FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY

Volume-45

Communicate Minds
15th September 2006 FORTNIGHTLY

SAFE MOTHERHOOD ADALAT

ADVISORS
Khirod Ch. Malick Pitabasa Sethi Makardhwaj Sahu Shiv Prasad Meher Aurobinda Mahapatra

In this Issue...
Editorial Safe Motherhood

BISWA & Artisan

Other BISWA News

The Link
Chief-Editor Debabrata Malick Editors Guru Prasad Nahak Kiranbala Acharya

Central Office
BISWA At-Danipali, P.o-Budharaja Dist-Sambalpur, PIN-768004 Tele fax- +91-663-2533597 Email:biswamalick@rediffmail.com, kcmalick@biswa.org www.biswa.org

BISWA got an opportunity to coordinate a Safe Motherhood Adalat at Sambalpur Auditorium on 14th September, 2006. Incidentally it was the occasion of Puajiuntia, which is observed in almost all households in the Western Orissa. Mother keeps herself on fast and worships the God praying before Himself for the wellbeing of her sons. Mother than thousand mothers gathered on the occasion to lodged their grievances before Orissa State Women Commission (OSWC), who organized the Adalat with support from Sambalpur District Administration. Sri Khirod Ch. Malick, Chairman BISWA presided over the function and Smt. Namita Panda, Chairperson OSWC, Dr. Biswakalyani Das, Member OSWC, Sri Devjit Mitra, Representative UNICEF, Dr. R.C. Nanda, CDMO, Dr. U.K. Sahu, ADMO (FW), Sri Ganeswar Panda, DSWO and Dr. Diptibala Patnaik, Consultant BISWA were placed on the dais. At the out set of the program Sri S.P. Meher, PROBISWA invited all the guests to the dais and requested Sri Malick to start the proceedings of the Adalat. Speaking to the occasion, the guests outlined their role in organizing programs on Safe Motherhood. The participating mothers put forth their questions to clarify their doubts in maintaining safe motherhood. More than a hundred such questions were asked and the guests had to furnish their answers. The questions answer session was coordinated by Dr. Patnaik and Sri B.S. Mishra, Program Manager and Ms. Kiranbala Acharya, APRO assisted her. The whole proceeding was documented by Sri G.P. Nahak, APRO-BISWA.

State Offices
ORISSA Gada Gopinath Colony, In front of High School, Plot No. E/7 PO: Rasulgarh, Bhubaneswar-751010 CHHATTISGARH C-243, Kuber Griha Society Rohinipuram, Raipur-492010, Telephone No: 0771-6451927

BISWA & INNOVATIVE SCHOOLS

Every minute of each day, somewhere in the world and most often in a developing country, a woman dies from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth. That is 515,000 women, at a minimum, dying every year. Nearly all maternal deaths (99 percent) occur in the developing worldmaking maternal mortality the health statistic with the largest disparity between developed and developing countries. The specific objective of the safe motherhood needs assessment is to provide managers, policy-makers, and other interested parties at the national and district level with the necessary tools to undertake a rapid survey. Motherhood should be a time of expectation and joy for a woman, her family, and her community. For women in developing countries, however, the reality of motherhood is often grim. For these women, motherhood is often marred by unforeseen complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Some die in the prime period of their lives and in great distress: from hemorrhage, convulsions, obstructed labor, or severe infection after delivery or unsafe abortion. UNICEF could understand the reality of problems & designed to addressed it with support from government and non government sectors. Friends from USA, individuals and institutions; have supported BISWA to establish 16 schools under this segment of the program in 15 villages and 1 urban slum. Adding to imparting elementary education the pupils in these establishments are imparted training on various extracurricular subjects such as protection of environment, exploration of talents in sports and culture among the students etc. The schools have employed 1 teacher each from among the community members. The schools in the villages of Jhankarbahali, Budapada, Rathipada & Tangarjuri are supported by Asha for Education-USA and the other schools are supported collectively by individuals. Support other than finance also came to the institutions in shape of uniforms, study materials. Mr. Manpjar Sai and Mr. Harekrushna Pattnaik has visited the establishments while in India and distributed school uniforms, study materials to the students. Prior to establishment of the innovative schools, the enrollment status in the formal schools was less than 50%, while drop out was 47% and a section of students though admitted, attendance was poor. The parents were discouraging the pupils to attend school and preferred them to go for working. Intervention by BISWA has brought about a motivation in behavioral pattern of the parents; the enrollment has gone up to 100%, attendance to 95% and drop out only in case of migration which is a rare phenomena.

SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD APPROACHES A seven day program on Sustainable Livelihood Approaches was held at Bankers institute of Rural Development, Lucknow. The main objective of the program was to develop sustainable approach for livelihood intervention for poor and marginalized people & to create healthy and financially secured life of mainstream. Mr. Jayant Swain, Manager (Planning) represented on behalf of BISWA and took vigorous participation in the program. Also Mr. Arun Kumar Dash, Program OfficerBISWA participated in a 7 day program on Non farm Enterprise, an approach for sustainable livelihood at Hyderabad. The main objective of the program was to implement effective plan and identifying new avenues for innovative enterprise establishment. Twenty five participants represented from different NGOs of nine states.

Distribution of Relief Material

CONCERN WORLDWIDE, a famous international NGO actively functioning in Orissa, has extended a helping hand in mitigating flood disaster at Sambalpur. In fact BISWA approached them for flood relief work soon after the disastrous flash flood unleashed its havoc on 21st September, 2006 at Sambalpur. As a result of it, they send their regional partner SEWAK, Sundergarh for preliminary study of the situation. In the meanwhile Special Relief Commissioner, Bhubaneswar requested CONCERN WORLDWIDE to conduct some relief work at Sambalpur. As a converged reaction to both the request, the INGO initiated polythene distribution among the flood victims at Sambalpur. Ms. Sanjukta Sahani, an official from that INGO personally visited Sambalpur to organize the relief measure. Sri S.P. Meher, as a Red Cross volunteer coordinated the relief work with help from volunteers from BISWA, Red Cross, Samarpan and SEWAK officials. As good as, 2000 polythene sheets were distributed among the flood victims in an around Sambalpur on that occasion.

BISW A & AR TISAN DEVEL OPMENT BISWA ARTISAN DEVELOPMENT

Opening up of the world economy and removal of trade barriers have made it indispensable for entrepreneurs to adopt and promote a culture of sustained competitiveness. Researches on industrial clusters of Small and Micro Enterprises (SMEs) indicate that they have shown ability to grow, innovate and compete successfully action. The spatial concentration of units (in an industrial cluster) gives way to inter-firm linkages and external economies leading to higher degree of collective efficiency. Therefore, clusters derive benefits, which individual firms can hardly achieve. The handicraft clusters are also observed to follow co-operative behaviour in terms of co-operating on some fronts such as in establishing common facility centers, common brand building for the export market, common purchase or (in effect) mutually guaranteeing each others financial obligations. Simultaneously, they also compete in some areas such as in activities but more in terms of contributing towards awareness generation, developing cluster vision and action plan, creation of common facilities, common branding/marketing, facilitating formation of networks, conducting demonstration projects, strengthening industry associations, capacity building of the cluster actors, etc.

under fast changing demand patterns, THE THRUST: even under recessionary conditions. The Organizing rural artisans into an clusters have assumed further appropriate organizational form (a selfsignificance in the wake of liberalization help group or federation) and spread process the country is currently awareness about group undergoing. For, the smallscale entrepreneurship, better business industries now will have to be more practices and markets for their efficient to face the competition from BISWAs Interventions products etc. within and abroad. Quality Bamboo cluster, Jhankarbahali, Sambalpur Providing and implement a road improvement and consequent Bamboo cluster, Guma, Malkangiri map that makes artisans aware of the technology up gradation will be the Bamboo cluster, Ghanabeda, Malkangiri major source of competition. The Brass & Bell metal cluster, Rengali, Sambalpur technical alterations that can expand industrial clusters provide ample Brass & Bell metal cluster, Katapali, Bargarh market and / or lower costs without compromising the basic nature of opportunity for such interventions, Dhokra cluster in Nakchi, Angul their products. leading to increased collective Dhokra cluster, Bairapali, Malkangiri Enabling artisans to build a efficiency, despite internal Weaving cluster at Barpali (Bargarh) marketing network to sell their competition. Such clusters have also Weaving cluster, Athagarh (Cuttack) products or ntiate a fair bargain while been observed to be leading to entering into an existing one. flexible specialization resulting into a production, domestic marketing or nonEnabling artisans to set up a number of process innovations. All in quota based sale of products, etc. While production centre appropriate for local turn contribute to competitiveness of the development process could be enterprises in a cluster vis--vis non- autonomous in a few dynamic clusters, and international conditions. Promoting inter sectoral cluster enterprises. The cluster some other may need induced approach helps overcome the barriers development and growth to acquire linkages. faced by handicrafts sector. Handicrafts competitive edge and dynamism. The To achieve the above objectives special sector also experience the much requirement of assistance may usually not emphasis are given for overall required upsurge on account of business be in terms of subsidies for commercial improvement of socio economic status solidarity that ensues from collective Continue to page 4. . . . .

Continue from page 3. . .

of artisans.The way of approach is as follows: TRUST BUILDING ACTIVITIES This activity has major three components: Awareness Camp: The artisans are made aware of the plan of action that BISWA proposes. The plan are open for amendment on the advice offered by the artisans. Formation of SelfHelp Groups / federation: Self Help Groups headed by a team leader are formed in all the project locations. Training of SHG members on thrift & Micro credit and Savings: As the project is highly based on the successful commercial paradigms of the business, some members of the target groups having knowledge of accounts and finance & group leaders of SHGs are being trained on various aspects of SHG management. QUALITY IMPROVEMENT & PRODUCT DIVERSIFICATION After initial trust building among the artisans or cluster actors the main emphasis are given on quality improvement & product diversification so that the products gets wider market base. MARKET LINKAGES: This approach envisages awareness among artisans for their products as well as the changes one can undertake to increase the market. While some of these changes are technical, others involve developing marketing links and networks. CREDIT FACILITATION: Lack of access to credit related information pertaining to the relevant schemes of the financial institutions and government departments leads to dependency syndrome on private money lenders. Largely artisans end up paying huge interest rates leading to reduced profit margin. For the reasons stated above intervention are linked with micro finance activity of BISWA. INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT: The rural artisans have poor infrastructure coupled with poor unhygienic atmosphere. This affects the quality of the product & also the working atmosphere. These are well addressed by interventions such as providing Common Facility Center (CFC) & Development of work shed.

The Link B I S W A At-Danipali P.O-Budharaja Dist-Sambalpur PIN-768004 91+663 2533597(O)

Printed and Published by Debabrata Malick, Chief Editor. The Link, at BISWA Computer Section, Danipali, Budharaja, Sambalpur. PIN- 768004 Ph. No- 0663-2533597, email: thelink@biswa.org