Case1-January-2013

Fifteenth Retreat of DHAN Foundation

Retreat is an unique annual institutional event of DHAN Foundation, which provides a platform for all the DHANites working across twelve different states of the country to meet and reflect on each ones experiences, learning’s, achievements, hard times, pleasant and frustrating moments they faced in the past one year. Also this platform provides a rejuvenation to the participant’s through reinforcing the values of the institution and the purpose for which we are working. The fifteenth annual retreat of DHAN Foundation got held in Indian Institute of youth welfare, Nagpur from 27th-30th December, 2012.

Day-1: 27th Dec,2012

The Purpose of the fifteenth retreat

Each retreat will be held with a defined purpose and the purpose of the fifteenth retreat was shared by Mr. A.Gurunathan after formal inauguration of the event.

• Keeping community and the centre and creating self-reliant community institutions.
• Owning the strategic plan of the organization and significantly contributing in achieving the plan
• Fostering and advancing citizenship in DHAN collective
• Attracting quality human resources and mentoring them with self as a demonstrator of self-regulation and team work
• Imbibing the focus of the year-Food and Nutrition Security and ensuring substantial action to attain food and nutrition security.

This is followed by the introduction of the 24 first time retreat participants by Mr. S.Singarayar, one of the retreat anchors. Mr. M.P. Vasimalai, Executive Director, DHAN Foundation in his inaugural address which highlighted the importance of preparation of community charter as our institutional presence is in 11,000 villages in 12 states across our nation, which will support the process. He added that Community charters will enable a paradigm shift in the development approach of the nation. Ms. Vijaya Shah, Director, Indian Institute of Youth Welfare, Nagpur in her special address explained about the key activities of the institute on, community life centre, youth and skill development, women empowerment prevention of child labour, family counselling centre, prevention and control of HIV/AIDS, special focus on truckers, CSW, migrant population, health, hygiene, education, income generation activities, DEWATS, formation of SHGs.

Later all the participants were divided into 39 sub groups to discuss on. Purpose connectivity, Expression of values, capacities acquired to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of performance and self-regulation. The outputs which are synthesized during the sub plenary. The process was successful in creating right perspective on the institutions mission on poverty reduction and revealed the expression of core values in all activities of DHAN especially the with respect to grassroots action and collaboration. Though innovation is expressed still more stress has to be given. The participants expressed that they got their capacities enhanced and acquired new skills, to do their work better through the process of learning by doing and also were adopting selfregulation at all levels and has instilled the same among the community.

Day 2: 28th December 2012

The second day started with four development dialogues on Agriculture Bio-diversity and Food & Nutrition Security, Climate Change and Food & Nutrition Security, Rainfed Agriculture and Food & Nutrition Security and Fisheries and Food & Nutrition Security. This imparted a good knowledge on the above topics to the DHANites who actively participated in the discussion and also clarified their doubts.

Mr. Singarayar, Mr. Balasubramanian, Mr. Kiran Kumar, Mr. Vittal Rao took charge as day anchors. Mr. Singarayar highlighted the purpose, objectives and lead questions for the day’s focus on community and team. Quality of engagement with the community, Community negotiations, Involvement in Development Intervention Groups (DIG),Identification built with community, Community enabling process and Developing community charter were the focus areas of discussion in subgroups with respect to the community. Shared purpose of the team, Team Norms, Composition and complement of the team, Team appreciation, Role of Team Leader and Rating of Team were the areas to be discussed with respect to strengthening the team spirit. The sub groups discussion happened on the above areas and the outcomes were synthesized in the sub plenary which are presented below.

On Community

• Quality of engagement with the community in terms of facilitating Maha Sabha, conducting food festivals, formation of PPGs and PMGs, conducting capacity building programmes, staying with the community, supporting the young locations, attending the functions of family members, etc was good especially with those engaged directly with grassroots works.
• Convincing the community for working together on mutuality basis to create a win-win situation and also to benefit others through common fund allocation, cost coverage, people contribution, implementation of health (SUHAM) initiatives, conflict resolution, social security initiatives, utilizing ideal funds for specialized loan products, etc. has happened across all the people institutions.
• Developmental Intervention groups concept has to be strengthened further, though conscious efforts are seen in some locations.
• Establishing a social relationship with the community apart from the focused agendas is felt crucial to create rapport and also to understand their issues better.
• Enabling the community is through training and exposure, building ownership, grooming of leaders and ensuring the leaders’ rotation which are vital for a community institution is found to be expressed in all locations.
• The sub group discussions came out with many ideas for using the community charter to build adequate infrastructure and resources (Humane, material and financial) for health, education, drinking water, sanitation, electricity, Patta, provisions for settling the entitlement for community, coping mechanisms, permission from revenue departments for application of tank silt, etc. Based on our rich experience in MF the community charter can influence the Panchayat in formulation of regulations which will prohibit the entry of the usurious money lending by money lenders and MFIs’. Similarly entry of contractors for undertaking community participatory civil works can also be prohibited. However, the participants felt that the community charter concept is new more capacity building is needed at field level to go ahead with the process.

On team

Internalization and expression of our shared purposes in our activities viz., promotion of sustainable institutions, ensuring the social security, nurturing and recruiting young professionals, livelihood promotion and strengthening etc got shared during the discussion

There are no formalized and structured team norms. However, the institutional norms like starting office with reflections, adhering to time schedule, submission of reports on time are being followed as team norms. For all the activities and systems to be followed, a formal team norm is to be made available to all our teams.

1. Composition and complement of the team

   • Shouldering of multiple responsibilities is commonly observed. There are several teams at programme, region and at location levels where in all the assigned position remain vacant thus requiring personal to assume more responsibilities.
   • Hand holding and deputation of staff to the need locations is happening. Newly joined staffs are getting support to complete their assign task effectively. Regional HRD complements the CHRD by identifying the right candidate and assisting in the recruitment process. Programme and central teams complements the region team in timely completion of audit by systematic coordination with the auditors, imparting the trainings through DMPs’, software updation and data conversions and FRC matters.

2. Team Appreciation

   • Team appreciation is generally observed in various forums and adequate process to identify the good performer for greater recognisation is required. Suggestions to recognize the excellent team works and also forums to award them were given.

3. Role of team leader

   • Role of team leader is identified as a person provide the leadership quality, role model for others, as demonstrator, good communicator, mentor and motivator, content clarity, quick decision maker, etc.

4. Rating of team

   • Personal assessment of their own team performance varied from average to very good. Still many wanted to perform and reach the level of excellent performer in the years to come.

The cultural committee facilitated by Mr. K. Vittal Rao and team has organized the cultural programme. The event enriches the performance by DHANits. The cultural activities cover Dances, Songs, skits and mimicry. Latter this event extended with high energetic camp fire and every one enjoyed by active participation.

Day 3: 29th December, 2012

Third day started with five development dialogues by five facilitators in the following areas:

1. Mr. Vittal Rao facilitated on ‘Micro finance and tribal food and nutrition security’

   • The deliberations focused on the need to encourage nutritional banks for FNS, tapping more livelihoods opportunities for FNS, agriculture produce marketing and processing, more thrust on tribal women, children, lactating mothers and adolescent girls, promotion of fish rearing, encouraging more consumption of forest produces like honey, mahua, bamboo etc., herbal and medicinal plants preservation and usage without migrating to allopathic or any other medicines.

2. Mr. Subbu Raj facilitated on ‘Micro finance and coastal food and nutrition security’

   • They discussed about the status of food production and under nutrition at national level, the relevance of bio diversity under coastal context and its impact on FNS. After the deliberations, relevance of MF and possible solutions towards FNS were discussed. The solutions proposed were creating awareness on bio-diversity, FNS, promotion of farm ponds, improving alternative livelihood options to reduce pressure on sea and conservation of coastal context.

3. Mr. Kiran Kumar facilitated on ‘Watersheds and food and nutrition security’

   • He initiated the discussions on watershed, components and its relation to F&N security. The objectives of soil & moisture conservation leading to increased soil fertility, crop yield and fodder availability, water harvesting leading to stabilizing the existing area under cultivation, additional area brought under cultivation, crop diversity and horticulture promotion leading to availability of nutrient rich fruits etc. The deliberations given action points like assessment of percentage of watershed farmers using produce for their own consumption, exclusive watersheds for nutrition security, evolving models for allowing landless for cultivating catch crops in water spread area of water bodies, observational research, etc.

4. Mr. K.P. Bharathi facilitated on ‘Tourism and food and nutrition security’

   • He initiated the discussions about tourism services, traditional / regional products has an opportunity to diversified jobs and to reduce migration, generate additional income and also create job opportunities and facilitates the increase in demand for heritage products. For that traditional farming heritage of rural and food tourism, globally important agri heritage system in India and how the heritage food to the emerging tourist would provide the demand for local products which in turn facilitates additional income to host communities, paving the opportunities for indirect FNS.

5. Mr. M. Karthikeyan facilitated on ‘Agriculture bio- diversity and food and nutrition security’

   • He discussed about agro bio-diversity (ABD), values and benefits of ABD, food and nutrition security, and status of ABD followed by dialogue on the ways for improving the links between ABD and FNS. He shared about perceptions of farming community on the nutritional superiority of rainfed paddy varieties over the irrigated paddy and declining production of rainfed paddy. Similarly perception of community on taste of long duration varieties over short duration varieties, utility of uncultivated flora and fauna for food and its negligence in modern agriculture and food system, balanced nature of traditional cropping system in terms of integrating food, fodder and soil fertility needs.

Then the third day of the event has its focus on “Agri. Bio-diversity and food and nutrition security” focus of the year 2013. The day anchored by M/s. M.P.Vasimalai, M.Palanisamy, N. Venkatesan and Gayathri. Then, Mr.Gurunathan retreat anchor, welcomed all the participants followed by reflections from Maharashtra, Odissa team. Mr.N.Venkatesan, from day anchors team briefed about the day schedule and requested lead paper presenters. Our Executive Director gave a briefing about various activities done by different thematic programs of DHAN for ensuring food and nutrition security, propositions and lead points for the future. Mr.M.Palanisamy went in detail to explain about biodiversity, agricultural biodiversity and genetic biodiversity, their present status and need for preserving them to ensure food security. Ms. Gayathri spoke about DHAN’s calendar 2013, which depicted the activities of different programs to ensure protection of biodiversity and food security.

Mr.N.Venkatesan facilitated the process of sub group discussion by giving leads for the discussion. Thirty nine sub groups formed had a detailed discussion and they got shared through six sub plenary sections. The outcomes of sub plenary were shared by each sub plenary anchors in plenary held at main meeting hall. The overall outcomes of sub plenaries as consolidated by representative of special group Mr. Vediappan is as follows:-

• All participants got a better understanding about agricultural biodiversity and food and nutrition security
• Kharif maize stabilization project, Kitchen garden, WADI model of horticulture promotion, Quality seed supply, Farm pond promotion, Tank renovation, Social security including crop, livestock insurance, Earthen bunding through MGNREGS, Improved variety of Maize and Ragi, Land leasing for landless and marginal farmers Conservation of traditional varieties, Production trials and varietal selection Consumption loans for food and nutrient security, Prosofis Juliflora removal and bringing the land in to cultivation, Recipe competition with minor millets are the current activities of DHAN identified to support the initiative of conservation of biodiversity and ensuring food and nutritional security.
• Discussions came out with the communities vulnerable for food and nutritional security such as S1 in all family types (F 1 to F 5), Women especially adolescent girls and pregnant women
• Children and Old age people
• The potential areas identified for future intervention through our programs were Systematic nutritional garden to ensure regular food supply for the family, Seed banks at community level, Integrated farm model, Food and nutrition outlets for small millets and traditional food, Farm Field Schools, Low / No cost interventions – kitchen garden, Apiculture, farm ponds, papaya cultivation, community nursery.
• Generation of funds and other resources for intervening in Food and Nutritional security can be done through collaborating with mainstream institutions (NHM, NRHM, ATMA, KVK, NABARD, RKVY, etc), Federation common fund and by using existing human resources
• Base line survey on consumption pattern, Identifying status of crops / species cultivated and consumption pattern in different contexts and Participatory varietal selection, Bio diversity block experiments are the studies proposed for ensuring FNS
• The causes for agricultural biodiversity degradation and FNS problems were identified as Inadequate availability of food grains at local level, Conversion of land for construction, Moving to mono cropping, Increased migration in rural areas etc.
• Events like Walkathon, Symposium, Food melas, Workshops for the farmers, development workers and scientists, Bio diversity fair, Maha sabha’s, Celebrating international day of bio-diversity, Cycle rallys, National nutritional week and School competition can be done to promote awareness regarding biodiversity and FNS.

• The following emerged as the action plan to conserve biodiversity and ensure FNS.

  Action plan – Immediate

  • Nutrient garden with package to ensure food supply throughout the year
  • Base line survey of consumption pattern
  • Creating awareness through events like walkathon
  • Food Mela for increasing consumption of nutritious

  local food

  • Farm Field School - FFS
  • Bio-diversity PRA
  • Land leasing
  • Goat penning

  Action plan – intermediate

  • Piloting based on findings of base line survey
  • Development of integrated farm model
  • Community Bio-diversity Register, Community seed bank (CSB)
  • Food and nutritional outlets – pulse, oil seeds and millets
  • Mainstream collaboration
  • Quality seed production of food and nutritional crops
  Action plan – long term
  • Policy advocacy
  • Community Biodiversity management
  • Behavioural change communication strategy for consumption practise
  • Revival of Rare Endangered and Threatened species
  • Restoration of farmers variety

The third day ended with cultural programs- dances, songs, skits, mimicry and the same was facilitated by Mr. K. Vittal Rao and team.

Day 4: 30th December, 2012

The focus of the final day of the Fifteenth retreat-IIYW, Nagpur was Institution building and Strategic planning. The day started with reflections and recap of the third day events being shared by Mr.Vittal Rao. Ms.Malini presented the consolidated data of members moved out of poverty. She said that out of 38 regions, 22 regions shared their data of which five regions declared specifically with member code and other details. The five regions were Tanjore, Vellore, Chittoor, Vizag and Chittoor tank in which 2170, 270,3100, 2336 and 775 member families respectively were declared being out of poverty

Sharing by Retreat committees: The ten retreat committees for Retreat-2012 shared their role in ensuring the success of the event. The other committees also shared about the logistics, health care, cultural events, minutes and the AV facilities made. Mr.Vasimalai expressed that Ms.Vijaya Shah of the host organization IIYW appreciated the way in which rooms are maintained during the event.

Geographical focus in strategic planning

Vasi then presented his insights on the strategic planning process. He appreciated the energy unleased and intensive work done at community, staff and all levels in the process. On geographical perspective DHAN is present in twelve states and works in all contexts urban, rural, tribal and coastal. In Andrapradesh, DHAN works in urban, rural and tribal contexts and to a little bit in coastal context in Vizag. In Assam we work in one place which is a mixture of both rural and tribal context and we have to focus more on expanding to other blocks and districts. In Bihar, Kerala and Maharashtra we work in rural locations. In Karnataka, we work in rural, urban and to less extent in tribal. In Madhyapradhesh, Orissa and Rajasthan our work is restricted to tribal areas and we have to expand to other contexts. In Pondicherry we work in urban and coastal contexts and in Tamilnadu we work in all contexts urban, rural, coastal and tribal contexts. We have to concentrate our efforts in forthcoming years to expand to other contexts in the states wherever we are already present and also expanding to other states. Chattisgarh and Uttarpradesh are the two states in which we are planning our operations shortly.

Vasi also stressed all regions to capitalize on ruralurban linkage potential for development and come out with a paper on it. He also said that our focus on coastal community development should extend beyond Tamilnadu to other states. The coastal and tribal areas remain excluded from the larger society and we should think of integrating them with the mass. With respect to Institution building we are stronger in savings, credit and insurance and from last year much focus is given on livelihood strengthening and skill building. Non-farm activities, DHAN Resource centers and health have to be further strengthened. Education needs a good start in our people institutions based on the need.

Vasi also spoke on the need of positioning the locations as identity of the community and making them selfsustainable. By 2017, 800 people institutions should be in place of which 500 should run on their own. A new pillar Judiciary, has been added to our programs through our Micro justice piloting and this should be present along with governance and administration in all our locations he added. He also stressed on accountability and transparency among staffs to ensure proper people find management, accounting and auditing. He also stressed the need for regions to function as Center’s of integration of all programs to ensure all round development. Regions should generate resources through own funds, convergence with government and banks, guiding the mainstream and converging with market he stressed.

With respect to Programs and Central office high trust, respect and sanctity is needed, Vasi added. This is more important at higher level so that these values percolate to lower level. People movement of KF, DVTF and CALL program should get a stronger shape in the next five years. Implementing cross cutting themes, monitoring and evaluation through flying squads and experimentations at local level have to be vigorous in the coming years. For ensuring all the above central office will provide support for infrastructure, human resource and finance. Later there was sharing of Institutional updates by the respective program anchors and update of DHAN Foundation as a whole by M.P.Vasimalai. Summing up his speech Vasi said in Future Retreat events, the contractual staffs also should take part and the timing of the event will be fixed after consultation with the team.

Feedback for Retreat

The following were the feedbacks given by the participants

• The proceedings of the Retreat event report can be published as a separate document.
• For easy identification of subgroup participants, the subgroup places can be fixed in advance and the subgroup number can be displayed
• The exhibition organized by the different regions in the retreat venue gave good insights for cross learning.
• Sub group discussions can be facilitated in common language that everyone can understand.

The Fifteenth Retreat event came to a successful end with Vote of thanks by Mr.Singarayar and followed by National Anthem.