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2.6: "India dec 2003" - Page 6-8   |
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Fifth report from 7-11 dec 2003 Vinay Ashram "Clear water quenches the thirst of all; So shall knowledge satisfy the curiosity of the curious and the hunger of the hungry for it." Chilakamarathi Lakshmi Narasimham Pantulu Dear EQ-friends, From Chirala we were picked up by mr. Nagasavan Rao and chauffeur. In his very modern (airco!) governmental car (sort of jeep) we travelled towards the Vinay Ashram Kalyana Kavur. Vinay Ashram is a symbol of sacrifice. It is situated near Kavur, between Cherukupalli and Chandole in Cherukupalli Mandal, Guntur District. During Mahatma Gandhi's Visit to South India in 1928-'29, he appealed to people, to sacrifice their properties for the sake of independence of the country. As a result, a high-class family was willing to give away all their properties and were suggested by Gandhi to establish this ashram, so then it all began... Before we arrived at Vinay Ashram we took some diversions to have a look at special places, drove along very interesting places and we visited a very sacral ancient place were the ruins of a palace still were there. On this place there was left an ancient temple which we visited. We even joined one of the ceremony's and were blessed with all good wishes... While driving we occasionally stopped to buy all sort of fruits, mineral water and even spirits of other types... In night-darkness we had to drive the last several miles over incredible bumpy roads with walking speed. Hard to see anything because of the fog that the chilling night produces from the rivers nearby... But we ended up safely at the ashram and were given some beautiful quarters for our staying. 
 Vinay Ashram has become a pilgrimage center for the constructive workers and leaders of Gandhi-ideals (he himself stayed here). Hand made paper and hand pound rice units were started in the surrounding villages. Printing, book binding, collection of Neera (juice from a tree) and making jaggery (a drink) from it, and manufacturing of buttons were some of the cottage industries started in the Ashram. An Ayurvedic hospital was started and also ayurvedic medicines were prepared on scientific lines by eminent doctors. Free treatment, boarding and lodging were provided to poor and deserving patients. 
 Today the Vinay Ashram has about 65 acres of land, buildings and orchards. After independence, the programmes of Vinayashram slowly began to fade away due to change of circumstances and most of the programmes taken up by Vinayashram during pre-independence days could not be run due to financial constraints. Hence, in 1984 ten acres were given to state government to establish Andhra Pradesh Girls Residential school to promote Rural Girls and Women's education.  Nowadays Vinay Ashram is the home place for KRISHI VIGYAN KENDRA. Indian Council of Agricultural Research launched the Krishi Vigyan Kendra's in 1974 for transfer of technologies to the doorsteps of farming community. So now, farmers can come with their problems, have training, see it all in action and can buy non-profit-priced quality seeds out of the seed processing program that is one of the most successful projects now. Other special projects now are oil-seed production, vermi compost program, aqua culture and fisherie, agronomy, Home science, animal health, bee-keeping, integrated pest management and a farmers service center. There is a lot of activity and there are good educated people in this center. Vinayashram KVK is the research center of 261 KVK's. About 50 % of all there participants are woman. 
 8 december 2003 The day starts at 7.00. The safeguard and two other men came in to bring us coffee and hot water for our bath. The place where we are staying seems a castle build up on the roof of one of the society buildings in Vinay Ashram. We have our own entree for two large and high rooms completed with a toilet-wash room. Seven big open windows are showing us another sunny day. At nights our own mosquito-net is very useful. We eat our breakfast (poeri and vegetables) in the kitchen of the farmers hostel.  At ten we are sitting in the car together with Mr Nagasavan Rao and two other persons. One of them is the manager and master trainer of KRISHI VIGYAN KENDRA connected to The Academy for rural research and development. The other Prof. N.G.Ranga KVK is a specialist in Argi Culture especially interested in Organic Argri culture. We have an interesting discussion on the subject of organic, biological and sustainable agri culture in relation to education. They ask for connection and knowledge exchange and like to connect with Universities in The Netherlands. After several hours we arrive in a Congress center nearby Vijaywada. The first part of the program is a seminar and Auguration of Entrepreneurs Development Program especially for poor farmers, woman entrepreneurs and physical handicapped. The organization who will start this program is NES, KVIC Biomanare extension center in Atmakuru Gunter district Andra Pradesh. The seminar is waiting for us. Mr. Nagasavan Rao and Dhyan are invited to take place in the forum. The program starts by a speech of the state director of KVIC Sri. K. Mohan Rao. The goal - empowerment of farmers as owners of there own enterprise - is subject of the discussion. In her speech Dhyan is focusing on ownership and competences especially for woman. To be successful the woman has to develop competences for entrepreneurship. The training program now focus on special products, skills for product development. That's good. Competences for ownership, organization, marketing, sales management but also social personal competences as accountability, communication, sharing ideas, cooperation, self responsibility and initiative can construct a main road for woman empowerment. If not, they will still stay dependent. Mr Nagasavan Rao tell us that learning by doing is the essence for this educational program. The products will come from organic farming, this are sustainable products of agri culture. Marketing is a core value in the education. The presentation of the products and Public relations is also a point to be aware of, in this program. This initiatives and programmes of KVK have similarities with the ideas and policy's of HIVOS programmes for entrepreneurs to upgrade there possibilities and prepare new business that can enhance their social identity and given them greater self-confidence on one site. At the other site they will focus on sustainable and organic products. They also try to ensure self-reliance and self-sustainable of communes and to improve the overall position of woman.  After the seminar and a delicious warm lunch we travel to The Andra Pradesh Library association. The noble objective of this association is spreading literacy, knowledge and enlightenment to the public. It is also a center for library education. One of there actions was library pilgrimage for library consciousness among people. The organization undertook systematic and large scale promotion and organization of village library. There are also about 100 public library for woman (48) and children (55). Most of the books in the library are in tellegu and are very old. Today they are trying to set up a digital section... 
 The exchange of ideas was fruitful, now we have to make a second step. First question: "How can we arrange good communication to organize exchange in an effective way, if we are back in The Netherlands?" We can do it by phone. Better is an internet connection. There are no computers in de KVK centers, no computers and no internet in Vinay Ashram. How can we organize the hard- and software for an internetconnection. That is the first problem we have to solve, here and now! 10 december First a long trip by car to a little village in rural area. When we arrive a group of 50 woman and a committee of man is waiting for us. Vinay ashram gives an introduction for the new agricultural training program for farmers woman. All man in the forum gives speeches. This is also amplified on the megaphones-bicycle outside the building. This is how they gather the women... After that there are tree long lectures on the subject 'how you can grow crops in a more efficient way', done by the trainers of Vinay Ashram. After a time some woman are sleeping, well they had to sit and listen for more then two hours! Dhyan is observing this happening. After a time she felt uncomfartable: This is no empowerment of woman... 
 In the evening she asked for evaluation. During the evaluation the subject "How to empower woman by training and reciprocal help" gives new insight to the trainers. They like to learn more... After a good lunch in a historical farmhouse we went to a famous college. Here they have lots of facilities and expositions... In the well equipped computer-classroom Harry managed to send the previous page to the 6seconds-server, at least we hope it worked (no time to check, internetconnections are very slow and we had to go on). Yesterday evening we had a short meeting with the leaders, managers and master trainers of Vinay Ashram. We discussed exchange ideas and the possibilities for good communication.Yes, there is a computer. Its only for the administration but can be modified for use of internet. Ramesh Babu and Subaarami Reddy will they try to open an internet account and to make an internetconnection in the ashram or at home. They are motivated by the positive influence of Harry Hekman who shows all the possibilities of communication by internet and who is also giving good technical advise and service where he can. Also the presentations of photos on his digital camera - or later on the laptop - is something everyone always enjoy very much... Every where people ask him to make photos of them. The first ideas for knowledge exchange are there. Special subjects organic, bio- dynamical and ecological farming and cooperative collaboration. Methods for care and help self help groups for woman and their trainers. Multiple intelligent training competences to train the trainer and train farmers and women groups, humanist ideas and methods for education and more agri cultural knowledge like: Flora culture, Irrigation, Greenhouses, Bio-technology, Fruit and vegetables, Aqua culture are subjects they like to develop in knowledge and experience exchange. First step for exchange training program may-june 2004. 11 december. The day begins with sun and coffee. We are invited for a breakfast by a big Farmers family in Amrutarur. They are living in big old family houses with a long history. Its a little bit like the landlords in middle age Europe. After that we visited once again some schools and a training center for workers in rural district. At the last one - the ANGANWADI workers trainingcentre in Gudavalli, sponsored by the ministry of human resource development - we visited an activity for woman who are learning to become a comunity social health trainer for self help groups . Here they learn about health, child care, hygiene, social activity. Subject of this day was ''community". They do a good job here with use of female social health an home care professionals. A group of 45 woman community trainers is waiting. They know Dhyan from a first training session in january 2003. Dhyan introduces some EQ methods for self help. First reminding and recognizing feelings behind a real problem they have to face here and now. After a realistic definition of the problem everyone can bring in options to solve this special problem. The third step: make a smart action plan, set goals and find the first active steps you can make with a little group of woman. Sharing and reciprocal help are the highlights of this method. Several problems they face in the community groups are coming up. Problems about proper nutrition of children, education for children, financial problems, health problems and also woman who have bad experiences with their husband. For a lot problems a first solution and SMART plan for solving can be developed. Some problems are solved after half an hour because the think tank of this bright woman trainers is working very well. This training groups and social health care is initiated by the Academy of Rural development and Research in Gundavalli is a Humanist initiative and connected to KvK Vinay Ashram. Especially Mr Gogineni Nageswara Rao is doing a very good job here. They like to exchange social health care and self help methods with The University of Humanistic Studies in The Netherlands. 
 A technical ("industrial") school we visit: here they try with limited resources, equipment and facilities to create training for young man age 16- 20. It seems to us that practising of technical skills in this setting is almost impossible. But they do and say the pupils will end up as trainees in professional working places. We think they need more advanced knowledge and equipment. How to organize that? 
 We learned from newspaper and magazines that the suicide rate among farmers is unbelievable high in India: only in district Katanaga there were reports of some 478 cases in the month November only ! They all must be very desperate. The blame goes to the government who is not providing sufficient irrigation projects... The farmers cattle are dying and there crobs (paddy) won't grow because of the industrial polution of the riverwaters coming from city areas.  We also read in the papers that a few days of clashes and uproar went on in the old-centre of Hyderabad. It started with clashes between different religious groups and then criminals took the (planned?) opportunity of the chaos and short-circuited major power lines. Now hell broke lose. Police and military were send in to restore safety. Citizens were ordered to stay at their homes. Public traffic went totally down. Public buildings, hotels & schools were closed... So we hope our friends are well and that we can have a save stay on our way back... 12 december. We are back in Viveka Humanist school. Yesterday evening we had a great discussion. Ramesh Babu from Vinay Ashram was with us and new plans are growing fast now. That's for now. Greetings from India, India2-team  European Network on Emotional Quality © 2002-2008 |