thebeginning of its activities. As aresult, intensive discussions wereheld in the village. The PIT alsomet different groups from wards1,castes and Kutumbs2 and askedeach of them to choose theirrepresentatives to be VLI foundermembers. This outreach to thewhole community was lateridentified as a key success factorin the formation of the VLI.

IT TAKES A ‘VILLAGE

Additionally, it was decided thatregistering the VLI would lend itcredibility, ease access toGovernment and non-Government funds and facilities,and promote rigorous self-management.

The 16 member ExecutiveCommittee of the VLI includesthe Sarpanch, Panchayat andex-Panchayat members, severalwomen, a youth member, as wellas 2 members from theFoundation. Presently there are84 fee-paying village members –the goal is to enroll most of thevillagers.

LEVEL INSTITUTION’

GHAGHAS AT A GLANCE; 1��<��3=

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Footnotes



THIRSTY LANDThis year construction of thecontour bunds, gabions, gulleyplugs, and a loose dry stonecontainment structure wascompleted. Stones for the latterwere collected from the local areaand layered with soil and grass,before being covered by apolythene sheet. The sheet wasthen covered with more soil andstones. The resulting watertightdam was in place by the time themonsoons began in July. Ghaghasis now enjoying the benefits ofthis water-harvesting project.

Analysis of the groundwater inthe vicinity of the check dam andat a distance of approximately1.5 km revealed that it exceededpermissible standards for fluoride,nitrates and chlorides. Testing ofthe groundwater after the damhad been completed and themonsoons had come revealed thatall required quality parameterswere met from samples taken inthe vicinity of the dam, but notfrom the second site. This isevidence that the dam is allowingthe contained water to percolateinto the ground, while elsewherethe monsoon rains simply run-offwithout recharging thegroundwater.

Work is now ongoing to completethe stone-masonry and concretedam wall, as well as of waterguiding walls and a ‘cushionchamber’. The latter is designed toprotect the dam from damage byheavy water flow. The dam’s sanddune slopes are also beingstabilised by cutting them into aself-sustaining angle of repose,providing a covering of clayeysoil, and by planting vetiver grass.Siphon and side spillways will alsobe built to direct excess water flowaway from the village and intoadjacent ponds. Sluice gates arebeing provided to ensure de-silting. Total cost of the dam isestimated at Rs 900,000.

The check dam is located in thefoothills of the Aravali Range, justoutside Ghaghas. Ghaghasdepends on water from the hills torecharge local wells and forirrigation. The average annualrainfall in the Ghaghas area is 500mm, most of this coming duringthe monsoon season. Failure toharvest the monsoon rains hadled to falling groundwater levels,increasing concentration of salts,and disappearance of local flora.

In the implementation of thecheck dam project, a ‘ridge tovalley’ approach was taken,covering all stages in water flowfrom hilly regions down to thevalley. The plan called for theconstruction of a series of contourbunds, gabions and gulley plugs,as well as a masonry check dam.Work on the masonry dam beganat the end of 2003. Contourbunds are small loose stonestructures, typically high up in thewater catchment area. Gabionsare loose stones covered with wiremesh placed at various intervalsalong the gulleys through whichwater flows to the valley floor.Gully plugs are similar, but notmeshed. These three structuresslow the water speed, leading togreater percolation into theground, and decreased silt loadand soil erosion.

Check dams typically comprise alarge natural or excavated waterstorage area, and a masonrycontainment structure.Depending on whether or not thedam is also intended forgroundwater recharge, the storagearea can be lined. At Ghaghas thecatchment area is 1.75 sq. km, sothat the check dam storage areacan contain up to 108,000kilolitres of water.

ALL FOUNDATIONACTIVITIES in Ghaghas are nowcarried out under the auspices ofthe VLI. One of its first tasks wasto create a 5 member ‘Check damtask force’, including one womanmember. The task force isresponsible for hiring labour,conflict resolution, procurementof construction materials(cement, bricks, steel, stones,grit), managing the availability oftools and equipment, andensuring women’s participation.


THE CHECK DAM is a largeprogramme for Ghaghas, and hasalready had a significant impacton the village. But if one canvasesthe women and elders, by far themost cited accomplishment of theVLI this year has been theintroduction of sanitary latrines.

Ghaghas is virtually entirelywithout any sanitationinfrastructure – no sewage ofcourse, but also no latrines. Of themore than 300 village families, only2 have private latrines. The entirepopulation uses the surroundingarea as a large open-air toilet –with all the implications for lackof hygiene, privacy and dignity.This is especially difficult forwomen and elderly people.Women resort to going to thefields either in the very earlymorning, or after sunset.

Low cost latrine technology isavailable. A two-pit latrine systemdesigned by Sulabh Internationalis highly suited to the region,requiring only one mug of waterper flush. One pit can be used by afamily of 10 for 5 years, afterwhich the flush connection iseasily switched to the second pit.Waste in the original pit dries upand decomposes.

The latrine costs about Rs. 2,700and consists of a simple structurewith medium height walls, but nopermanent door or roof. Topromote the latrines, theFoundation constructed ademonstration model at theFamily Life Education center.The Foundation provides familiesRs 200 towards the cost, andprocures materials and has thelatrine constructed.

Domestic wastewater is alsodisposed of in the open. The resultis an unclean and often muddyenvironment. To improve villagehygiene, the Foundation with the

A BIT OF PRIVACY


VLI facilitated the construction of28 soak pits this year in Ghaghas.The Foundation has also providedrubbish bins and cleaningimplements. Each family alsocontributes Rs 10 per monthtowards the employment of streetsweepers.

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THE WOMENOF GHAGHAS

SIMPLE IMPROVEMENTS TO the physicalinfrastructure of Ghaghas are making adifference. At the same time, the highlygender-polarised social infrastructure has alargely negative impact on the well-being ofgirls and women.

The literacy rate amongst women is about29%, while average family size is 8.4. Women’sdaily routine largely comprises doinghousehold chores, collecting water andfirewood, tending to animals, and agriculturallabour. Despite this massive contribution tothe family’s welfare, they are essentiallypowerless at home and in the community.A heavy routine, poverty, and a general lackof hygiene, means that they are also often inpoor health.

This vicious circle of constant work and poorhealth is kept in motion by social isolation.Subjugated at home, they also have no role inmatters pertaining to the village at large.Generally they have no access to radio,television or print media. Even visits toneighbours are restricted. At our firstcommunity meeting, not a single womanparticipated. Similarly, there was no women’sgroup of any kind. There are now two women’sself-help groups in Ghaghas.

IN OCTOBER THE first village newsletter , or‘Patrika, was launched in Ghaghas. The Patrikaprovides village youth with a communicationsoutlet, a forum to acknowledge communityrole models, and a means to celebrate localculture and disseminate information.

PATRIKAA VOICE FOR YOUTH



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�ABOUT THE FOUNDATION�

OUR TEAM�Rajesh K. Sinha�Programme leader Income Enhancement, holds aManagement degree from the Institute of RuralManagement, Anand, Gujarat. Mr. Sinha has heldvarious private sector positions in sales, procurement,rural advertising and credit promotion.Email: [email protected]

�Lalit Mohan Sharma�Programme leader Water Management andInfrastructure Building. He is a graduate civil engineerand holds a Masters of Technology (management &systems) degree from Indian Institute of Technology,Delhi. He holds a postgraduate diploma is inConstruction Management and is a Fellow of theInstitution of Valuers.Email: [email protected]

�Shanthu Shantharam�

Special Advisor, holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology fromthe Memorial University of Newfoundland.Dr. Shantharam is responsible for the SehgalFoundation’s North American External Relations.Email: [email protected]

�Kevin O’Brien�Consultant, holds a PhD in philosophy from theUniversity of Leuven, as well as degrees in biology andaccounting. Dr. O’Brien is Finance & AdministrationAdvisor to Ablynx NV, a Belgian biopharmaceuticalcompany. He assists the Foundation with externalcommunications.Email: [email protected]

�Arvind Bahl�A Trustee of the Foundation, was a senior Executive and amember of the Board of Directors of the Proagro Group ofCompanies from 1990-1999. He holds a degree in electricalengineering from the Regional Engineering College,Allahabad.Email: [email protected]

�Anjali Makhija�Program leader Family Life Education, holds a Master’sdegree in Social Work, Delhi School of Social Work, DelhiUniversity. She has 11 years of experience in the area ofhealth and integrated community development withseveral Indian and international NGO’s.Email: [email protected]

�R. Jay Sehgal�Executive Director and programme leader InformationTechnology, holds a degree in Management InformationSystems from the University of Iowa, USA. He worked as aSenior Programmer Analyst in the USA in a leading privatesector company prior to joining Proagro Seed CompanyLtd., India, as the Director of Information Technology.Email: [email protected]

�M.D. Gupta�Technology Application Consultant, holds a PhD in Geneticsand Plant Breeding from the Indian Agricultural ResearchInstitute, Delhi. Dr. Gupta has 28 years of experience in plantbreeding and seed enterprise management with national andinternational organisations.Email: [email protected]

�Archana Mandal�Programme leader Rural Health. Graduated from MaulanaAzad Medical College, Delhi and specialised inCommunity Medicine from Lady Hardinge MedicalCollege, Delhi. She has experience in the areas ofepidemiology, health education, reproductive and childhealth, management of rural health centers, and trainingof health functionaries.Email: [email protected]

�Ellora Mubashir �Programme leader Communications, holds a PhD in PlantBiochemistry from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. Shewas the Manager of Biotechnology Regulatory Affairs atProagro Seed Company, India prior to joining theFoundation.Email: [email protected]

�B.R. Poonia�Responsible for community mobilisation, holds a Master’sdegree in Rural Sociology from the University of Udaipur,and has over 25 years of experience in communitydevelopment. Prior to joining the Foundation, he wasemployed at CARE-India for 14 years.Email: [email protected]

�Suri Sehgal� is the founder of the Sehgal Foundation,

USA and S.M. Sehgal Foundation, India. He holds a PhDin Plant Genetics from Harvard University. He is founderand chairman of Maize Technologies International,Austria and Misr Hytech Seed International, Egypt.Dr. Sehgal is the former Director General and member ofthe Board of Directors of Plant Genetic Systems, Belgium.He is founder and former chairman of the Proagro Groupof Companies, India.

�Edda G. Sehgal� is a co-founder and trustee of the

Sehgal Foundation, USA and S.M. Sehgal Foundation,India. Mrs. Sehgal was born in Breslau, Germany andreceived early education in Goppingen, near Stuttgart.Mrs. Sehgal served on the Board of the Proagro Groupand of Global Technologies Incorporated, USA from 1990to 1998.

FOUNDERS



PROJECTIMPLEMENTATION TEAM

THE PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION TEAM (PIT)is the Foundation’s immediate interface with thevillage. The PIT comprises a ‘field facilitator’ andstaff from the local area of operations. The fieldfacilitator leads the PIT team, and oversees allFoundation activities at the village level. Most PITmembers have multiple roles, including communitymobilisation, identifying and training volunteers,and executing and monitoring projects.

PIT Staff ResponsibilityZafar Hussain Field FacilitatorJaan Mohammed Community MobiliserSushil Bala FLE centers in two villages of Nagina block and two villages

of Ferozepur Jhirka, and for women’s mobilisation, Ghaghasand Agon

Razia Rural Health, FLE in schools, women’s mobilisation, Ghaghas.Kamlesh FLE centers, community mobilisation, and Rural Health,

Taoru BlockUrmila Gupta Rural Health, FLE in schools, women’s mobilisation, Agon.Tahir Hussain Programmes for men and male youth, Agon.Mohammed Arshed Programmes for men and male youth, GhaghasSarveshwari Mishra Better agricultural practices, water management and FLE boys

Youth Club, GoelaMahipal Singh Promotion of better agricultural practices.Goverdhan Sharma Water Management.



USE OF FUNDSSINCE 1999 THE total grants of theSehgal Family Foundation amount toapproximately US $12.5 million. Of the totalgrants, US $1.67 million was used by theFoundation for its development activities inIndia. Other direct grants to organisationsworking in India account for US $6.53 million.Grants to US and other Internationalorganisations account for the remaining$ 4.3 million.

In 2003 total Foundation grants amounted toUS $2.63 million, of which US $331,000 wentto the Foundation in India. Other grants toorganisations for work in India totaledUS $1.33 million. Grants to organisations inthe US totaled US $962,000

In 2003 grants to the Foundation covered$274,000 of expenses for programmes inWater Management & InfrastructureDevelopment (19%), Income Enhancement(32%), Rural Health (8%), andFamily Life Education (13%). The IncomeEnhancement programme includes supportfor best agricultural practices. Support Servicesaccounted for 19% of total expenses, andAdministration for 9%.

Additionally, in 2003 the Foundation investedapproximately $45,300 for land in Ghaghas.The land will be used for the construction of anew community center for the village.

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Sehgal Family Foundation Grants, 1999-2003, $12.5 million

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S.M. Sehgal Foundation Expenses, 2003, $ 274,000 (Rs. 12.3 million)


EVENTS 2003

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TABLE OF CONTENTS - Sehgal Foundation · message from the chairman annual report 2003-04sehgal...

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