Note from Brianna

Hi all,
      This is a quick post, from me at least. I am posting below a note written by Brianna, who visited LSS in April of this year (2012). It tells of her impressions of our work in microcredit, women's empowerment, and youth technology education. I have added some photos of her visit, along with captions, just for illustration. I think it is important to have outsiders visit the organization and give their impressions, since it gives an unbiased window into what we are doing. I know we are doing important work, but it is nice to see it put into words by someone else. Thanks for taking the time to write this post Brianna! I hope you enjoy the post.

I had a wonderful experience visiting LSS.  From the start, Rohitash, Gopal, and Shyam were welcoming and kind.  I got the impression that they care deeply about the work they're engaged in.  It was reassuring and heartwarming to meet people on the opposite side of the world who are so dedicated to a worthy cause.

Brianna with Rohitash and Gopal at Mohan Gujar ki Dhani.

During my visit, I had the opportunity to sit in on a self help group meeting and on multiple computer literacy classes.  I really like the model the self help groups are built upon--empowering community members through microcredit loans.  I realized during my visit that the groups are much more than just microcredit finance groups, however.  Because they meet on a monthly basis, they also serve as a place for people to come together to discuss community issues.  I was impressed that the majority of the self help groups are groups of women, and I think the support they find in those groups is particularly important for them.  I was particularly heartened by an example that Rohitash relayed to me: when one of the communities was not getting an adequate water supply, the women discussed this issue in their self help group and decided to approach an official about it.  When the local official dismissed them, they went to the next higher official, who fixed the issue for them.  Though approaching an official about a problem may seem small, it struck me as an incredible example of how the self help groups are empowering women.  I was also impressed by how organized and democratic these groups were.  There are records of all the microcredit loans, and they decide who should receive loans using a democratic voting process.  That democratic process reinforces the empowerment of women since it emphasizes that they all have a voice.

Brianna with microcredit group members and their kids in Kukrella

Brianna in Kukrella. You see the fields that are staples of the livelihood here.

I was also glad to have the opportunity to visit several of the computer literacy centers.  Since computers are so ubiquitous in the US, I was a bit taken aback by the realization that most of the kids in these villages have never touched a computer before in their lives.  The excitement at each of the centers was palpable--these kids are definitely eager to learn, even if there are twenty other kids sharing one computer.  I was thrilled to see that at the first computer literacy center we visited, the girls were just as eager as the boys.  At that center, girls were actually in the majority.  Boys were in the majority at the other centers we visited, but I'm hopeful that the gender ratio will even out over time.  Rohitash, Gopal, and Shyam seemed genuinely concerned when we showed up to centers where the balance was less than equal.  Derek explained to me that, ultimately, parents are the ones to decide whether or not their daughters can take computer literacy classes.  He emphasized that "This is why the microcredit groups and all that we do to promote gender equality is so important: it is slowly changing this culture."  That there were at least some girls at most of the centers and a great number of girls at the first center I visited demonstrates that progress is being made.  I wouldn't be surprised if that progress was a direct result of the microcredit work.

Brianna at Mohan Gujar ki Dhani's Youth Technology and Leadership Group (YTLG). This village has the best gender ratio and overall attendance.

Brianna at YTLG in Amloda. The gender ratio is not as good in Amloda. More work to be done, but we are diligent and will work to get an even number of girls going forward!

One question that passed through my mind a number of times when I was visiting the computer literacy centers was, How are computers going to make these villagers' lives better?  I've conditioned myself to ask this question since I've grown up in a society in which we often fail to think critically about the impact of technology on the quality of our lives.  On the whole, I did think that computer literacy would improve the lives of people living in the villages LSS is working with, but I was still curious to hear Derek's response to that question.  His response was practical, thoughtful, and compassionate.  For one, computer literacy is a gateway to both education and jobs.  Without that computer literacy, villagers are at a distinct disadvantage.  LSS's computer centers are striving to correct that injustice.  Furthermore, LSS hopes that teaching computer literacy to villagers will "stanch the flow of villagers to the city, where they often end up in slums."  Computers could potentially allow villagers to work from more rural areas. I found his response to my more philosophical concern about the dangers of technology so spot on that I think it's worth sharing in full: "You have to have faith in the communities you work with to know how to deal with [technology]. I think that's what we're all doing as human beings and we should not treat the people we are working with any differently. They deserve the opportunity to make technology work for them and we are there to facilitate that."

YTLG member getting Brianna's email. Maybe they can become pen pals!

On the whole, I was very impressed with the work that LSS is doing, and I look forward to hearing about the positive impact LSS makes in the future.

Possible land donation, foreign contribution registration, 2nd year audit, and more

Hi all,
    Been a bit since my last post, so let's get started with the latest news from Rajasthan.

    First of all, we have two exciting things going on that will help propel our organization forward. The first one is that someone has contacted us and wants to give us a plot of land for our NGO office. We currently pay rent at an office in Khora, so this would help us establish ourselves more permanently in the area. The deal has to be approved by the local gram panchayat (village council), so we will wait to hear from them. Regardless of the outcome, we are excited by the offer, as it shows the belief in our work coming from the community. We'll cross our fingers and hope for a yes.

Gopal, Meg, Derek, Rohitash, and Grant on the roof of our current office in Khora

    The second thing is that the field workers are currently meeting with a man from Delhi who is an expert in applying for the foreign contributions registration (FCRA). As I mentioned in the past, in India for the first three years of operation you have to have an oversight organization monitor your work. For us, that organization is NSS. NSS does good work, but they also take a hefty fee for it, roughly 17.5%, so we are very excited to be starting the process to strike it out on our own and to be able to use all of our funds for operations. The extra money will allow us to hire Shyam Singh on full time (here is currently half-time), and do a few other things currently out of reach. Additionally, without the fee we will be able to fundraise much more aggressively because donors do not get turned off by the fee. This should allow us to expand our current operations and finally start the environmental work that is part of our organization's mission. It is exciting to be starting this process.

 Shyam Singh facilitates an SEG group meeting. With our FCRA registration we will be able to hire Shyam full time and expand the scope of our work.

    An important piece of applying for our FCRA registration is the audit of our 2nd year's work, which I have posted below. We are committed to the utmost transparency so that all who give to us can trust our work. Please take a look at it and see all of what goes into our work.

    Finally, a few more loose ends. We continue our microcredit work, including adding more groups. Everything is going very well in this area. We are currently converting the bank accounts of the groups to conform with new government rules, so that has taken time, but it's getting close to being done.

SEG meeting receives training from government agricultural officers

Shyam Singh facilitates an SEG meeting

SEG meeting with Gopal and bank staff. We are currently converting the bank account of the SEGs to conform with new government rules.

    As for the computer groups, they are currently less busy because the coming of the school year, but there are still students practicing on the computers when they have time. We are currently getting the data collected and analyzed from their exams and surveys. I'll post that data as soon as I have it. Below are photos of the students working on the computer and taking the exam. I think the photos show the environment we are working in and why this work is so important. We will work to keep improving this program, including integrating the results of the surveys and exams into future work. We will keep you updated.

Student practicing with a typing game in Barwara.

Students taking computer exam in Mohan Gurjar ki Dhani

Students taking computer exam in Pando

Well that's it for now. Exciting things are afoot! Have a most lovely rest of your summer.