Thursday, December 26, 2013

Strengthening democracy through JEEVIKA @Umariya


As we know the month of November was full of campaigning for election. Vidhansabha election in MP was on 25th of November. The political parties were deeply involved in attracting the voters to vote for their party and their candidates. Election Commission has run the awareness for larger amount of voting this time in this context the women of SHGs have also been motivated by the jeevika team to vote as it is their right. Members of SHGs have been encouraged at all the villages for lager participation in voting.
The women have also ensured to encourage others also to vote as it is their right.

For more on Caritas India JEEVIKA log on to www.jeevikacaritas.blogspot.com

By JEEVIKA Umariya (JDSS-Jabalpur team)

Strengthening Aanganbadis with Bal Vikas of JEEVIKA @ Umariya


One of the major acheivemnt is the commencement of Bal Vikas at the project area. This program is supported by Women and Child Dept. Bal choupal will be conducted on 25th of every month at the aaganwadi centre of the villages. The objective of the program is to teach 8-10 good habits to the children of 0-6 age group at the aaganbadis. In this month 16 children and 13 women were participated in the Bal-Choupal. Sr. Mukti and Pratap from jeevika team were present at aaganbadi of village Maliyaguda. The means of transport have been discussed in the Bal Vikas in this month.

By JEEVIKA Umariya ( JDSS-Jabalpur team)

First step towards the success@JEEVIKA Umariya


Village- Timani

Laxmi Swasahayata Samooh

The SHG members of Laxmi Swa Sahayata Samooh are united with each other through monthly meeting. It allowed them to thinkover for helping one another and to grow in different way of livelihood earning. As a result of this they got the fantastic idea to buy an Udanpankha for their SHG which will be used to refine the paddy from choppers easily in less time during harvesting. They decided to buy it from market but jeevika team advised them to approach agriculture department for the equipment rather than buying from market. The members of SHG visited to agriculture dept. Pali and got the udanpankha in Rs. 700/- only which has more than 1000/- rupees price in the market. The Fan is being used by the members in turn. They are very happy after using it as it saves time and labor both.
They pay Rs.25/- as rent and depositing the money into SHGs account. Again few members thought to give it to others also and charge Rs 50/- per day as rent and deposit the received amount into Laxmi SHG account. The SHG members are planning to start a seed bank through receiving 1-2 kg of different seeds from the users of udavani pankha despite receiving them money which will help in establishment of seedbank also and farmers will get local seeds from the seed bank in reasonable rate. It is all about the efforts and hard work of the Laxmi Swa sahayata Samooh which is on the way of strengthening themselves. The women are helping each other and they don’t need to go to Sahookars and Mahajans for financial support.

By JEEVIKA Umariya (JDSS-Jabalpur team)

WHO is VIP?-Suitcase, high level people or poor & marginalized?



Yeh mudda Varchasv ka...ya phir Naam ka...ya samman ka...ya kisi ke adhikaar ka?

Recently heard about VIP (Very Important Person) culture and difficulties to common people because of VIP culture or movement… since my childhood days...i am listening this so called word VIP ( although initially I was confused with VIP suitcase).....still I do not understand how with position one can become VIP.....

....I think people who are deprived , socially excluded and marginalized are VIP’s....they actually need attention and support…they are more important.....

....in my opinion VIP should be the next term to be used in development sector and in policies for deprived and marginalized...as its the term for Very Important Person...it means someone who need special care and attention…someone who need special space on roads….someone who needs special priorities in meetings….someone who need special treatment in and need to be called in big parties…interestingly none of the marginalised and deprived are VIP’s….and they are in other cadre-LIP’s ( Least Important Person) …..

...We need to see who actually need to treated as VIPs? I believe deprived and marginalised people need it more than those who actually called as 'VIP' or avail facilities of VIPs.....

By Vinod Pandey Caritas India

PRABHAV-2 : JEEVIKA review cum learning cycle meet@Ujjain ( 11th-13th Dec 2013)


Prabhav (Impact) is been named for Caritas India JEEVIKA review and learning cycle meet-where in partners of JEEVIKA programme of Caritas India along with their entire team, community members from the project villages and government officials and team members of Caritas India participate and share their experiences of working/implementing/knowing JEEVIKA and taking learning’s to contribute for the development of Madhya Pradesh.

Prabhav – 2 review meet cum learning cycle has been a beautiful journey for analyzing the true impact of JEEVIKA development initiative by Caritas India with support from caritas Spain. After one year successful implementation of JEEVIKA Project, our responsibility for social development has more increased, which could be realized more effectively during this occasion. Through a series of enlightening activities and presentations, a consensus of more effective and impactful social intervention has been developed, with a promise to bring joyful smile on community faces.

Although our process of this review was not constraint to any limit or particular agenda, but some of key areas have been selected to meet present needs and national scenarios, like:

• To learn from the process and results of 1st year JEEVIKA implementation

• To plan out and strengthen the implementation of second year activities

• To capacitate Partner organization and Project teams on new Acts (NFSA, Land Acquisition)

• Enhanced capacity of the JEEVIKA team to achieve desired result of the project

• Improved competence of JEEVIKA staff for better performance

• To make a consensus for more effective social intervention

• To plan out the strategies of Prabhav – 3 review meeting.

Prabhav – 2 review meet, as imagined, started like most awaited occasion of year. Participants’ faces were full of joy and confidence, which enforced us to believe on sustainable impact creation through JEEVIKA. Blessings of Most Rev. Bishop Mar Sebastian Vadake , Ujjain, thoroughly filled us with positive energy. Respected directors, government officials, PRI members and CBMO members also joined us to make this event more worthful.

This 3 – day review meet was divided in few activities, started with partner presentations and concluded with some most remarkable achievements, overall, as:

• JEEVIKA has been created a positive impact on sustainable agricultural practices, through organic farming, SRI and other modern cum environment healthy farming, better water and soil management practices,

• Impact of JEEVIKA on MNREGA, RTI and Gram Sabha has been also underlined by growth in average number of working days/payments, increased RTI applications and participation at Gram Sabha meetings, etc.

• Thematic presentations made it possible to see JEEVIKA’s impact more thoroughly and to plant out their strategies for creating a sustainable impact,

• Various community members and government officials also appreciated JEEVIKA’s performance and prayed for continue such an important initiative “JEEVIKA”,

• Exposure of Ujjain project area, remarked some of most sustainable achievements of project, like organic farming, CBMO formation, government linkage, etc.

Cross learning was also an important reason for conducting Prabhav – 2 review meet. Directors, community members and project staff shared their experiences and made it possible. Some of key learnings are:

• Better understanding of Land Acquisition Act and NFSA (National Food Security Act) has been made and staff were suggested to include it in their project activities,

• Staff understood the importance of evening cum night meetings and promised to use it,

• Partners made consensus on exit strategy for CBMOs, so that CBMOs can be sustain their growth,

• Project staff understood the importance of government schemes and skill building linkages for sustainable development, Prabhav – 2 meet was not just limited to JEEVIKA activities, it spread its circle and understood the very shame of Mal-nutrient and unavailability of sufficient food. All project staff and community members pledged to fight against it collectively and create a supportive environment to overcome it.

Second year planning has also been planned out during this occasion. Partners have been suggested to use their unmatchable experience and knowledge to effectively implement this project.

At last, award ceremony has been organized, in presence of Bishop Swami ……….., Ujjain. Although efforts of all JEEVIKA members were unmatchable, but to recognize some efforts and motivate others to do same, some JEEVIKA members has been awarded for their remarkable achievements, on the basis of last six-month performance. Award category and winners are:

• 1st Best Performing Partner organisation to implement JEEVIKA : Pragati Jhabua

• 2nd Best Performing Partner Organisation to implement JEEVIKA: Kripa Ujjain

• Best Director: Fr. Simon Raj (IDSSS-Indore)

• Best Project Coordinator: Mr. Nagendra Khanabadosh (GCSS-Gwalior)

• Best Field Coordinator: Mr. Arpit Kadam (IDSSS-Indore)

• Best Cluster Coordinator: Ms. Saima (ANWC-Bhopal)

Partners appreciated our effort and thanked Mr. Vinod Pandey, Program Officer, JEEVIKA Project, for his continuous guidance and support. Kripa Ujjain has been appreciated for their well-managed event, which made it possible to carry forward the journey of Prabhav – 1, Indore.

As concluding remarks, Mr. Vinod Pandey, thanked all directors, JEEVIKA staff and community members to participate at Prabhav – 2 and heartily wish to continue this journey with hope and extraordinary passion.

....No mall but today we have local haat because of JEEVIKA!


In cities we have big malls and multiplexes where we can shop ..we have online platforms to buy anything anytime…....

but…..

Imagine…

A village where there is no market place….

People have to walk kilometer to buy small things….

Now think…

How people survive with difficulty in access to basic commodities …

With JEEVIKA in Umariya district..SHG members ( formed under CARITAS INDIA JEEVIKA ) thought on this mobilized all local vendors…met with Bazar (Market) Samiti ( Institution) members and now its first time that in Timini village of Umariya district a village haat (local market) has started from 1st Nov 2013… The Bazaar samiti has been formed in the village. Mr. Biharilal Gupta is the president and Harshvardhan Singh is the secretary of the samiti. Two women of SHG have also their shops in the Bazaar : One with her manihari things and another with grocery (Kirana) shop.

We cannot imagine the happiness of people having their own local market in their own village…villagers get almost all commodities of their regular use from vegetables to clothes, from agriculture equipment’s to spices, from kitchen items to carpets in their own village and is possible to SHG members of Timani village !

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Filling of organic pits with earth worms@JEEVIKA Jeevika Shivpuri


This is ongoing activity of demonstration of organic pits in which we pour worms in pits. So that process of making manure will start. We poured 21 pits with 1 Kg worms/pit.

With this process community people will get good quality manure and use it in their farms. It will cut off their expenses in farming. And it’s a start of moving them towards organic farming. By which more farmers will move towards organic farming.