RURAL DEVELOPMENT ADHERING PEOPLES PARTICIPATORY PROCESS (PPP) Context Analysis: General societal context is as follows: The people

lows: The people are unorganized and the so-called social, political and religious leaders are using them to meet their own desire. In fact, the villages now are a divided house and the self interest is dominating the community interest Lack of irrigation infrastructure resulting low production. Lack in technical knowhow regarding modern methods of cultivation Use of chemical fertilizers, pesticide, insecticide expecting more production to meet familys food problem. This is endangering the environment in many ways. Lack of technical knowledge regarding eco-friendly cultivation Inadequate health infrastructure for which the people are suffering a lot. The women and the children of below 12 years do not receive the attention in both general treatments as well as in immunization. Because of vote oriented politics the leaders are dominating the people and making them dependent. Due to globalization and free market economy the village industries and crafts are gradually diminishing resulting large scale unemployment Corrupt Public Distribution System hindering the services to reach the peoples doorstep. Although having enough potentialities for pisci-culture but the people cannot avail the opportunity because of lack in seed production The people are gradually losing their traditional folk lore due to adverse effect of electronic media. The conditions of the aged people are deplorable. They are now unable to give physical labor and have become dependent on the mercy of their sons and other inmates who, because of severe poverty, could not look after them properly. Primary schools are though available but the children do not feel comfortable because of the lack in pre-primary study since most of the parents are uneducated. They are unable to give proper backup A large portion of the people are migrated to various places for earning livelihood and a large number of people come to the area for the same purpose resulting into contaminated with HIV/AIDS which is taking a serious turn gradually The youths of the locality do not find proper way as well as infrastructure facilities to develop themselves physically/mentally and economically thus unable to come to the fore front of the societal affairs though they are having every potentialities to prove themselves

Social situation: Although the area is predominantly village based, urbanization has taken deep root into the social grants of these villages. At least 20% of the target villages have taken the shape of urban or semi urban culture. Urban cultures are dominating the social system with the development of telecommunication system; electronics Medias like television, audiovisual exposures of the people of these villages have easy access to urban cultures and faster lifestyle. The traditional folk cultures like yatra, puppetry, kirtan (prayer to the god), dances etc. are on the wane now and there is hardly any effort to revive folk-lore. However the literacy rate has not been increased as desired during the last decade. The increase has been recorded as 7 to 8 percent comparing the population increase of 10 to 11 percent in the area. According to the latest assessment report the literacy rate is 62% for the male and 53% for the female. Among scheduled caste and minority community the female literacy rate is as low as only 43%. In fact, in reality a large number of neo-literate without post literacy inputs have gone back to the cesspool of literacy. The wide gap between the status of women and men is though narrowing due to the large scale intervention on the part of local NGOs but it is not substantial enough. Yet a long way to go to

establish the womens right in the family as well as in the community. Violence against women, child marriage, discrimination in social and legal rights, lack of opportunity and freedom, dowry system during the marriage are often found in the locality. The differentiation in the roles and responsibilities of women and men had resulted in retardation of the pace of development in the area. The women are constantly denied of their major contribution of the labor they put in the household activities and also in economic works. The youths of both the sex, though having the potentialities but because of lack in proper access they could not come in the forefront of the sports circle. Need areas of intervention Overall health statuses of the perceived areas are alarming and not at all satisfactory enough. Mal nutrition of the children of downtrodden communities is common features. The children do not receive timely immunization, timely treatment. Women, particularly of low socio-economic status also face the same situation and they are to face frequent pregnancies; couple protection rate is only 42%. Because of lack in any recreation facilities the people in general and the youths in particular have become totally frustrated although they have every potentiality. Considering the context stated above followings are the Organizational instruments to counteract the situation and facilitating towards betterment: 1. Vision, Mission, Strategy, Role, Objective and Program: VISION The Organization aspires a state of society where the people of the villages are empowered to look after their own development through their own initiatives, resources and wisdom and they have attained food security without depending upon any outside agencies and are living with peace, equal justice, mutual respect, trust, love compassion, and harmony ensuring gender equity. MISSION KSEED is a non political, non violent, non communal, value based Non Governmental Organization (NGO) committed to establish self-reliant villages. Within next ten years it shall work in 40 villages spread over in 3 nos. of CD Blocks area in the District of Birbhum of west Bengal which are mostly inhabited by poor and backward classes of population and the tribal population by organizing the people for united effort to achieve food Security assuring GENDER EQUITY in all its declared task. ROLE OF THE ORGANIZATION Facilitator, Motivator, Communicator Mobilizer, Organizer Implementer through facilitation Lobbying and Advocacy STRATEGY: Formation and strengthening of village level Community Based Organization (CBOs) Capacity enhancement of the workers and members of the organization Formation and activation of PEER group members Lobbying and Advocacy with GOs and NGOs, Local Self Government and Civil societies at large

OBJECTIVES (short term) To form and strengthen the members of the CBOs and to ensure full participation of the people in development initiatives To form and strengthen separate women and mens organization especially of the youths To initiate programs to augment agricultural production so as to facilitate the people of the area to achieve food security. However, the term food security has been used in the broader sense and by this term we mean security in respect of health, education, economic, environment regeneration etc. To motivate the youths not only in their academic career but also to be an entrepreneur. In realizing Opportunities the objectives mentioned above followings are envisaged:

Organizations experience of motivating the people Peoples inherent rich skill and knowledge Increasing awareness of the people in regard to present socio-economic and political context Support of the local self-government, various development actors, departments of the Govt. Over and above, the support of the people and civil societies at large.

Threats Degradation of human values Dominance of party politics Political and religious fundamentalism Rapid changes in Govt. policy and programs especially in respect of development departments Influence of electronic media Negative impact of globalization Natural calamities

In view of the above the CHALLENGES perceived are:

Strong fight against the factors and forces retarding the pace of development Application of the concept of self reliant villages Establishment and strengthening of the village level committee to counteract the divisive forces Ensuring peoples access to the local and natural resources and their sustainable / judicious use by the people

Proposed activities: To organize and strengthen the peoples organization for ensuring their involvement in the project activities and developing leadership qualities among them Justification Participatory Development Approach shall be strictly adhered to in implementing the project activities. In this approach the people are treated as subject of development and not an object So long they feel that the project has been meant for them and they have planned and implemented the activities they will not own the total process. For sustainability factor of any activities and the assets created out of these shall lead to owning the process by the beneficiaries and this is the pre requisite. Keeping the fact in view, the beneficiaries are to be involved in the total process right from planning stage to the evaluation stage. Beneficiarys involvement is especially required for the activities under Natural Resources Development and Management (NRDM) because the proposed activities need unity and solidarity. Combined action of them is the key to the success of the activities being initiated under the project.

Proposed Activities in this sector are: Youth priority based: Organizing 200 meetings Organizing 100 seminars & Workshops Organizing training of 40 village level leaders (PEER Group Leaders) To initiate peoples action for proper and eco- friendly utilization of local and natural resources. The area has immense potentialities of natural resources. But those resources are remaining unutilized/ underutilized due to various reasons. Prominent among them is the lack on the part of the government as well as ignorance and in capability of the people who do not even know that if those resources could be properly developed and utilized their livelihood could be secured within the village itself. Our target for the current phase of the project is to ensure food and job security for at least 40% of the above families by creating suitable infrastructure facilities especially the irrigation infrastructure. Activities proposed are: Excavation / Re-excavation of the existing ponds to create employment opportunities at one end and facilitating water storage for irrigation on the other Training of youths on dry land farming, pisciculture etc To motivate and promote eco-friendly agriculture practices: Due to population explosion, per capita land holding of the families is gradually diminishing. This land holding will further be sub-divided in near future. However, average area of land holding by farmer is not sufficient to produce food grains required by them for two times square meal round the year. Therefore, general tendency of the farmers is to produce as much as possible from the land. Expecting more production the farmers are applying large scale of chemical fertilizers/ pesticides/ insecticides without understanding the after effect of these items on the land and without knowing the proper doses. This haphazard and inappropriate application is causing serious fertility problems in their land and also in the overall environment. Application of eco-friendly bio-fertilizers are not known to them. Besides, the farmers lack in appropriate and judicious cultivation technologies and appropriate cropping pattern. It they are made aware regarding the fact that cultivation of alternative products may fetch them more amount of money even with the less cash involvement, then radical changes may happen e.g. cultivation of potato, other vegetables, oil seed, pulses etc, which requires less water for cultivation may provide them better income by investing less amount of money. Therefore, skill enhancement supported with demonstration may change the scenario to a large extent. Proposed activities are: Organizing 40 motivational Campaign for the farmers against application of chemical fertilizer/pesticides/insecticides Organizing Training cum Demonstration on horticulture, pisciculture etc programs one in each village To organize and strengthen separate women organization and Self Help Groups (SHGs) and capacity enhancement of the women leaders

Women in India in general and poor rural women of the reference area in particular have suffered the cumulative effects of all genres of oppression and violence. They have been systematically exploited to such an extent that they often become invisible and voiceless. Women are still the most marginalized in India. This is the manifestation of the principles of patriarchy in all societal processes. KSEED, while working for the sustainable development of the villages cannot ignore the women who are the backbone of any society. They need to be equally treated, educated and informed so that they may share themselves neck to neck to realize the avowed mission of KSEED. Critical analysis of the situation shall reveal the fact that economic dependence of the women is the root cause of their backwardness. Even for a small amount they have to beg from the male members. Therefore, economic independence is the most vital for them. Besides, the women are absolutely unorganized rather they have not been allowed to form their organization and so they could not realize the strength lies on unity. Proposed Activities are: Organizing 200 meetings, 50 seminar and 25 workshop Organizing 80 (20 x 4) Information, Education and Communication(IEC) camps on various topics which lead to Women Empowerment Exposure visit of the group members for interaction within and outside Here a bulk number of youth has been suffering from their frustrations due to lack of infrastructural development and entrepreneurial knowledge. Proposed Activities are: Organizing 200 meetings, 50 seminar and 25 workshop (School to School) Organizing 80 (20 x 4) Information, Education and Communication(IEC) camps on various topics which lead to youth Empowerment Exposure visit of the group members for interaction within and outside