Nine Ward level Meetings with Core Committee (CC) members and local community - Pali

Sahjeevan Samaj Kendra (Pali CCO)

Nine Ward level Meetings with Core Committee (CC) members and local community

Objectives:

v To mobilize the community and strengthening the local community at ward level.

v To discuss the PSP and PLE process with the community.

v To sustain the process of People Led Empowerment.

Resource persons: Mr. Dayanand Patil, Ms. Rasika Bandhari, Ms. Carol Munis & Sr. Nisha Lobo

Background:

Last year (July 2016 to June 2017) through PRA (Participatory Rapid Appraisal) process the CC members have understood the importance of problem-solving techniques which helped them to realize the importance of Perspective Strategy Plan (PSP) / Micro plan of Pali village. The CC had taken up to resolve three issues namely the lack of unity, lack of financial planning and lack of knowledge (about ration card, pan card, caste certificate, income certificate etc.).

In the month of July & August-2017 during the Core Committee monthly meeting the Saha Jeevan Social Centre, Pali CCO staffs along with CSA staffs planned a series of meetings at the ward level to facilitate this process with the community.

S/N	Date	Ward no.	No. of C.C. members	No. of ward sub leaders	No. of participants
1.	17/07/2017	7	4	4	32
2.	19/07/2017	9	7	6	45
3.	20/07/2017	3	4	8	45
4.	20/07/2017	4	4	6	25
5.	21/07/2017	8	4	8	27
6.	26/07/2017	6	6	5	60
7.	01/08/2017	2	6	7	68
8.	02/08/2017	1	4	4	29
9.	08/08/2017	5	6	3	45

According to the planned schedule, the CC along with the CCO staffs organized ward level meetings. During these meetings, the CC members of all 9 wards took the initiative and responsibility to create awareness of PSP documentation required at the ward level. They distributed the circular and arranged the venue for the common meeting in their own wards. During these meetings, there was an introduction given on Sahajeevan Social Centre and its activities carried on at the ward level for different target groups such as women, senior citizens, children, Kishori and other activities etc. CSA staff Ms. Rasika explained all the three levels of work done at each ward level during the past three years of the project which included the process of working with various target groups. In the first year 2014-2015 we have worked with youth, Kishori, SHG’s, senior citizen etc. we have developed the leadership qualities in participants. In the second year, we have formed core committee group which identified local 5-6 leaders from each ward & trained them in capacity building. In the third year, core committee felt the need to work with small issues after having identified its root causes.

The Project Coordinator, Dayanand gave inputs on Unity being a source of strength and how there is a need to strengthen the community members at each ward level. He then stressed more on how people’s participation was essential at each ward level is more important. He simplified his input by giving many real examples and sharing experiences. In his session, he put forward the past business of fisher-folk life and the present situation of fish business and its value. With examples, he made them to understand how the others from outside the community act as agents and were slowly taking decisions over their business. The participants were inspired by the input session but found it difficult to take initiative.

After the input session the CCO staff guided the participants and helped them to take initiative, then the volunteer leaders meeting with core committee members and explained to them how they can list out the ten families name and family head contact and asked them to fix the date for the first meeting with family heads.

Outcomes:

The community in each ward was able to understand the process of the CCO’s work with the community. They have understood the importance of togetherness, and through this process, the CCO has explored People Led Empowerment (PLE) leading the process which has begun with a down-to-top approach.

The volunteers at ward level sub leaders have taken leadership to form 10 families’ one group and list out their names according to the area wise, and organize 10 families meeting at ward level, they also have shown interest to work for the strengthening of the community through mobilization in their concerned areas. The CC members felt the need for capacity building of the chosen sub leaders to support the CC members.

Achievements:

All ward no. (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9) level sub leaders took initiative and leadership. They have listed names of the families according to the planning made in the ward level meeting.  They have fixed date for the head of the family meeting.

Challenges:

In ward no. 5 & 7 due to their negative past experience and internal conflict with ward leaders the people at ward level were non-responsive.

Future plan:

1. Meeting with CC members, sub leaders & head of the family at ward level.

2. Individual visit with ward no. 5 & 7 sub leaders, to discuss the problem-solving technique.

3. The CSA staffs along with CCO staffs will arrange the leadership training by the end of August 2017, for all the ward level CC & sub leaders.