Floods have washed off every source of livelihood. What helps rebuild their lives?

A few parts of Andhra Pradesh have experienced unprecedented floods havoc. Some of the affected areas have been neglected for a week as there was no access to the villages as they are submerged or the roads or totally cut off. And these villages are not only flooded and misery but also totally ignored by the society as there was no reporting of the situation in the media. Immediate response of the society to be a helping hand to the flood affected people reached only those areas where the media could reach and highlight the tragedy.

With the receding flood levels a few more villages came to light. CARPED team, representatives of Telangana Utsav Committee and friends have visited such villages in Mahbubnagar. The team visited Kutkunoor (Ieeza mandal), Thummilapally and Rajouli (Vaddepally mandal), Alampur of Mahbubnagar district for a needs assessment.
Mahbubnagar is known for severe drought and large scale distress migration every year. Chronic drought induced migration made it legendary for migration of its inhabitants all over the country. The district never witnessed such devastating floods in 130 years.

Thousands of people have lost everything they had in just 2 days. They have become homeless, starving, lost their livelihoods. Agricultural land in Lakhs of hectares is eroded to 6 feet. Lands are filled with slush destroying the crops and their hopes of livelihood. There is no milk for infants and children nor sufficient drinking water. Thousands of weavers, artisans and people depending on weaving or small trade in these weaving centres or the farmers now have no clue of how to live from now.

Civil societies from all parts of the state have tried their best and still mobilizing the resources for the immediate relief. Govt. has also done in bits and pieces. Major contribution has been from the civil societies. Still much needs to be done.

How to make the lands fit for cultivation again? How the looms will start again to weave and providing wage to the weavers to feed their families? These are the questions that need to be answered now. It’s no more help of just some old clothes or a few kilos of rice that will make these people restart their lives.

School going children and college students have different set of problems. Their books and bags and uniforms etc are lost in the floods. Some have lost their certificates. Schools and Colleges have started functioning gain after the Dusserah festival. How do these school/ college students start attending the schools or colleges without books and clothes?

This Deepavali cannot be festival of lights for these people unless the problem is viewed beyond token relief assistance.

What is required is no doubt immediate help but also a real support to help them restart their livelihoods.
Even the immediate relief required by the victims of flood:
• Milk for infants and children
• Drinking water / purification of water
• Temporary shelter (hutments), common toilets
• Groceries for one month (Food – rice, dal, oil, vegetables etc. and Kerosene)
• stoves, utensils, lamps
• blankets, bed sheets, towels, Clothes – minimum of 2 pairs for each victim
• Soaps, detergent powder / cake
• Medicines and medical camps, fogging in the flood affected areas
• Volunteers to help in cleaning the slush, catching the snakes, collection and distribution of immediate relief packets / package by going to the houses, collecting the data of school going children by class (to issue duplicate certificates, books), business affected, mark the boundaries of agricultural land, to coordinate with all donors to collect relief assistance and distribute to the locals based on their needs.

Contact for details / assistance :
M.Subhash Chandra
Centre for Action Research and People’s Development (CARPED)
Tel : 09246294565, Email : carpedindia@gmail.com www.carped.org

Donations can be sent to
Centre for Action Research and People’s Development (CARPED)
8-3-228/267 Rahamathnagar Yousufguda Hyderabad – 45 INDIA
SB a/c No. 1017 2619 90 Central Bank of India (local funds)
SB a/c No. 1017 3084 75 Central Bank of India (local funds)
SB a/c No. 1017 2620 08 Central Bank of India (Foreign contribution)
Kalyan Nagar branch, Hyderabad

Source from:http://carped.wordpress.com/

The Story of Tulasi Munda - Unsung Hero

Tulasi Munda (Serenda, Orissa, India. 350 kms from Bhubaneshwar) was born exactly a month before India won independence from the British. Very early in life, this poor Adivasi girl from one of the most backward regions of Orissa began exhibiting her independence and unconventional way of thinking. She grew up with her own notions of freedom and slavery that were strikingly different from the beliefs held by the people in her milieu.

While other children played, tended goats in the fields or worked in the iron-ore mines, Tulasi wanted to study. She wanted to educate herself, learn new things, and speak exciting languages like Hindi and English.

Instead, she sat at home and helped her widowed mother with housework. Her four sisters and two brothers went out to work. She being the youngest stayed at home. She yearned to study, but it was a futile desire. There was no school in their village, Painsi. In any case, nobody in the area educated their girls.

She was about 12 years old when she went to live with her sister in Serenda, 65km. away. She earned Rs. 2 a week by cutting stones, sifting iron from the waste. Whenever she could, she taught herself the alphabets. It was difficult, but she plodded on. In 1961, her passion for learning catapulted her into the orbit of women like Malti Chaudhury, Roma Devi and Nirmala Deshpande, who were committed to social work, especially educating women. She joined them and participated in their village forays and struggles in different parts of the country. She met Vinobha Bhave (for more info on Vinoba Bhave - http://www.vinobabhave.org/ ) and was inspired by his vision and commitment to donate land (Bhoodan) and improve the lives of poor villagers.

“If you really want to make a difference in society, you have to be selfless”

In 1964, she returned to Serenda. Her mission in life was clear. A victim of illiteracy, she would dedicate her life to eradicating this scourge. She resolved: “As long as I have breath in my body, I will fight illiteracy. “ She would devote herself to teaching and educating children, especially girls. Illiteracy, she believed was the worst form of enslavement. It was the root cause of the evils she saw all around her. Poverty, unemployment, drunkenness, superstition, fear. Education was the tool to free people’s minds from the darkness of ignorance.

But executing her mission proved to be tougher than she anticipated. Villagers found the concept of educating girls preposterous. And boys had to work in the fields and mines to earn money, not waste their time learning alphabets and numbers and alien languages like English and Hindi. But Tulsi Munda was undeterred, even though she had neither students nor a venue for that matter.

She persuaded Serenda’s local pradhan to lend her the use of his verandah for a few hours. As children could not be spared during the day, she started evening classes. The trickle began. Before she knew it, she had 30 children. She taught them the basics. Just alphabets and numbers and a smattering of English words. Says she: Even if he grew up to be driver, a few words English would help him to get a better job in Bhubaneshwar or even Kolkata. She taught in the evenings and attended to Bhave’s bhoodan work during the day.

It is a tribute to her indomitable will and indefatigable energy that over the next 40 years. Tulasi helped establish 17 schools and succeeded in educating 20, 000 boys and girls. Currently, she has over 500 students, almost half of whom are girls and her school provides education all the way up to class X.

A self-made educationist, Tulasi has some strong views on education. She feels the government and the public have a skewed attitude to education. She explains: ”People get education for the sole purpose of getting job. But jobs enslave too; you are beholden to your boss, to the tyranny of routine. People have jobs, but their minds are still oppressed by fear and darkness. “ She ardently believes the goal of education is to improve life, to make things better around us, to do things better. With education, you can do a better job of farming. However, what is happening is that after getting an education, instead of becoming farmers, everybody wants to become a clerk or a factory worker or a school teacher. So joblessness remains. And so does superstition, lack of hygiene, drunkenness, wife-beating and all sorts of backward thinking. All of life’s important issues whether it is the rights of women, children or Adivasis can be tackled better if people have a higher level of education.

Despite her personal commitments to improve the lives of people around her, Tulasi feels a tide of discontent and unhappiness is rising in the Adivasi countryside. She warns: “Here is injustice and inequality.” The tribals are being displaced by big companies that are robbing them of their land rich in iron-ore. Far from protecting the rights of the Adivasis, the government is in the payroll of the big companies. The devastation of the tribals is symbolized by the ongoing gang-rape of their land. This entire iron-ore belt of Orissa has been plundered and ravaged for he ore that lies deep within. Open cast mines have become festering sores that have feathered the coffers of the rich, but ruined the fertile land of the Adivasis. In the summer, the iron ore dust hangs heavy in the air, stifling the lungs of humans, animals and plant life. In the monsoon, rain sweeps the iron ore into the surrounding lands contaminating them. The displaced tribals live like animals in shanty towns set up by rich mine-owners and big steel companies so that they can work in the iron ore mines. Some go to live in the faraway slums of Kolkata or Bhubaneswar or even Delhi. Warns Tulasi: “Our jungles are gone. Our farmlands are arid. Our environment is ruined. Our lives shattered. Adivasis are crying out for help, but the authorities are deaf, dumb and blind. People are getting desperate. If their condition deteriorates, Maoist extremism will rise”.

“The goal of education is to improve Life, to make things better around us, to do things better”

Source From:http://ngopost.org

Aim of Yatn-An Indian NGO

The primary aim of ‘Yatn – A Society’® is to provide the basic facilities to the weaker sections of the society. We also take up projects aimed at improving the environment. With emphasis on rural development, Yatn's efforts are focused on ensuring healthcare, quality education, facilitating clean drinking water and rehabilitation of destitute children and old people.

Contact Address:

Yatn - A Society
8-2-120/86/9/A, Plot No - 22
Road No:2,Banjara Hills
Opp: LV Prasad Eye Hospital
Hyderabad - 500 034 INDIA
Office: +91(40) 64555247
Email : jags@yatna.org, info@yatna.org
For more details visit:http://www.yatna.org

Aplications invited for the TERI CSR Award and TERI Environmental Award

Summary. Applications are invited for the TERI Corporate Awards for Environmental Excellence and the TERI Corporate Awards for Corporate Social Responsibility. Last date of submission of application is 15th Oct 2009.

The TERI Corporate Awards recognize leadership in corporate environmental management, social responsibility and HIV/AIDS initiatives. These awards have the distinction of being the first of their kind where companies are evaluated for their leadership efforts in environmental management CSR and HIV/AIDS programmes. The awards are conferred annually to corporates from a wide section of the industry.

TERI instituted the three following awards
TERI Corporate Awards for Environmental Excellence
TERI Corporate Awards for Corporate Social Responsibility
TERI Corporate Awards to Business Response to HIV/AIDS in collaboration with GTZ.

Applications are invited for the following awards, last date of submitting applications is 15th Oct 2009.

1) TERI Corporate Awards for Environmental Excellence
This award is designed to provide an impetus to sustainable development and encourages the ongoing process of environmental management within the corporate’s own facility. The Award recognizes success stories that have conceptualized and implemented measures towards a cleaner and healthier environment.

Objectives
a) To recognize the leadership efforts of Indian corporate houses to integrate environmental management into their overall corporate strategy
b) To recognize innovative practices , programmes, and projects that promote sustainable development
c) To encourage and provide momentum to initiatives that can be replicated and are scalable for other industry partners

2) TERI Corporate Awards for Corporate Social Responsibility

The TERI Corporate Awards for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) are in recognition of corporate leadership for social responsibility and sustainable development initiatives. The objectives are to asses the extent of CSR in corporate functioning and the development, identify best practices and innovations in the Indian corporate sector, adopted to fulfil their responsibilities towards targeted stakeholders. Through this process, also it aims to sensitize private players to their responsibilities as good citizens of a developing world.

Objectives
a) To recognize the leadership efforts of Indian corporate houses to integrate social responsibility into their overall corporate strategy
b) To recognize innovative practices , programmes, and projects that promote sustainable development
c) To encourage and provide momentum to initiatives that can be replicated and are scalable for other industry partners

Award categories

The awards are divided into the following categories, based on the annual turnover of the company.
a) Category I Companies with a turnover of less than or equal to Rs 100 crore per annum
b) Category II Companies with a turnover between Rs 100 core and Rs 1000 crore per annum
c) Category III Companies with a turnover of above Rs 1000 crore per annum

The completed application form should reach TERI by 15 October 2009.
For application forms and more details on the award please visit http://www.teriin.org/awards.

Source from:http://weforpeople.com

Vodafone Americas Foundation Wireless Innovation Project

About Vodafone Americas Foundation™

The Vodafone Americas Foundation™ is part of Vodafone’s global network of 23 foundations. We are affiliated with Vodafone, the world’s leading mobile telecommunications company that operates in 26 countries over five continents and has significant presence in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and the United States.

About the Wireless Innovation Project™

The Vodafone Americas Foundation™ designed the Wireless Innovation Project™ as a competition to promote innovation and increase implementation of wireless related technology for a better world. To that end, Vodafone Americas Foundation’s Wireless Innovation Project™ is providing up to $600,000 in awards to support projects of exceptional promise that meet the criteria described in the Eligibility Criteria section. After successful completion of the Project last year, we are excited to launch the second Vodafone Wireless Innovation Project™. We will be accepting proposals from October 5, 2009 through February 1, 2010.

Types of Projects We Are Seeking

The Vodafone Wireless Innovation Project™ (the “competition”) seeks to identify and fund the best innovations using wireless related technology to address critical social issues around the world. Project proposals must demonstrate significant advancement in the field of wireless-related technology applied to social benefit use. The competition is open to projects from universities and nonprofit organizations based in the United States. Although organizations must be based in the United States, projects may operate and help people outside of the United States.


* Applicants must demonstrate a multi-disciplinary approach that uses an innovation in wireless related technology to address a critical global issue in one or more of the following areas: Social Issue AreasAccess to communicationEducationEconomic developmentEnvironmentHealth Technical Issue AreasConnectivityEnergyLanguage or Literacy hurdlesEase of use

* The project must be at a stage of research where an advanced prototype or field/market test can occur during the award period.

* The technology should have the potential for replication and large scale impact.

* Teams should have a business plan or a basic framework for financial sustainability and rollout.


How to Submit a Proposal

To submit a proposal, Applicants must first successfully complete the Eligibility Questionnaire. Eligible Applicants will then receive the URL for the online application via e-mail and be asked to create a username and password which will enable them to work on their proposal online. The application consists of multiple narrative questions and a project budget spreadsheet that Applicants must complete and submit. All information must be submitted through the on-line application.

Submissions will be accepted from 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on October 5, 2009 to 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on February 1, 2010 (the “Entry Period”). See the Project Timeline for further dates and details.

Finalist and Winner Selection Process

Vodafone Americas Foundation™ will select up to ten finalists who will present their proposals before a panel of judges with expertise in the areas of wireless engineering, international development, and social entrepreneurship.


* Winners will be selected for awards of $100,000, $200,000, and $300,000 which will be paid in equal installments over three years.

* Winners will be notified on or about April 2, 2009. The winners will be publicly announced and recognized at the Global Philanthropy Forum April 19–21, 2009.

* Winners will be required to submit a report twice a year which details progress made toward Project milestones and how the award funds are being used. Annual award installment payments are conditional upon submission of satisfactory progress reports. Such reports will be in the format and contain the information specified by the Foundation.

source from:http://ngopost.org

Buy Yatn T-Shirts to Support

You could be a part of the efforts of Yatn's noble cause, by buying our product. You not only buy a comfortable and stylish T-shirt but you also contribute towards Yatn's cause.The proceeds will go towards the upliftment of the destitute people.

Make the cheque payable to 'Yatna Society, Hyderabad'. Please ensure that the figure on the cheque matches the total order price.

At the same time,yatn appeal citizens of India to generously donate to NGO's of Andhra Pradesh to enable them support flood-affected persons in Kurnool, Mahabubnagar, Krishna, Guntur, Nalgonda, Visakhapatnam, Anantapur and Karimnagar districts.

For more details visit:http://www.yatna.org/onlineshop.html

Contact Address:

Yatn - A Society
8-2-120/86/9/A, Plot No - 22
Road No:2,Banjara Hills
Opp: LV Prasad Eye Hospital
Hyderabad - 500 034 INDIA
Office: +91(40) 64555247
Email : jags@yatna.org, info@yatna.org
For more details visit:http://www.yatna.org

Red Cross Society’s plea for donations

HYDERABAD: The AP State branch of Indian Red Cross Society on Sunday appealed to people to extend a helping hand for providing relief to the flood-affected persons in Kurnool, Mahabubnagar, Krishna, Guntur, Nalgonda, Visakhapatnam, Anantapur and Karimnagar districts.

The society’s State secretary said cash/crossed DD/cheques in favour of ‘Indian Red Cross Society, AP State branch'.

Source from:http://www.hindu.com/

State Branches of Indian Red Cross Society

East Zone of India :

Bihar State Branch

Contact Person: Shri S.P. Singh, IAS (Retd.)( Honorary Director), Ms. Vinita Prasad (Deputy Director)
Address: Bihar State Branch,Indian Red Cross Society,North of Gandhi Maidan
Patna - 800001.
Code: 0612
2201035/6/7; 2226267(O)
586043 (R); Mob: 9234741100
Fax : 2210631, 234869, 2238374, 2232868
E-mail: ircbihar@dte.vsnl.net.in
Branches : 76

Jharkhand State Branch

Contact Person: Shri Sudhir Tripathi, IAS (Retd.)( Honorary Secretary), Ms. Vinita Prasad (Deputy Director)
Address: Jharkhand State Branch,Indian Red Cross Society,Raj Bhawan,Ranchi.
Code: 0651
2283468(O)
2284633(R)
Fax: 2201101
PBX-2283465/66/67
E-mail: khareamit2001@yahoo.com

Orissa State Branch

Contact Person: Dr. Mangala Prasad Mohanty (Honorary Secretary), Mr. Soymendra Nayak (Coordinator)
Address: Orissa State Branch,Indian Red Cross Society,Red Cross Bhawan,Bhubaneswar – 751022.
Code: 0674
(O) 2392389
Fax : 2402389, 2401242, 2407712, 2400205, 2402757
Branches : 31
E-mail : ircsosb@sancharnet.in


Sikkim State Branch

Contact Person: Shri B.K. Roka (Honorary Secretary), Mr. K.N. Sharma (Joint Secretary)
Address: Sikkim Branch,Indian Red Cross Society,P N G School Road,Gangtok - 737001. Code: 0359
(O) 202769
(R) 202933
Fax: 297247, 202042

West Bengal State Branch

Contact Person: Shri Suranjan Halder (General Secretary), Mrs. Veena Banerjee (Asst. Secretary)
Address: West Bengal State Branch,Indian Red Cross Society,5 & 6 Govt Place, North
Kolkata- 700001.
Code: 033
(O) 22483636
(R) 24328234
Fax : 22103385
(M): 09433329076
Branches : 52
E-mail: rinban@yahoo.com

Arunachal Pradesh State Branch

Contact Person: Dr. E. Rumi (Honorary Secretary), Mr. Marto Ete (Office Secretary)
Address: Arunchal Pradesh State Branch,Indian Red Cross Society,C/o Directorate of Health Services,Govt of Arunchal Pradesh,Nahar Lagun-791 110.
Code: 0360
(O) 2245942
(Fax) 2246156
(M) 09436056330
E-mail: martoette@gmail.com

Assam State Branch

Contact Person: Mrs. Renuka Devi Barkataki (Honorary Secretary), Mrs. Minoo Choudhary (Joint Secretary)
Address: Assam State Branch,Indian Red Cross Society,Chandmari,Guwahati - 781 003.
Code: 0361
(O) 2665114, 2545114
(R) 2668323, Talukdar (R) 2660801
Fax 2660210, 2558440
E-mail:ircsassam@yahoo.com
Branches : 30

Meghalaya State Branch

Contact Person: Lt. Col. Vikas Bajpai (Honorary Secretary), Shri A.K. Wason (Chariman)
Address: Meghalaya State Branch,Indian Red Cross Society,Laban,Shillong - 739001.
Code: 0364
(O) 2223403
Mob: 9436118872
GRAM: MEGHCROSS
E-mail: ircsmeghalaya@yahoo.co.in
Branches : 03

Manipur State Branch

Contact Person: Prof. M. Lala Singh (Honorary Secretary), Dr. Tomcha (Information Officer)
Address: Manipur State Branch,Officers club shopping complex,First Floor, South Block
Near Lamphel Police Station,Lamphel,IMPHAL - 795 004.
Code: 0385
(O) 2051340
(R) 2310628
2220796/222220 [Message]
Fax – 2051340
E-mail: trlalam@yahoo.com
Branches : 3

Mizoram State Branch

Contact Person: Dr. John M. Ralte (Secretary), Mr. Jane Ralte (Asst. Secretary)
Address: Mizoram State Branch,Indian Red Cross Society,Chaltang Dawrkawn
Aizwal - 796 001.
Code: 0389
(O) 2316325
(R) 2312460
(M) 09436140073
Fax: 2316325, 2320169

Nagaland State Branch

Contact Person: Shri Zakie Kire(General Secretary), Dr. M. Imkong Tushi, Nagaland, Kohima, Ms. Lucy (Asst. Programme Officer )
Address: Nagaland State Branch,Indian Red Cross Society,Kohima-797001.
Code: 0370
(O) 2222753, 2244350, 2245862
(Fax) 2244350
(M) 9436005506
E-mail: ircsnol@sancharnet.in,ircsnkohima@yahoo.com

Tripura State Branch

Contact Person: Er. N.C. Bhowmik (Honorary Executive Secretary), Mr. N.B. Roy (Office Incharge )
Address: Nagaland State Branch,Indian Red Cross Society,Kohima-797001.
Code: 0381
(R) 2352017
(M) 09436122842
Email: ircstsb@yahoo.co.in, ncbhowmik@yahoo.com

Source from:http://www.indianredcross.org