12A and 80G forms accepted

This is a quick post to update everyone on our progress in receiving permission from the government of India to receive funds from within India and from foreign sources.

We have been working on this for quite some time, and it has begun to bear fruit. In August we received the necessary permissions to receive funds from within India when the government accepted our 12A and 80G forms. Here is the letter from the government for the 80G form:

 

If you can read Hindi, it says we've been given the necessary permissions!

This is great news, and the field workers are currently talking with local government officials and other sources to figure out what sort of grants they will apply for in the coming year. We will keep you updated about progress in this direction as we know.

We have filled out an application for to receive permission to get foreign funds, but so far we have not heard back from the government. We expect that we will also receive this permission in the coming 6 months or so. It is a bit of a lengthy process because the government comes to inspect the site, verify details of the application, etc. We'll also keep you updated on this.

Anyways, more signs of progress that we're excited about.

2013 Summer program data and photos

Hi all,
     Been quite a long time since my last post, but I'm hoping to put out a few posts during this holiday season. LSS's work has continued to go quite well, with progress in both our computer education work and in our microcredit groups (more on the latter in a later post). We have also made progress in getting approval to receive funds from the government and sources within India (all done), and to receive funds from abroad (in progress). This will be detailed later as well.

      Let's first start off with the raw data on how many students reached proficiency with the range of programs we taught them during our program. This was determined via a hands-on examination by the teacher, during which the teacher asked the students to perform various tasks with the programs under consideration and gauged their capability. Here is the data table:

Data for 2013 summer youth computer program. Across the top are the various programs the students were taught throughout the program, while along the side are the different villages.

     What do we learn from this table? We learned that most of the students reached proficiency with the basic MS Office products, as well as Paint and Notepad. The internet was something that was taught at the end, and clearly most of the students were not able to master that material. This suggests that perhaps in the future we can offer a program just on the internet and how to use it professionally, socially, etc. We could do a whole summer course, or maybe something shorter, like a couple weeks. I would say that, overall, the data is very heartening. For our students, learning the basic MS Office programs is very important for their career prospects, and so their reaching proficiency is a critical accomplishment. This is all for students who basically had never touched a computer before our course, so this kind of progress and accomplishment is going a long ways towards achieving our goal of equalizing access to computers and the corresponding opportunity for the rural communities in which we work. We will continue to work to expand the exposure to computers in our field area.

       Alright, well that was the data, now here are some pictures showing the students working, as well as a neat map of Rajasthan created through their work with the computer. I hope you enjoy these.

Students filling out forms to gain admission to the computer education class in Chechawala.

Young boy and older boy in Shyampura work on the computer.

Students ask questions about the computer during a class session.

Students take notes on theory part of the computer instruction during class.

Students in class in Shyampura.

Girl working on the computer in Chechawala.

Young boy pauses while trying to find shift key!

Female in Dantli ki Dhani working on computer.

 

A student practices during the open session, during which we allow the students to practice on the computer in an unstructured environment.

Girls in Dantli ki Dhani working on the computer.

A bit hard to see, but this is a colored map of Rajasthan, the Indian state in which we work. The different parts are the different districts in the state, which are basically equivalent to counties in the US. Pretty neat little map!

     Notice that the kids in Shyampura are quite young. They were very excited about the computers, and many students were at or below the age of 13. This group could form a strong nucleus of computer-savvy youth in the area for years to come. They show the promise of our program, and they could also serve as future instructors and helpers in our program. Their enthusiasm excites us!

    Have a Happy Holidays!

Visit to India

Hi all,
        It's been a while since I've had a time to post, so I thought I'd try to get back into the habit. A lot has been going on with LSS since my last post, so I'll just hit a few relevant points here, and come to the other things in later posts. I'm also going to try writing shorter, but more frequent posts for digestibility and practicality. 

I am sitting in the village information and education center in Kukrela during the evening. The students are showing me their skills in typing and on MS word.

                                                                                                                                          
         First of all, I had the pleasure of visiting India at the end of December and beginning of January to see the work and strategize with Rohitash, Shyam, and Gopal on how to grow the organization, fundraise, become better administrators, etc. We came up with a list of organizations within and outside of India from whom we will solicit funds in the future. We also committed ourselves to developing proposals for 2-3 projects during the upcoming year, and we will submit these proposals to the relevant funding organizations.  We are particularly keen to expand our computer education program, as the program has been very popular and the participants are demanding further programs to get certifications that they need to get many desirable jobs. We are currently developing a proposal to meet this need and hope to submit it to some funding agencies in the coming months. 

         I saw many exciting things in the work while I was in India as well. I could clearly see that the computer program is generating considerable excitement, especially amongst the youth and their parents. In the evening at Kukrela, where we have a permanent center, the students were practicing typing and using MS Word while I was there. They would take turns using the computer and teaching each other different tricks and functionality when someone was struggling to perform a given task. I could tell that many of the student were developing considerable ability with the computer, which is pretty amazing considering that basically no one in this village had access to a computer before our program. I think we need to follow up and make sure that these students continue to have access to computers, but I find the progress already to be very encouraging. Even better, in the many discussions I had with adults, especially in our microcredit meetings, the parents would always bring up technology and computers and how they wanted to make sure their kids had access to them so that they could partake in the modern economy. I think our program addresses these needs very well and we will continue to look for opportunities to help the rural youth have an equal opportunity at attaining success. 

A student from our computer education group who has computerized the record-keeping for his family dairy! I think this is a very exciting output of our computer education program. It is a practical use of computers that gives economic benefit and keeps the benefit in the village area. Great stuff.

          

  A couple of examples of the outputs from this program, besides the general progress in computer literacy mentioned above,  is one students who decided to go to engineering school after working with the computers, and another student who computerized the records in the his family's dairy. Obviously, in the former case the student probably already had the means and ability, but I think our program definitely has the potential to inspire students to consider programs and field that they would not have previously because of fear or because it had not occurred to them. The case of the student computerizing his family dairy's records is a great example of our program imparting skills that then allow practical and economic gain for the village families. Our over-arching vision is to give villagers the same economic and educational activities as their urban counterparts, and, to the extent possible, allow them to stay in the village in this process. In this sense, this dairy computerization is a perfect output of our program: it gives economic opportunity, and allows the money and skills to stay in the village area. Inspiring stuff.

          Finally, since I said I'd keep things short, we are applying to be able to receive foreign funds directly, under the so-called Foreign Contributions  Regulation Act (FCRA). During the first three years of an NGO's existence, the government of India does not allow it to receive funds from abroad directly, but instead those funds must be channeled through an intermediary organization that is established (has FCRA registration) and oversees the work to make sure it is being carried out efficiently and transparently. Our overseeing organization, NSS, has been great, but the cost of their oversight is about 17.5% of our annual budget, so it will be nice to have this money freed up for our own operations. Additionally, we did not see it fit to fundraise during this initial three-year period since so much of the money would go to the oversight organization. We also wanted to focus on building our programs with a strong and sustainable foundation, without worrying about fundraising during the first three years. I think we have accomplished this and are now ready to move into another phase for our organization. With FCRA registration, we will start to fundraise and hopefully build up LSS's work, both in terms of the depth and breadth of our projects. We are excited for this next phase to begin. I will keep you updated on this process as it proceeds.

         Hope you're having a great week!

MSID Visit Pictures

All,
    As a follow up to my last post, here are pictures of the MSID students' visit to LSS. Enjoy these, they are wonderful!

SEG group member explaining to the students how the SEG/microfinance groups work.

The students listen in as I talk to them on speaker phone about my time in the MSID program, about LSS, and about opportunities they could have to help LSS and the cause of rural development if they choose to intern with us.

Students listen to an SEG member talking.

Shyam talks with the students about the check dam, which is a water harvesting structure, in Kukrela. Rohitash, Shyam, and Gopal helped organized the building of the dam in work with their previous NGO. We hope to start this type of work soon.

Shyam Singh talks with students about LSS and its work.

Students watch a baby goat suckling as Gopal watches and laughs. Livestock are a very important source of income in rural RJ.

Shyam Singh passing out LSS's brochure to the MSID students

Shyam, Rima-ji, and the students at the village information center in Kukrela.

Older man reading at the village information center in Kukrela.

Rima-ji, the head administrator of MSID India, talks with students.

Rima-ji, Rohitash, and SEG group member with students.

 

MSID students sit with SEG members in Kukrela.

MSID students walking on the check dam in Kukrella.

MSID students heading into the village information center in Kukrela.

Youth in Kukrela working inside the village information center.

MSID student reads our brochure, while other students listen to speaker.

MSID students give feedback on their visit. Rohitash in the foreground.

MSID visits LSS, computer education data, and other updates

Hi all,
     Been a while since my last post, but great things are happening, so I thought I'd take time to write a new one. Let's not delay.

     The first thing that we are ecstatic about is that MSID - Minnesota Studies in International Development - program through which I (Derek) went to India and first became in rural economic development programs, is coming to see LSS's work. A note about the MSID program: the first few months of the semester students get acclimated to their new environment, learn the language, culture, and history of the area, and tour various NGOs to see which ones might be a good fit for them and their interest in development. Then, for the second couple months of the program, the students do an internship at an NGO of their choosing, helping contribute to that NGO's work and learning about development process up close and personal. Year long students come back in the spring and can continue to work with their earlier NGO, or switch to another if they think it would be a better fit. It was through the MSID program and the internship that I first met Rohitash, Gopal, and Shyam (LSS's current field workers) and got my start in development, watching their work in microcredit and analyzing data on the various groups in the area to see what their needs might be. It was obviously a life-changing experience for me, and all of us, and one that I cherish dearly. To have MSID visiting our NGO five years after I was a student visiting NGOs feels like a truly special event, one that signifies the progress we at LSS have made in building a solid program that would appeal to the people at MSID India. We will work to ensure that that continues to be the case. We'll have photos of their visit soon. Stay tuned. For now, enjoy the photos below from my time in the MSID program.

Rima Hooja, the MSID India director, talking with students at the end of the program.

MSID students standing in front of pile of vermicompost, an alternative organic fertilizer that one NGO was working on in order to mitigate the effect of inorganic fertilizers on drinking water.

Gopal and Derek sharing a moment outside the office during Derek's original visit to India.

      Alright, so that was super exciting news. Now for a few updates on our current work.

      One of the most exciting things is that our computer information center is really starting to get traffic from old and young people alike. They are coming to read newspapers and books, to book train tickets, to learn typing and other aspects of the computer, and so forth. Recall that basically no one in these villages has access to a computer, let alone consistent access. Our goal with this center is to allow people access to the computer so they have the same advantages by people in towns and cities, namely learning about the computer and using the programs on the computer and the internet to their advantage, e.g. in applying for jobs, checking crops prices, etc. We hope it will be a boon for old and young alike, as the youth can learn about the computer and how it can work for them now and in the future, and the older generation can take advantage of the benefits to make their lives easier. More details on this to come. We will work on how to measure how people are using the computer so we can track the effect. Exciting progress, though.

A young man looking at a vacancy that needs filling in the Rajasthan police.

Middle-aged man and kids learning about the computer at village information center

    As promised, I have some data on the results of the computer education courses in the villages in which we worked this summer. The data comes mostly from a post-survey that we did with the students. We gave them an essay exam on what they learned, but I think the results were a bit difficult to extract, so that is not included here. We want to improve on this method of assessment, firstly by developing an exam that tests what they learned and from which we can easily extract the results. I will work on this with the workers in December, or I will have a possible MSID intern work on it in October-November. Secondly, we will starting next year administer pre- and post-exams and surveys, so we can measure progress made during the course. With that caveat, here's the data, which I'll discuss a bit below. An apology in advance for the mass of data and the slight formatting differences.

Name of the Center - YLTC Mohangurjar ki dhani
	Total Student	Male	Female	Total
		6	8	14
S.N.	Questions
1	Before center what did you know about the computer ?	Basic Knowledge	Open and Close	Saw anywhere	All Three	Nothing
	Answer in %	0%	36%	0%	0%	64%
2	What did you learn in the computer class?	Basic Knowledge	MS word	MS Excel	Typing	All Four
	Answer in %	0%	0 %	7%	0%	93%
3	How does it feel coming to the computer center?	Great	Good	Ok	Time pass	Bad
	Answer in %	64%	36%	0%	0%	0%
4	Do you want to continue learning about the computer ?	Yes	Maybe	Don’t Know	Ask parents	No
	Answer in %	78%	0%	0%	22%	0%
5	When school is running how often do you want to come to the center?	Daily	Some Time	On holiday	After Exam	Don’t Know
	Answer in %	7 %	0 %	86 %	0 %	7%
6	How do you feel about  the computer teacher?	Good	Bad	So, So	Useless	Don’t Know
	Answer in %	57 %	7 %	36 %	0%	0%
7	How will you use the computer in the future	Daily Life	Read and Write	For Employment	All Three Point	Useless
	Answer in %	15%	0%	0%	85%	0%
8	What do you want to use the internet for?	Daily Life	Read and Write	For Employment	All Three Point	Useless
	Answer in %	10%	0%	25%	65%	0%

-->

Name of the Center - YLTC Barwara
	Total Student	Male	Female	Total	Appear in Exam. M	Appear in Exam. F	Total
		12	13	25	3	7	10
S.N.	Questions
1	Before center what did you know about the computer ?	Basic Knowledge	Open and Close	Saw anywhere	All Three	Nothing
	Answer in %	0%	30%	20%	0%	50%	100%
2	What did you learn in the computer class?	Basic Knowledge	MS word	MS Excel	Typing	All Four
	Answer in %	20%	0%	0%	0%	80%	100%
3	How does it feel coming to the computer center?	Great	Good	Ok	Time pass	Bad
	Answer in %	70%	10%	20%	0%	0%	100%
4	Do you want to continue learning about the computer ?	Yes	Maybe	Don’t Know	Ask parents	No
	Answer in %	60%	0%	0%	40%	0%	100%
5	When school is running how often do you want to come to the center?	Daily	Some Time	On holiday	After Exam	Don’t Know
	Answer in %	70%	10%	20%	0%	0%	100%
6	How do you feel about  the computer teacher?	Good	Bad	So, So	Useless	Don’t Know
	Answer in %	70%	0%	30%	0%	0%	100%
7	How will you use the computer in the future	Daily Life	Read and Write	For Employment	All Three Point	Useless
	Answer in %	0%	0%	0%	100%	0%	100%
8	What do you want to use the internet for?	Daily Life	Read and Write	For Employment	All Three Point	Useless
	Answer in %	0%	0%	0%	100%	0%	100%

-->

Name of the Center - YLTC Pando
	Total Student	Male	Female	Total	Appear in Exam. M	Appear in Exam. F	Total
		15	5	20	10	3	13
S.N.	Questions
1	Before center what did you know about the computer ?	Basic Knowledge	Open and Close	Saw anywhere	All Three	Nothing
	Answer in %	15.38%	38.46%	0%	0%	46.153%	100%
2	What did you learn in the computer class?	Basic Knowledge	MS word	MS Excel	Typing	All Four
	Answer in %	53.84%	23.07%	0%	0%	23.07%	100%
3	How does it feel coming to the computer center?	Great	Good	Ok	Time pass	Bad
	Answer in %	84.61%	15.38%	0%	0%	0%	100%
4	Do you want to continue learning about the computer ?	Yes	Maybe	Don’t Know	Ask parents	No
	Answer in %	100%	0%	0%	0%	0%	100%
5	When school is running how often do you want to come to the center?	Daily	Some Time	On holiday	After Exam	Don’t Know
	Answer in %	69.23%	7.65%	7.65%	15.38%	0%	100%
6	How do you feel about  the computer teacher?	Good	Bad	So, So	Useless	Don’t Know
	Answer in %	84.61%	0%	15.38%	0%	0%	100%
7	How will you use the computer in the future	Daily Life	Read and Write	For Employment	All Three Point	Useless
	Answer in %	23.07%	7.69%	0%	69.23%	0%	100%
8	What do you want to use the internet for?	Daily Life	Read and Write	For Employment	All Three Point	Useless
	Answer in %	61.53%	0%	15.38%	23.07%	0%	100%

-->

Name of the Center - YLTC Dhudi Amloda
	Total Student	Male	Female	Total	Appear in Exam. M	Appear in Exam. F	Total
		13	7	25	6	7	13
S.N.	Questions
1	Before center what did you know about the computer ?	Basic Knowledge	Open and Close	Saw anywhere	All Three	Nothing
	Answer in %	30.76%	0%	0%	0%	69.23%	100%
2	What did you learn in the computer class?	Basic Knowledge	MS word	MS Excel	Typing	All Four
	Answer in %	0%	7.65%	0%	0%	92.30%	100%
3	How does it feel coming to the computer center?	Great	Good	Ok	Time pass	Bad
	Answer in %	92.34%	7.65%	0%	0%	0%	100%
4	Do you want to continue learning about the computer ?	Yes	Maybe	Don’t Know	Ask parents	No
	Answer in %	92.34%	0%	0%	7.65%	0%	100%
5	When school is running how often do you want to come to the center?	Daily	Some Time	On holiday	After Exam	Don’t Know
	Answer in %	23.07%	7.65%	53.84%	15.38%	0%	100%
6	How do you feel about  the computer teacher?	Good	Bad	So, So	Useless	Don’t Know
	Answer in %	76.52%	0%	23.07%	0%	0%	100%
7	How will you use the computer in the future	Daily Life	Read and Write	For Employment	All Three Point	Useless
	Answer in %	15.38%	30.76%	0%	53.84%	0%	100%
8	What do you want to use the internet for?	Daily Life	Read and Write	For Employment	All Three Point	Useless
	Answer in %	30.76%	23.07%	0%	46.15%	0%	100%

-->

Name of the Center - YLTC Kukrela
	Total Student	Male	Female	Total	Appear in Exam. M	Appear in Exam. F	Total
		12	4	16	9	1	10
S.N.	Questions
1	Before center what did you know about the computer ?	Basic Knowledge	Open and Close	Saw anywhere	All Three	Nothing
	Answer in %	80%	10%	0%	0%	10%	100%
2	What did you learn in the computer class?	Basic Knowledge	MS word	MS Excel	Typing	All Four
	Answer in %	0%	0%	0%	0%	100%	100%
3	How does it feel coming to the computer center?	Great	Good	Ok	Time pass	Bad
	Answer in %	90%	10%	0%	0%	0%	100%
4	Do you want to continue learning about the computer ?	Yes	Maybe	Don’t Know	Ask parents	No
	Answer in %	100%	0%	0%	0%	0%	100%
5	When school is running how often do you want to come to the center?	Daily	Some Time	On holiday	After Exam	Don’t Know
	Answer in %	10%	0%	30%	60%	0%	100%
6	How do you feel about  the computer teacher?	Good	Bad	So, So	Useless	Don’t Know
	Answer in %	100%	0%	0%	0%	0%	100%
7	How will you use the computer in the future	Daily Life	Read and Write	For Employment	All Three Point	Useless
	Answer in %	0%	10%	0%	90%	0%	100%
8	What do you want to use the internet for?	Daily Life	Read and Write	For Employment	All Three Point	Useless
	Answer in %	30%	50%	0%	20%	0%	100%

    Alright, so what do we see from the mass of data above? We see that Barwara and Mohan Gujar ki Dhani have the best gender ratios, Dhudi Amloda is so-so in this department, and Kukrela and Pando could use some serious improvement. You have to keep in mind, however, that these are very conservative rural areas, so getting any young girls in a computer class is an achievement. Nonetheless, we will work to have equal gender ratios in all our classes going forward. We are very happy with Mohan Gujar ki Dhani and Barwara for giving their girls the opportunity to learn about the computer.


   You can also see that the students new basically nothing coming into the course, they are very enthusiastic about learning the computer, and they see many uses for it in their lives in the future. This is EXACTLY why we built this program and want to continue to make it a success. It is vital for the youth of rural areas and they are hungry for it. We will work to improve our program, including assessment of learning, as mentioned above, but we are very happy with our results during the first two years of operation. We are excited for what the future holds for our program. We'll keep you updated.

Students at youth computer education group.

Same. Notice the good mix of boys and girls. This is an accomplishment in very rural conservative area. The villagers see the need for computer education.

   A few other notes: we have started two new microcredit groups and will start a third soon. That work is going very well and is a linchpin of our NGO's program. We are still working on getting our application ready to apply for directly receiving foreign funds. That will be a big step for us.

SEG group in Pando. These are a main linchpin of our work, as they provide economic benefits, a forum through which to talk to women about the issues they face in their villages, a way to dialogue with the villages about our programs and how they might improve, and so much more.

Shyam Singh with an SEG group.

    Right now the villagers are 80% done with the millet harvest, according to Rohitash, so they will have a bit of respite in work until it is time to plant wheat, chickpeas, barley, mustard, and other winter crops.

Millet field. This has just been harvested in RJ.

Mustard field. This will be planted soon and the fields of RJ will be a beautiful yellow in January.

    Finally a bit of a sad note that I must report: about two weeks ago there was an outbreak of malaria in the area in which we work and eight people died, five in Amloda and three in Nau Rung Pura (nine pure colors). Many others were also sickened. Rohitash, Gopal, and Shyam had to hold emergency meetings to help the villages figure out how to cope with the deaths and difficulties faced. They tried to be a force for comfort and an organized response. I have no doubt they did admirably in this role, as they have been NGO workers and community leaders for some twenty years now. This definitely brings home the fact that the communities in which we work are very vulnerable to disease, the conditions, and many other challenges they face. My thoughts are with the families who lost loved ones. May they find peace. I wish you all a happy and healthy week.

Gopal's village, Amloda, was hit hard by the malaria outbreak, with five dying. His family is all ok, fortunately. May the families who lost loved ones find peace, health, and solace during this time.