Annual Activities Report Year 2012-2013
C H A L E C H A L O
S-3/60, Niladri Vihar, Po- Sailashree Vihar Bhubaneswar – 751021, Dist – Khurda, Odisah, India
Ph-0674-2721157, Mob-9439400352 Email- [email protected]
Web – www.chalechalo.org.in
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PREFACE
The year was dedicated to enormous working on the themes of Education, Empowerment, Environment and Child Rights. Our effort to recreate a luxurious green belt around coastal Kendrapara and ensure its bio-diversity unrestrained flourish is moving at a steady pace. Through community participation, we have planted around 1 lakh mangrove species and 2 lakh general plant species across the 60 operational villages since 2006. The movement has taken on new heights with more people, youth, women and children orienting determinedly towards it. School children are no less enthusiastic, and are cooperating with us in every way through their eco-clubs which we have facilitated for strengthening in all 60 schools in Rajnagar Pattamundai Mahakalpada Aul and Rajkanika Blocks. We have in the meanwhile set up a new MANGRO Center at Rajnagar which would stand out as an excellent resource center of the region inspiring progress of the masses in social, economic and environmental sectors. We are also engaged in intensive empowerment drive targeted at 6000 marginalized families in 60 backward villages of drought-prone KBK region of Odisha. We are assisting them to articulate their genuine problems, demand civil and constitutional rights and constitute legitimate forums to bear on the government collectively for accessing entitlements. We have brought in the community radio technology to strengthen their voice and reach, and it has worked superbly. We are also advocating with the same tool for rescuing thousands of innocent children from extreme poverty and humiliation in poverty-stricken Nuapada district of KBK region. We aim to improve quality of children education and break into booming child labor markets in the district. We are thankful to our people that we have been receiving huge support from all corners of the communities to this end. We have also been tied up with some best humanitarian organizations of the country and abroad who support us in great many ways. We only wish that our solidarity with these forces continued to grow in the years ahead.
Mr. Ranjit Kumar Swain
Director, CHALE CHALO
CONTENT
1 Preface 2
2 Abbreviations 5
3 Organization Profile 6
4 Genesis 6
5 Value System in Management 6
6 Target Group 6
7 Our Vision 6
8 Our Goal 6
9 Our Legal Status 6
10 Registered Office 6
11 Branch Offices 6
12 Aims & Objectives 7
13 Our Funding Partnership Experience 8
14 The MANGRO Project: Community Based Mangrove Regeneration,
Protection, Conservation and Management
9
15 Introduction 9
16 Objectives of the MANGRO Center 9
17 Workshop on Protection of Costal Bio-Diversity among School Children 11
18 Workshop on Conservation of Mangrove Forest 11
19 Common Plant Specie Nursery Raising & Plantation 12
20 Mangrove Nursery Raising & Plantation 12
21 School Environment Education & Action 13
22 Women SHGs and their Involvement in Development & IG Program 14
23 District Level Workshop on Protection of Bhitar Kanika National Park and
Gahir Matha Marine Sanctuary
15
24 Youth Volunteers Orientation on Environment Protection 16
25 Campaign for Protection of Mangrove Species During Barunai Mela 17
26 Commemoration of World Environment Day, Forest Day and Van Mahostava 18
27 Advocacy & Networking on Environment Issues 18
28 Anti- Liquor Campaign 19
29 Running of Sikshyashrama in Hentala Kutira 20
30 Health, Water and Sanitation Survey and Campaign on Right to Health 20
31 Advocacy, Lobby and Networking on Health, Nutrition and Education Issues 20
32 EMCOR Project: Empowering Marginalized Community for Rights and
Entitlements through Community Radio
21
33 EMCOR Project Activities in the Year 2012-13 22
34 Orientation to Marginalized Communities Forum Members 23
35 Orientation of Women SHGs on Rights and Entitlements of the Poor 23
36 Capacity Building Training for Community Radio Activists 24
37 Orientation of Community Radio Listens' Club on Poor People's Rights and
Entitlements
25
38 PRI Members Orientation on Rights & Entitlements of the Poor 25
39 Information Fare 26
40 Workshop on Rights and Entitlements for the Marginalized Communities 27
41 Project Orientation to Technical and Managerial Project Staff 27
42 Networking Meeting on Rights and Entitlements of the Poor 28
43 Jan Sambad on Rights and Entitlements of the Marginalized Communities 29
44 Consultation with Media on Rights and Entitlements of the Marginalized
Communities
29
45 Project Information Sharing Workshop 30
46 Capacity Building of Technical and Managerial Project Staff and Trustees 31
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47 Capacity Building Training to Community Radio Reporters 31
48 Annual Participatory Review and Planning Exercise 31
49 Rights and Entitlement Awareness Building and Claiming Rallies 32
50 Broadcasting and Narrowcasting of Community Radio Episode 33
51 Cry- Children Community Radio, Voice to Voiceless, Marginalized
Children in Nuapada District of Odisha
34
52 Migration Survey Tracking to Basic Rights Status 34
53 Interaction with District Collector regarding Distress Migration 35
54 Regular Household Campaign 35
55 Strengthening of Child Right Club 36
56 Training for SMC Members on School Development Plan 36
57 Preparation of IEC Materials on ICDS Services and RTE 37
58 Wall Writing on the Child Rights 37
59 Interface Workshop on ICDS Services 37
60 Child Cultural Program (Mega Sishu Mela) 37
61 Children Study Tour & Exposure Visits 37
62 Publication of Child Oriented Newsletter 'Mor Tune, Mor Kathani' 38
63 Publication of Child Community Radio Program 'Mor Tune, Mor Kathani' 38
64
65
Narrowcasting of Child Community Radio Program
Others
38
38
65 Involvement in the Capacity Building Training for 2nd Liener Organized by
CRY
38
66 Participation in CCRP Network 38
67 Involvement in the VCRO Process 39
68 Participation in Children Right to Food Convention 39
69 Participation in Children's Right to Education 39
70 Cleft Lips and Palate Patients' Surgery in Collaboration with the Operation
Smile India
39
71 Budget Advocacy 39
72 Acknowledgements 40
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ABBREVIATIONS
AIR – All India Radio
ASHA – Accredited Social Health Activist
AWW – Angan Wadi Worker
AWC- Angan Wadi Center
BDO – Block Development Officer
BKNP – Bhitarkanika National Park
BPL – Below Poverty Line
BRCC- Block Resource Centre Coordinator
CBO – Community Based Organisation
CCRP- Coalition for Child Rights Protection
CDPO – Child Development Project Officer
CHC – Community Health Centre
CR – Community Radio
CRCC- Cluster Resource Centre Coordinator
CRA – Community Radio Activist
CRY – Child Rights and You
CSO – Civil Society Organisation
DFO – Divisional Forest Officer
DRDO – Defence Research and Development Organisation
ECCP- Early Childhood Care and Protection
EMCOR – Empowering Marginalised Community for
Rights and Entitlements through Community Radio
FD – Forest Department
FLR – Forest Land Rights
FLRA – Forest Land Rights Act
GKS – Gaon Kalyan Samiti
GMMS – Gahira Matha Marine Sanctuary
GP – Grama Panchayat
IAY – Indra Awas Yojana
ICDS – Integrated Child Development Scheme
IEC – Information Education Communication
IG – Income Generation
IGA- Income Generating Activities
IGS- Income Generating Scheme
IGP – Income Generation Programme
IVDT – Integrated Village Development Trust
JJMA – Jami Jangal Mukti Andolan‟
JSS – Jana Swasthya Sangathan
JSY – Janani Surakshya Yojana
KBK – Kalahandi - Balangir - Koraput
KSS – Krushak Shakti Sangathan
LC – Listeners‟ Club
MANGRO - Mangrove
MASA – Manav Adhikar Surakshya Abhiyan
MDM – Mid Day Meals
MGNREGA – Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act
MGNREGS – Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Scheme
MHGS – Mor Haq Gaon Sangathan
MLA – Member of Legislative Assembly
NGO – Non Govt. Organisation
NRHM – National Rural Health Mission
NRLM – National Rural Livelihood Mission
OBC- Other Backward Caste
PDS – Public Distribution System
PHC – Primary Health Centre
PRI – Panchayati Raj Institution
RTE – Right to Education
RTI – Right to Information
RWSS – Rural Water and Sanitation Scheme
SC- Schedule Caste
SHG- Self Help Group
SP- Superintendent of Police
ST- Schedule Tribe
SWOT – Strength Weakness Opportunity Threat
TRIPTI – Targeted Initiatives for Poverty Termination and
Infrastructure
VCRO- Voice for Child Rights in Odisha
WSHG – Women Self Help Group
Declaration
Name of the Report : Annual Activity Report, 2012-13 Year & Month of Publication : April, 2013 Content of the Report : Summary Report of Development Project Implementation
works Publisher : Mr. Ranjit Kumar Swain, Director, CHALE CHALO Complete Address of the Publisher
: CHALE CHALO, S-3/60, Niladri Vihar, Po: Sailashree Vihar, Bhubaneswar-751021, Odisha, India, Phone: 0674 – 2721157, Email – [email protected]
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ORGANIZATION PROFILE
Genesis:
“CHALE CHALO”- literally meaning „let‟s move
forward‟ is a grassroots voluntary organization that
emerged during the voluntary service provided by the
socially committed youths to the victims of
devastating super cyclone which had hit Odisha in
1999. More than 300 volunteers under the dynamic
leadership of the young social activist Mr. Ranjit
Kumar Swain had extended all sorts of cooperation to
local communities, government and non-government
agencies in their relief and rehabilitation works in
Kendrapara & Jagatsinghpur District of Odisha. After 5
years of informal existence, in 2005 “CHALE CHALO”
was registered under Indian Trust Act, 1882. Ever
since, it has been closely working in Odisha‟s
underdeveloped and disaster prone areas where
majority of people are reeling under abject poverty,
and are victims of disasters, exploitation, violence,
inequality, injustice, violation of human rights and
poor governance. The people involved with CHALE
CHALO mostly hail from social actions that aim for
inclusive, equitable, just and sustainable development
process.
Value System in Management:
Institutionalization of the system of self-regulation,
democratic functioning, non-violence, equality, equal
opportunity, and respect for human values, human
dignity & human rights, respect for nature, caring and
sharing, transparency, accountability, responsiveness,
effectiveness and adoption of best practices are few
mantras (core principles) of our internal
organizational management.
Target Groups:
We work for marginalized children, youths, scheduled
caste, scheduled tribe, backward caste, women,
differently able people, landless, unorganized
workers, forest dwellers, fishermen, migrants, people
prone to or victims of HIV/AIDS, displaced people,
small and marginal farmers, destitute, income poor
and other disadvantaged groups
Our Vision:
To create an economically, socially, politically,
culturally and environmentally sustainable society
where people enjoying their human rights without
poverty, distress, violence and sufferings, and a society
free from child labor, gender and social inequality and
oppression of tribal, dalits, women, children and
other marginal communities.
Our Goal:
Creation of self– governing communities and their
organizations and empower them for poverty
reduction, strong rural economy, inclusive social
structure and grassroots democracy through achieving
basic human rights and entitlements including
education, health, employment, income, livelihood
security, good governance, gender and social justice
and adopting sustainable development practices.
Our Legal Status:
Registered under Indian Trust Act – 1882
Registration No: 591/IV/2005 (old) 758/IV/2008
(amended)
Date of Registration 21st April 2005 (old) 10th April
2008 (amended)
Registered under FCR Act – 1976
Registration No: 1048302333
Date of Registration: 25th November 2008
Registered under 12A of Income Tax Act – 1961
Registration No: 17/2010-11
Date of Registration: 26.11.2010
Registered Office:
S-3/60, Niladri Vihar, Po: Sailashree Vihar,
Bhubaneswar-751021, Odisha, India
Phone; 0674 – 2721157,
Mobile: 91-9439400352
Fax: 0674 - 2721157
E-Mail: [email protected]
Web Site: www.chalechalo.org.in
www.emcorproject.org
Branch Offices:
1. At/PO: Kharair, Dist: Nuapada, Odisha,
Pin – 766107, India
2.At/PO: Madanpur, Pattamundai,
Dist: Kendrapara, Odisha
3.At/PO: Kuarmunda, Dist: Sundargarh
Odisha
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Aims and Objectives
To work for Relief of poverty, distress & suffering and to attempt total human development and social
transformation in backward areas in India
To create awareness on various government/ non-government schemes/programs meant for socio-economic and
cultural development of the poor and to cooperate with the government departments and other agencies for
effective implementation of poverty reduction, income generation and welfare/developmental programs and
realization of basic rights and entitlements by the poor;
To promote better health and nutritional status among the needy and poor and promote and improvise the
Aurvedic, Homeopathic and Naturopathic medicines and treatment practices for sustainable health care and to
undertake special projects / programs / camps for medicinal plant, blood donation, eye camps, integrated health
services, control of STD, HIV / AIDS, Malaria, TB, Ammonia, waterborne diseases, blindness and other diseases for
better health of the poor;
To undertake child, youth, women, scheduled caste, scheduled tribe development initiatives for their all-round
development and promotion of their rights
To undertake Relief and Rehabilitation programs on the event of natural and / or manmade disasters / calamities
and promote disaster preparedness, response and management
To promote integrated and sustainable management and optimal use of natural resources and promotion of
Sustainable Livelihood among the poor through promotion, creation, preservation, strengthening and judicious
promotion and management of livelihood assets – Natural, Physical, Human, Financial and Social assets.
To bring awareness and initiate appropriate actions for employment & income generation, self-reliance, sustainable
development, protection of human rights, environment protection, socio-economic, educational and cultural
development, gender, social justice and equality, realization of basic rights and entitlements, strengthening
democracy, participatory governance among children, youths, women, SC, ST and other weaker section people
and to provide legal aid to the poor.
To establish, promote, set up or help in the setting up and/or maintaining and / or running schools, care centers,
crèches, orphanages, old age homes, short stay homes, destitute homes, widow homes, houses for the poor or
other establishments for relief and/or help to the poor, old & infirm people and/or destitute
To impart vocational and skill development training to the women, child laborers, bonded laborers, farmers, forest
dwellers, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, wage earners, unemployed youths and others and assist them in
getting jobs or self-employment, increasing income and improve their standard of living
To open, found, establish, promote, set up, run, maintain, assist, finance, support and / or aid to schools, colleges,
training and vocational centers / institutions, lecture halls, boarding, hostels, libraries, reading rooms, sports, arts
and leisure centers / complexes and other establishments and initiatives for advancement of education and
knowledge, science and technology, sports, arts and culture etc. and other useful subjects that enable the needy to
lead decent human life.
To open, establish, promote, set up, run, maintain, finance, support and aid or help in setting up and/or
maintaining and/or running hospitals, charitable dispensaries, rehabilitation centers, mental health care centers,
maternity homes, child welfare centers, hostels and other similar institutions for rendering or providing medical
service/relief and/or aid to the suffering humanities or for research centers and institutions for promotion of
research/education for medical science/health promotion
To undertake studies relevant to the target groups with the aim to searching alternative inclusive development
strategies
To develop areas of mutual cooperation, support and understanding among different individuals, NGOs, CBOs
and government agencies working on similar issues;
To take all necessary steps / initiatives for socio-economic, educational, political and cultural development of the
tribes / indigenous people and work for protection and promotion of their rights, their lives and livelihood
To organize meetings, workshops, trainings, seminars, discussions, conventions, conferences, camps, games,
exchange programs, development education programs, demonstrations, exhibitions, symposia and other such
programs on social and developmental issues & for furtherance of the said objects of the trust.
To disseminate information regarding the aim, objects and activities of the trust & to edit, print, publish and exhibit
and circulate books, booklets, posters and leaflets etc. and open, run and maintain libraries, documentation and
resource centers for furtherance of the objects of the trust
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To help the poor communities in mobilizing self– sustaining development organizations and to build up an
institutional base for capacity building of the weaker sections including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Women
as well as young educated professionals, community based organizations and small NGOs in order to augment the
development process
To provide stipend, fellowship and other support services to the needy social activists, unemployed youths and
students including the children of social workers and persons belonging to disadvantages communities and
disseminate information and educational materials to them with regards to accelerating their academic growth,
employment and self– sufficiency.
To develop areas of mutual cooperation, support and understanding among different individuals, voluntary
organizations, and other government and NGOs working on similar causes in India
To work for peace, communal harmony and social cohesion, strengthening of democracy, national unity and
integrity as well as to promote good governance through village self-rules both in scheduled and non–scheduled
areas.
To do all other lawful things as may be incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objects of the trust.
Our Funding & Networking Partnership Experience
Sl. Name of Projects / Programs / Actions Funding source Period Standing
1 Child Community Radio – Voice to Voiceless
marginalized children in 28 villages of Nuapada
district for their rights
CRY Since July
2007
Continuing
2 Empowering Marginalized Communities for their
rights and poverty reduction through community
radio in 60 villages of Nuapada, Kalahandi and
Bolangir
DFID / IVDT - UK 57 months
(Since July
2009)
Continuing
3 Mangrove Regeneration and Conservation
through community participation
IVDT - UK Since July
2008
Continuing
4 Environment Education in Odisha – Pilot phase IVDT-UK (2008-09) Six months Completed
5 Organization Development Support to Chale
Chalo
IVDT – UK (2008-2010) 24 months Completed
6 Community Monitoring under NRHM in
Pattamundai Block
MOH&FW, through PFI, New
Delhi & KCSD/ OMRAHA,
Odisha
8 months Completed
7 Promotion of System of Rice Intensification (SRI)
in Nuapada
Department of Agriculture –
Government of Odisha
6 months Completed
8 WE CAN – Campaign as Nuapada district partner
for Prevention of Violence against Women
(Network)
AINA – BBSR, RARE -
Sonepur
Since 2008 Continuing
9 Odisha Budget Advocacy and Campaign –
Nuapada District partner & Study on
ICDS(Network)
CYSD - BBSR Since 2011 Continuing
10
11
12
Promotion of volunteerism among youths in
western Odisha (Event based)
CCRP- Coalition for Child Rights Protection
(Network)
Study & Action for Activation of ICDS Centres &
Primary Schools & Campaign on Child Rights Issues
(Network)
PATANGA – Sambalpur
Basundhara – Cuttack
VCRO – Bhubaneswar
Since 2013
Since 2011
Since 2007
Continuing
Continuing
Continuing
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MANGRO PROJECT Community Based Mangrove Regeneration, Protection, Conservation and
Management
Introduction
With the support of Integrated Village Development Trust (IVDT) - UK, we have been implementing MANGRO
project in costal Odisha since 2006. This year we have successfully completed construction of the new MANGRO
Centre, also known as ‘Coastal Environment Resource Centre’ at Madanpur, 4 km from Rajnagar and 15 kms
from Pattamundai in Kendrapara District of Odisha. The centre sits in a unique natural surrounding livened up
perpetually with refreshing distance sea breezes. The facility consists of a training hall, well-equipped office
rooms, guest rooms, kitchen with dining hall, and sanitized bath. There is besides a library room that has a good
supply of reference materials on environment issues most of which have been provided by the IVDT and
purchased in Book Fairs. Good growth of useful plant species dots the premises all over. The premises also
houses a nursery for raising saplings, kitchen garden, a pond and few demonstration plots for practicing organic
farming. The construction of the MANGRO Centre presented difficulties at every step, and shifting of the office
equipments, furniture and papers also consumed lots of time and energy of program staff and office
functionaries. As a result, a decision was made to confine the project works to 25-30 villages and 30 schools
during this year.
During the year the following activities were carried out:
Workshops on Protection of Coastal Biodiversity for School Children
Workshop on Conservation of Mangrove Forest
Common Plant Species Nursery Raising and Plantation
Mangrove Nursery and Plantation
School Environment Education and Action
Promotion of Women SHGs and their Involvement in Development and Income Generation Programs
Publication of Awareness Generation Materials on Environment Issues
Publication of Newsletter – ‘The Hental (Odia)’
Youth Volunteers' Orientation on Environment Protection
Lobby, Advocacy, Meetings and Campaigning for Awareness Generation, Plantation, Plant Care, and
Conservation of Mangrove
Strengthening of our partnership with PRIs, Government Departments, NGOs, CBOs, networks, people’s
organisations, media, intellectuals and other concerned individuals and groups on the issues of environment
protection
Local communities are cooperating and collaborating with us in all our environment-related interventions. The
women, community leaders, youths, social activists, faith groups, farmers, fishermen, cow and buffalo herders
and villagers in general are fast changing their attitudes and taking initiatives for protection of mangroves and
creation of a stable green belt in the region.
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Children are among the most enthusiastic and promising collaborators who feel very strongly the need of
awareness and action for protection of their local environment. We have received awesome encouragement
from all these cadres of community actors who are enthralled by the cherish vision of a rich and resplendent bio-
diversity complementing their lives with pleasure and quietude.
All of them have also contributed significantly according to their ability to sustain the course of development in
these picturesque and quaintly overpopulated villages of costal Odisha. The project has succinctly underlined the
need to build up capacities and consensus of different community based organizations of the area to promptly
react to situations affecting environment and livelihood concerns. It has linked the functioning WSHGs with
banks, forest, block and ICDS offices, and with various welfare and social security schemes including livelihood
promotion and income generation programs of the government, like TRIPTI & NRLM. The existing VDC, youth
and farmer club members are being oriented to consolidate progressive trends in these communities. They are
increasingly demanding and accessing their rights and entitlements to improve standard of living of themselves
and their fellow citizens. At the same time, they have begun evincing keen interest in matters, such as
environment, education, sanitation health and infrastructure that bear relevance to their dream of a better and
meaningful life.
Objectives of the MANGRO Centre
The MANGRO Center at Madanpur is intended to stand as a center of excellence for inspiring sustainable
environmental, social and economic regeneration of rural communities in Kendrapara District in Odisha and
beyond. Its long-term aim is to reduce vulnerability to natural disasters and protect the lives and livelihoods of
coastal Odisha through community mangrove
regeneration and protection, and to prepare people
for climate resilience and adaptation.
The Centre and staff have the capacity to provide a
range of services and facilities in the area. The
meeting room is ideal for carrying out training,
workshops, and conferences for a wide range of
groups connected with or sympathetic to the work of
the project. In the process, it is also expected to
generate small income towards running cost of the
center. There are besides, kitchen garden, tree
nursery and space for agricultural training on the
center premises. These will be essential for evolving
models of good practice and of inspiration and
opportunity for people to benefit from the
approaches and its ethos. Over the years the Centre has built up resources which will now all be accessible to
students, teachers and environmental activists in the area. It is hoped that in course of time the center will be an
easy access point for all environment-related information. With the centre and the project team stepping up
awareness building and skill development drives, in course of time, an enabling atmosphere will be generated
inspiring people to take up innovative approaches on environmental, social and economic issues.
Page 11
Workshops on Protection of Coastal Biodiversity among School Children
The MANGRO project team ran 25 workshops on local bio-diversity conservation around 1200 school children in
25 schools. The children were prompted to explore the flora and fauna of their area and discuss measures for the
protection of coastal biodiversity. The workshops motivated them to observe, collect information and record
living things, both moving and non-moving, in their localities and to find out how they are useful to the
environment and the human beings.
The children were also sensitized on the need to maintain ecological balance, and on the positive impact that
such balance might have on the environment. They were taught about species which have already been extinct
or are on the verge of extinction. Pioneering models for protecting endangered species were brought under
discussion. The children used binoculars and magnifying glasses to observe birds and their nests, animals,
insects, butterflies, and living things inside soil, water, plants, flowers and fruits. They used microscope to
observe phenomena related to nature and tiny creatures. They were further encouraged to draw pictures of
species they have come across and to scribble away their observations and findings on their nature diaries. They
were shown photos and pictures of various creatures and plants were shown and asked to identify them.
The focus of the workshop was to help the students understand their local bio-diversity and to engage them in
activities that promoted exploration into native environment, give strength to conservation practices and fosters
respect for natural object and bio-diversity.
Workshop on Conservation of Mangrove Forest
Three workshops on conservation of mangrove forest were held at Jagannathpur – Mahua, Barahapur Mangrove
Regeneration Site and Barahapur School. Out of the total 155 participants, more than 100 were women. The
workshops were facilitated by Mr. Sudarsan Rout, local environment activist; Mr. Hemanta Rout, headmaster,
Barahapur High School and environment activist; Dr. Krupasindhu Samal, retired medical officer and
environment activist, Rajnagar; Mr. Sarat Mohapatra, retired headmaster and environment activist; Mr. Subodh
Nayak, lecturer, Madanpur College and environment activist, and Mr. Rama Ranjan Mallick, project coordinator
acting as resource persons.
The participants at these workshops were the persons who have been involved in plantation activities on their
own land with support of Chale Chalo for reducing human pressure on mangrove forest. For several years now,
they have been making every effort to create and regenerate patches of mangrove forests near Jagannathpur-
Mahua village, in Barahapur-Tantiapal and Paraharajpur and near Kankadia and Koelpur. These workshops were
meant to recapitulate on different conservation models, discuss emerging best practices besides nurturing
participants’ motivations to excel in the work. At the workshop, the participants expressed their enduring
interest in keeping up of the existing mangrove plantation in good and vigorous growth and to extend the areas
of plantation by around three kilometre on both sides of the newly created forest. They revealed how the tough
task of safeguarding the older plantation had been accomplished despite repeated buffalo and human incursions
into the plantation area in form of grazing, fishing, careless grass and fodder cutting and damage to fences
several times, even at night.
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Common Plant Specie Nursery Raising and Plantation
This year the project raised a total of 20,000 seedlings of which 10,000 were raised at MANGRO center while
around 2,500 seedlings each were grown in local nurseries at Junupanga, Sil Pokhari, Barhapur and Gamasikhar.
Due to excess salinity in soil and sand, some seedlings were damaged. Only healthy seedlings were distributed
widely among individual beneficiaries across the project villages and beyond. Some seedlings also travelled far as
gift to friends and relatives by the beneficiaries. The nurseries established earlier with our support by WSHGs of
Kankadia, Ostira, Ratapanga and Eco-Clubs of Patrapur, Chandiagadi, Rajnagar, and Barahapur, and Badapalli
high schools also continued to raise seedlings and distributed or sold them among the students, WSHG
members, farmers, and villagers in and outside the project areas.
We organised series of meetings, group discussions and consultation camps for SHGs, Eco-Clubs, youth groups
and community members. Over these platforms, the participants were mobilized and oriented to undertake
nursery raising and plantation activities with ingenuity and confidence. One mangrove activist, Sri Sukdev Malika
and some other SHG, youth club and eco-club members who have already received training on nursery raising
techniques during the previous years, came to the aid of the newer groups and guided them at every stage from
preparation of the nursery beds to sorting of seedlings for eventual plantation. We too had been monitoring
progress in these entire nurseries closely and summoned regular feedbacks from beneficiary groups during the
run of weeding, manure application, and watering activities in nurseries. As monsoon drew out longer, we
revamped certain nursery beds and planted new seeds for raising extra saplings.
Thousands of seedlings were thus distributed to students, teachers, women SHGs members, youths and villagers
for plantation through individual and group initiatives in more than 30 villages of Rajnagar, Mahakalpada, Aul and
Pattamundai blocks of Kendrapara. In many villages, as Junupanga and Barahapur, both avenue and block
plantations were carried out on public as well as private land. Seedlings were also planted on individual and
community plots in Barahapur, Koelpur, Kankadia, Kalupada, Koriapala, Sila Phkhari, Jagannathpur, Mahua,
Gama Sikhar, Dera, Chinchir, Khandamara and Krushna Nagar villages, among others.
Mangrove Nursery Raising and Plantation
We raised 8,000 mangrove seedlings at Koelpur River Site to provide for plantation and regeneration activities in
adjacent mangrove forests. Long before taking over preparatory work for mangrove nursery, we conducted a
series of village level meetings and focus group discussions involving women, PRIs & youths to come up with a
consensus of the stakeholders on key issues. Our project staff and the villagers working jointly as a team drew up
an action plan relating to nursery raising and assisted forest regeneration practices.
Elaborate arrangements were made with regards to seed collection, bush and grass clearing, management of
saline water inlets, casualty replacement, fencing and plant care and so on. Continued monitoring of progress of
work was also accorded a top priority. We conducted training programs bearing on different aspects of
mangrove forest regeneration for groups of stakeholders. Seed collections had been done as per the availability
of seeds in different mangrove forest. Trained villagers provided labor for packing up polybags with silt. Seeds
were sown in silt filled poly bags in phases as per their availability.
The team evolved strategies to synergize efforts of various stakeholder groups and go for massive mangrove
regeneration by adopting gap plantation and other silvicultural measures in Koelpur and Kankadia river sites and
Page 13
near Sila Pokhari and Ghadiamala area. Gap filling and maintenance works were also carried out in all the old
mangrove plantation sites of Barahapur, Kankadia, Praharajpur and Jagannthpur. The team has also planned
extensive gap filling at damaged Singarpur mangrove plantation site in collaboration with the forest department.
School Environment Education and Action
This year we worked with 1,500 school eco-club children in Rajnagr, Mahakalpada, Pattamundai and Aul Blocks
of Kendrapara district. The eco-club children met every month at the school campus to discuss environment
related issues, including importance of mangrove forests and protection of endangered flora and fauna of local
mangroves. They were provoked to plan and act as per their capabilities in the best interest of their school and
the peripheral areas. Eco-club activities included a wide range of educative exercises, spanning from drawing
competitions and cleaning up school compound to climate change quiz and snake and ladder games on
environment themes. The children were made to identify local animals and birds, plants and their leaves, flowers
and seeds. The eco-club workshops also discussed social issues and matters related to health, hygiene and
sanitation. They observed national and international environment days in their schools with the facilitation of
CHALE CHALO and school teachers. CHALE CHALO also guided them through school campus development
activities like cleaning and tidying up, waste management, gardening and plantation.
These activities were carried out in addition to regular classroom lessons on environment which reflected on local
plants and animals, climate and water resources. 1500 Nature Diaries have been distributed among the eco-club
children who regularly maintain them with information, drawings, write-ups and case studies. The project has
facilitated several group exercises consisting of explorations into characteristic features of specific local flora and
fauna. More concrete action is needed to motivate, guide and persuade children to observe nature carefully and
keep records in a systematic manner.
The project also conducted awareness programs for children on global warming and prevention of sun stroke
during summer vacation at village level. Children were encouraged to visit Praharajpur Barahapur and Kankadia
Mangrove forest and plantation sites to learn from afforestation work and the newly regenerated mangroves
that have produced such a difference in the locality within a very short time span. They were further encouraged
to interact with their parents, teachers, friends, brothers, sisters and elders in the villages on issues related to
environment, and contribute to community effort aimed at creating a better environment in the areas. CHALE
CHALO has distributed 1,000 copies of ‘Hental’ newsletter among the eco-club children and teachers. The
children have taken saplings from the nurseries for planting them in their garden and land. Some children have
been collecting information on environmental topics through mass media like television, radio and newspapers.
Women SHGs and their Involvement in Development and IG Programs
We have been intensively facilitating group meetings of WSHGs in the project area and sensitizing the women
members to the pressing need of mangrove regeneration and protection of the costal environment. We have
engaged those living in and around mangroves areas as ‘regenerators’ or managers of mangrove forests. They
are enjoying their involvements in nursery raising, backyard, land and boarder plantation and plant care. They are
also good at their savings and credit activities. We have facilitated over 150 WSHGs in developing links with
governmental programs and schemes meant for income generation, social security, welfare and development.
Most of the WSHGs have made the grade for getting supports under TRIPTI (Targeted Initiatives for Poverty
Termination and Infrastructure), a World Bank supported program executed by the government of Odisha. The
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members are now aware about the provisions of NRHM, TRIPTI, MGNREGS, NRLM, RTE and ICDS and have
remarkably improved their access to the benefits guaranteed under these schemes.
In all the project villages, the WSHGs have fervently associated themselves with plantation and plant care
activities. Around 4 out of 12 WSHGs supported earlier have been maintaining their plant nurseries. The WSHGs
of Ostira, Ratapanga, Sasan, Tantiapal and Nahakani have been keeping a round the clock vigil not only on
natural mangrove forests, but also the fledgling plantation carried out by forest department in and around the
prawn culture project area supported by the World Bank. The SHGs of Ostira have further set an example by
keeping intact nearly whole of the plantation raised by them on private and community land despite
discouragement from vested interest groups. Several WSHGs have continued vegetable cultivation on their own
lands. In 4 villages the WSHG members and farmers, who are convinced of the harmful effects of chemical
fertilizers and pesticides are concocting organic manure to nurture plants, and using neem extracts, cow urine,
cow dung and ash for pesticides.
Crosscutting feminine issues concerning gender equality, domestic violence and atrocity on women, women
rights, health and girls’ education have been given due weightage in all meetings, training, workshops and
campaigns under the project actions. These approaches have found favour with community leaders, opinion
maker and youth and have gone a long way in creating a conducive environment for women ascendancy in
household and social affairs.
Several WSHGs have significantly improved their management system and practices for which they feel more
comfortable at handling income generating programs. WSHGs in general are also involved in Gram Kalyan
Samitis constituted under National Rural Health Mission and manage the untied funds of Rs.10,000/- to support
health and sanitation programs in the village. The women now participate in Palli Sabha and Gram Sabha in large
numbers and ventilate demands for safe drinking water, sanitation, quality education, health service and several
other provisions. The women SHG members near Barahapur, Kankadia and Praharajpur mangrove regeneration
sites are collecting the mangrove grass and straw, fallen leaves and twigs to meet their fodder and fuel needs.
Most of the women have come to appreciate environment friendly ways and inspiring women of other villages to
be frugal in the use of natural resources.
A recent trend that is gaining popularity among the women in these villages is to celebrate festivals with an
environmental import. For example, during this year Rakshya Bandan festival observed in Barahapur mangrove,
the women tied Rakshi threads to the branches of trees.
District Level Workshop on Protection of Bhitar Kanika National Park and Gahir Matha Marine Sanctuary
A district level workshop on protection of Bhitar Kanika National Park and Gahir Matha Marine Sanctuary was
organized at Rajnagar Pustaka Mela premises in May 2012 with around 200 participants drawn from different
professions and backgrounds. Mr. Manoj Mohapatra (DFO), Mr. Hemanta Rout (teacher), Mr. Sarat Chandra
Mahapatra (retired head master), Mr. Bhabani Mohapatra (writer), Mr. Krupasindhu Samal (retired medical
officer), Mr. Bhaskar Routray (journalist), Mr. Rama Ranjan Mallick (project coordinator, Chale Chalo), and Ms.
Dibya Bharati Dash (student Rajngar College) facilitated the workshop as resource persons. The local member of
legislative assembly, Mr. Alekha Jena, local government officials, PRIs representatives and reputed environment
activists representing various mangrove regeneration sites were among the others who took part in the
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discussion. The discussions aimed at sharing stakeholders’ concern over reigning threats to genetic diversity of
costal Odisha and evolving suitable strategies for protecting flora and fauna of Bhitar Kanika National Park
(BKNP) and Gahir Matha Marine Sanctuary (GMMS), in addition to contemplating measures to add more lustre
to its importance as one of the rarest eco-tourism spot of the country.
The following observations and recommendations emerged during discussions:
The DFO, Rajnagar briefed the participants about 62 varieties of mangrove species of costal Odisha and their
utilities to the mankind
Active involvement of local people was considered crucial to protection of flora and fauna in BKNP and GMMS
The participants felt the need of constructing eco-friendly permanent boundaries around BKNP for enhanced
protection of wild lives and plants.
The farmers needed to be compensated adequately for crop loss due to wild animals. At the same time, the
crops had to be protected without inflicting any harm on the wildlife. It was suggested that the iron fences
could be charged with mild current flow generated by solar panels to deter encroaching animals from entering
human habitation and crop fields.
It was proposed that massive avenue planation on approach roads to BKNP and block plantations in its
periphery be carried out with watch and ward and plant care support provided by local youths under
community support.
Forestry, inland fisheries and horticultural activities were to be stepped up across Kendrapara district by using
MGNREGS funds especially during the fishing ban period to provide alternative livelihood to poor fisherman
families.
Awareness of fringe communities on bio-diversity conservation needed to be sustained through leaflet
distribution, wall painting, thematic folk song, street-play and pala performances.
The people living beside rivers and nalas required to be cautioned against crocodile attacks. The victims in any
case had to be provided with adequate first aid, treatment and compensation.
The Forest Department must promote BKNP and GMMS as excellent eco-tourism centres while allowing the
school and college students, children and youths of the district to visit both sanctuaries for educational
purposes.
Areas in and around BKNP must be maintained neat and clean and the roads connecting BKNP quiet, safe,
green and attractive.
Enterprising villagers living close to BKNP, rather than the corporate houses, needed to be provided with
technical and financial support for developing quality rest houses and restaurant to benefit from eco-tourism
People running any business concern or activity at BKNP and GMMS must agree to abide by the official rules
and regulation, project his service and facility in a women and child friendly way, and refrain from exploiting
visiting tourists in any manner.
People visiting GMMS could use traditional boats accompanied only by local and traditional boatmen or local
and forest department guides.
Intensive fishing with machine boats and trawlers must be forbidden inside, and up to 5 kms from BKNP and
GMMS to prevent injury to the aquatic lives therein, and to their food bases. Environmentally harmful
activities in the core areas must be banned by appropriate legislations.
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The prawn cultivators must be banned from catching prawn eggs and siblings, so that the number of prawn in
natural rivers and nalas does not diminish leaving enough catch for traditional fishermen to support their
livelihoods
Test firing of missiles by DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organization) off Odisha coast during
mass nesting time of Olive Ridley Turtles has the effect of disturbing the nesting and egg-laying cycle of the
endangered reptile. It was thus suggested that the forest department and the local CSOs take up advocacy for
rescheduling tests that coincides with mass nesting time.
The fishing communities needed to be provided with viable livelihoods alternatives during the fishing ban
period from 1st November to 31st May.
It was suggested that a contingent of fishermen and women ought to be trained and engaged for protection
of the Olive Ridley Turtle. Similarly, local people taking lead roles in the protection of BKNP and GMMS were
be recognised for their services and awarded publicly.
The Eco-Development Committees constituted under OFSDP should be capacitated to involve local people to
sustainably manage and improve the situation in BKNP and GMMS.
Traditional fishing communities should be provided with all benefits applicable to poor and backward class
families as they are frequently prevented from fishing by forest officials and are susceptible to attack by
crocodiles.
Youth Volunteers' Orientation on Environment Protection
During the year, CHALE CHALO organized two youth volunteers’ orientation programs, one at Dandi and the
other at Mahavir College, Madanpur on the theme of protection of costal environment and bio-diversity. Around
200 youths, mostly students took part in these workshops.
Ever since the completion of the MANGRO Centre at Madanpur and shifting of the project office, the MANGRO
team has been making consistent efforts to sensitize, unite, and engage local youths for protection of mangrove
forests and its rich bio-diversity. The response of youths in villages and in local college to this effect has been very
encouraging.
The orientation workshops were facilitated by our project team members, local conservationists and
environmental activists including, Governor awardees and retired headmaster Mr. Sarat Mohapatra, Mr.
Subodha Nayak (lecturer), Mr. Krupasindhu Samal (retired doctor), Chale Chalo’s Project Coordinator Mr. Rama
Ranjan Mallick, Headmaster, Barahapur High School Mr. Hemanta Kumar Rout, Mr. Bhaskar Routray, journalist.
The facilitators mentioned places like BKNP, GMMS, Satbhaya and Barunai and explained their importance to
the costal heritage of Odisha. The rich diversity of mangrove species, varieties of birds, animals, fishes, crabs and
prawns, including crops, vegetables and fruits native to these places featured clearly through their discourses.
Some of the facilitators highlighted the serious challenges to geographical expanse and organic identity of costal
environment with perpetuation of practices like conversion of mangrove forests into agricultural lands, relentless
tree felling and exploitative and unsustainable hunt for territorial and marine bio-diversity. Concerns were also
raised at lack of people’s initiatives in non-flood villages with regards to plantation of suitable species trees and
raising the green cover on land. The spacious compounds of educational and other institutions, road sides, village
periphery, large patches of community and individual land lay barren with little traces of vegetation, adding to
the threat of a virtual environmental imbalance. Some facilitators pointed at the vulnerability of people in BKNP
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and GMMS area to cyclones, storms, sea surge and floods due to general unpreparedness and poor disaster
management skills. The youth representatives also shared their concern over inoperativeness of youth force and
its chronic indifference to community development and environment issues. Following live discussions and
debate on the role of youth as regards to protection of environment and bio-diversity, they unanimously resolved
to bring about progressive changes in youth attitude and behaviour towards social issues in general and come
forward unitedly to meet challenges linked with mangrove regeneration and protection of bio-diversity.
Campaign for Protection of Mangrove Species during Barunai Mela
In collaboration with the forest department, we launched a mass awareness campaign on the occasion of Barunai
Mela, a religious festival held between January and February every year at the mouth of Barunai River in
Kendraparda district. The campaign aimed to reach out to thousands of devotees who throng the scenic spot
covered in dense mangrove forests stretching out inland and to the sea. A team of 30 energetic staffs and
volunteers of CHALE CHALO together with forest department personnel organised group discussions, leaflet
distribution and individual-to-individual motivation rounds over which they encouraged people to take up
individual and group initiatives in their respective areas towards regeneration, plantation, protection,
conservation and management of mangrove forest. They pleaded that the measures were crucial to minimise
vulnerability of coastal regions to natural disasters, besides leveraging livelihood of numerous fishermen,
farmers, businessmen and poor people. The volunteers went round the festive crowd soliciting people to refrain
from damaging the mangrove plants during the celebration. Songs and poem highlighting the importance of
coastal ecology and bio-diversity of Bhitar Kanika National Park were recited in public. CHALE CHALO
distributed 5000 leaflets for creating awareness about the negative effect of plucking fruits, flowers, crown and
twigs of Hental plants or bringing other injury to the mangrove species. Each round of campaigning reasoned
with an oath taking whereby the visitors pledged to conserve the local environment and take active role in the
regeneration of mangrove forest and all the flora and fauna therein. It has been observed that as a result of our
successive interventions, the extent of damage to bordering mangrove and wild lives during the fare has come
down to an insignificant level.
Commemoration of World Environment Day, Forest Day and Vana Mahostava
The organization observed World Forest Day on 21 March 2013 in collaboration with the Barahapur High School
eco-club. It also partnered with the Forest Department, local NGOs, youth clubs and local schools to organize a
similar event at Sansarphala. Interactive meeting and rallies were organised for reinforcing people’s commitment
to protection and conservation of forests, especially the local mangroves of the sea coast. The rallies aimed to
send out the message that forests are worth preserving not only for their beauty and inexhaustible wealth, but
also because they are the only option available to mitigate a fast approaching global catastrophe.
In the first weeks of July 2013, we celebrated Van Mahostava week in Jagannathpur Sasan area with awareness
rallies and plantation of useful species on homestead plots, private and community lands and school compounds.
Eco-Clubs of different schools and the DFO, Rajnagar, Mangrove Division lauded our community mobilization
and greening effort in commendatory terms. He praised the accomplishment of CHALE CHALO with regards to
mangrove regeneration and protection and integration of different segments of community on a common
platform. He also appreciated the organization’s continuation of publication of ‘Hental’ newsletter and other
awareness materials concerning costal bio-diversity.
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On 5 June 2005, the CHALE CHALO project team celebrated World Environment Day at the Environment
Resource Center in Rajnagar. Local forest officials, lectures, eminent environment activists, WSHG leaders and
representatives of youth clubs participated in the celebration. The speakers discussed various consequences of
carbon emission including acid rain and global warming and explained how forest could help to avert the global
disaster. Then, the participants took out a rally across the town to demonstrate their resolve to work for
protection of forests and bio-diversity.
Advocacy and Networking on Environment Issues
We actively participated in 3rd Odisha Environment Congress held at the Conference Hall of Natural History
Museum in Bhubaneswar. Together with the stakeholders’ representatives from various project villages, we went
through several district level workshops and seminars organized by the forest department on subjects like,
protection of olive Reedley turtles, protection of wildlife, mangrove forest protection and regeneration, and
avenue and shelter belt plantation. We also attended commemoration of World Environment Day and Forest
Day organized at different levels.
We have been publishing a newsletter ‘The Hental’ to project views, activities and challenges held by our
MANGRO staff and stakeholders to the outside world. The 76 paged bulletin with a multicolour cover has earned
appreciations of our promoters and fans for its straightforward approach and diverse contents, and has gone a
long way in building a delicate camaraderie among people who are used to judge environmental issues from the
same perspective. The MANGRO project now serve to be a common platform for community based
organizations, NGOs, social activities, intellectuals and environment loving people of the district to air their
convictions and raise demand for change. It had never been so easy before to speak on behalf of the common
people, shape popular opinion and solicit peer support for collective action with regards to environment. The
local media has also played a positive role by voicing our concern for protection of the mangrove forests and its
rich bio-diversity.
A visible effect of our community mobilization effort is the growing volume of popular demand on the forest
department for supply of free seedling for plantation on private and community land. The villagers now
acknowledge the positive gesture displayed by the forest department in taking people into confidence and
undertaking massive plantation programs involving local communities.
This year our volunteers provided technical support in the form of decorative and flowering plant saplings to
around 6 schools for school campus beautification program. CHALE CHALO’s nursery and plantation activities
have been recognised well in the communities, schools, PRI and government circle. Its key partners in this sector,
namely the WSHGs and the youth clubs have also earned distinction and esteem. Their involvement in this sector
has not only paid off by boosting their confidence and good skills, but also earned them new work contracts from
forest and other line departments.
Anti – Liquor Campaign
Tantiapala is a border villages of Mahakalpada block in Kendrapara district. The majority of household belong to
poor or low middle class category. The village hosts a rural market that is visited by people from around 10 to 12
other villages. Tantiapala has a primary and a middle school. For higher studies the children go to Barahapur high
school situated in Barahapur village half kilometre away. Hundreds of students from other villages also go to
Barahapur high school and other schools by taking the road that passes through Tantiapala village. The
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Tantiapala village road, thus conducts a significant volume of traffic every day. Women and children going to
Rajnagar hospital or their relatives’ houses also pass through this place.
The opening up of a foreign liquor shop right on this road triggered a rash of nuisances in the area. The girl
students and women started feeling unsafe on the road due to growing number of alcoholics and anti-social
elements. The children feared to go to school alone on that road. It had become increasingly difficult for anyone
to pass along that road due to unrestrained use of filthy language, teasing, intimidation, fear of assault and so on.
Realizing the concerns of the students, women and others, CHALE CHALO facilitated a series of meetings and a
mass rally lead by WSHGs members demanding closure of the liquor shop. The women of the area blocked the
roads twice and lodged grievances with the officials at block level. They invited the media and provided account
of their helplessness against these developments. We carried their dissentions among our peers and partners and
after pressure from local people, school children, WSHG members, NGOs, youth clubs and media, the liquor shop
was finally closed down.
Running of Sikshyashrama in Hentala Kutira
30 students aged between 3 and 10 years belonging to dalit and other disadvantaged groups are being provided
with pre-school and supplementary education in CHALE CHALO’s ‘Hental Kutira’ (mangrove cottage) near the
Barahapur regenerated mangrove forest and plantation site.
Mr. Banamali Pradhan, software engineer from the area and now settled in New Delhi has registered the
organisation under the name of ‘Help the Poor Society’. He has been providing the Sikshyashrama with financial
support ever since. The institution is entrusted to the guidance and overall care of the trustee cum volunteer Mrs.
Minati Sethi and local youth volunteer Mr. Sanjay Jena. Mr. Hemanta Kumar Rout, teacher and a veteran
volunteer of CHALE CHALO, looks after the management of the Sikshyashrama on day to day basis. The
Sikshyashrama help poor students to receive quality remedial teaching and improve their prospects of life. It
provides extra care and supplementary support, such as clothes and learning materials to the children free of
cost. The staff and volunteers of CHALE CHALO on their part coordinate with the local communities, CBOs,
parents and teachers, peer organizations and donors to ensure support for continuity and effective running of the
institution.
Health, Water and Sanitation Survey and Campaign on Right to Health
A survey was conducted to evaluate the status of health services, and water and sanitation situation in
Pattamundai and Rajnagar block of Kendrapara district in collaboration with JSS, Odisha. The JSS-Odisha
provided orientation training to our volunteers and guided them through the use of surveys format and
procedures of field level data collection. The survey drawn out to several weeks entailed interactions and
meetings with stakeholders at different levels and our volunteers accomplished the task successfully gathering
useful information in an atmosphere of congeniality. Following the survey we deposited the filled in forms with
JSS- Odisha for compilation, analysis and further action. We have been participating in the JSS led campaign on
Right to Health as an active member and working at the field level for proper implementation of NRHM, which
recognises health as one of the people’s right and deliver health services at the door step.
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Advocacy, Lobby and Networking on Health, Nutrition and Education Issues
CHALE CHALO is an active member of the national level health network “Jana Swashtya Abhiyan” and is
involved in lobby and advocacy activities at local, district, state and national levels for better access of the poor to
public health services. It has been advocating for quality health service at the doorsteps of the people in
consonance with Indian Public Health Standard as fixed by the Government of India under NRHM. Regular
meetings with Government officials and medical personnel on people’s health and nutrition issues have resulted
in improvement in functioning of Sub-Centres, PHCs, CHC and ICDS centres across the blocks within the
operational area of the organisation. The organisation has effectively integrated the National Rural Health
Mission (NRHM), National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), Rural Drinking Water Mission, Right to Education,
ICDS, MDM, Antodaya, Annpurna and PDS provisions to its lobby, advocacy and networking drives at different
levels in order to achieve improved health, food, nutrition and education of the marginalized groups in the
targeted areas and beyond.
EMCOR Empowering Marginalised Community for Rights and Entitlements through
Community Radio
Introduction
The project ‘Empowering Marginalised Community for Rights and Entitlements through Community Radio
(EMCOR)’ aims to achieve right to information, right to work, basic entitlements and participatory governance by
marginalized communities for poverty reduction through community radio (CR), a relatively recent powerful tool
that offer the marginal communities opportunity to express and be heard by persons who matters. Drawing
strength from the fundamental rights to freedom of speech and freedom of association guaranteed in the Indian
Constitution, it empowers the voiceless marginalized communities to articulate their problems, demand their
rights & entitlements, and constitute powerful forums to engage community and local government structures to
deal with their specific issues and grievances. The program operates in 60 Villages of KBK region where
marginalized families have been organized, educated, capacitated and empowered to demand their rights from
the local and district officials, and people's representatives through ‘Mor Haq Gaon Sangathan’ (My Rights Village
Committees). Members of ‘Mor Haq Gaon Sangathan’ (MHGS) have become aware of their rights and
entitlements, identified and prioritized village level issues, learned about government schemes, and got involved
in radio programs. CR Programs in the series “Mor Haq” (My Rights) produced by the commit is being put on air
every week with effect from 2nd October 2009 from AIR- Bhawanipatna and Sambalpur. The 96 episodes
produced till date have brought to light stakeholders’ perception of government’s welfare and poverty reduction
schemes, employment generation and development programs as implemented in the region, and succeeded in
drawing attention of the appropriate duty bearers in concerned project villages, GPs, blocks and districts and
successfully resolved some of their problems.
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The direct beneficiaries under the program are 6000 marginalized families including women, disabled, destitute,
tribal, dalits, people living with or prone to HIV/AIDS, the children, the elderly, and unemployed youths. The
wider beneficiaries are 500000 plus radio listeners in KBK region and elsewhere in Odisha. The PRIs, government
& other agencies benefit from the program through continuous feedback, interaction, dissemination of
information, increased beneficiaries participation and cooperation & collaboration of the administered. The
outcomes of the program are increased accountability; transparency; responsiveness; effectiveness and
credibility in the governance system for implementation of programs and delivery of services to the poor.
Under the EMCOR project, CHALE CHALO works toward:
Developing common understanding among people on poverty, rights and entitlements, gender and
governance issues of the locality.
Assisting the members of MHGS (‘Mor Haq Gaon Sangathan’) to obtain fair knowledge of government
schemes like MGNREGA, NRHM, RTI, RTE, and Forest Rights Act.
Enabling the marginalized people to use RTI for retrieving essential information and ensuring transparency in
administration & delivery of services.
Promoting collective and community actions to demand and access civil and constitutional rights,
entitlements and public services, and
Guiding and encouraging the poor to use community radio as an important advocacy and empowerment tool.
EMCOR Project Activities in the Year 2012 – 2013
We organized workshops, orientation meetings and capacity building programs for different categories of
stakeholders with a view to expand their awareness of key issues related to poverty, governance, livelihood and
social security of poor and marginalized communities, while highlighting the role they might assume to effect
changes in the existing state of affair in respective localities. Suchana Mela and Media Consultations were held to
heighten concern about such issues in different circles. We also organized skill trainings for activists and
volunteers who were new to CR terminologies. The project team produced digital recording of programs of
different genres for transmissions on radio. We also arranged interfaces between the community and local
government officials to confirm and expedite the process of grievance redressal and delivery of service. The
following is a list of specific events that took place during the year:
Orientation to marginalized community forums, ‘Mor Haq Gaon Sangathans’ members
Orientation to women SHGs on rights and entitlements of the poor
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Capacity building training to Community Radio (CR) activists
Orientation to Community Radio Listeners' Clubs on poor people's rights & entitlements
PRI Members' orientation on rights & entitlements of the poor
Information Fair, or ‘Suchana Mela’ on various pro-poor government schemes
Workshop on rights and entitlements for the marginalized communities
Orientation to technical and managerial staffs of the project
Capacity building training for community radio reporters
Production and broadcasting of CR program
Narrowcasting of village meetings on poverty, rights, entitlements and development issues
Organization of Jan Sambad, i.e., workshop for sharing of concerns by poor directly with authorities on their
rights & entitlements
Information sharing workshop among representatives of different stakeholders
Rights & entitlements claiming rallies & public meeting
Media Consultation on status of rights, entitlements, poverty reduction measures and development actions in
project villages
Annual Review and impact assessment
Networking Meeting with stakeholders on rights and entitlements of the poor
Details of Project Activities Undertaken in the Year 2012-13
Orientation to Marginalized Communities Forums Members
60 nos. of programs for orientation of marginalized community forums (Mor Haq Gaon Sangathan) were
organized in all 60 Villages of EMCOR project area in Kalahandi, Nuapada & Bolangir districts of KBK region in
Odisha. The orientation had for its aim sustained generation of popular demands for access to various rights and
entitlement.1547 persons, including 842 males and 705 females belonging to ST, SC, OBC communities,
physically challenged persons, elderly, youth, children and people of low income group participated in the
orientation programs. Care had been taken to ensure increasing participation of women members in Mor Haq
Gaon Sangathan and their active involvement in identifying and addressing village level issues at par with their
male compatriots. In every village on an average, 20 to 25 members of MHGS were accommodated in these
events.
Through the orientation programs, the marginalized villagers were made aware about right to works, right to
health, right to education, right to information, right to food and right over forest land as well as other basic civil
and constitutional rights. The orientations have subsequently paved the way for their engagements with public
institutions and official for demanding 100 (increased to 150 days now) days’ work under MGNREGA, free and
quality health services through NRHM, better functioning of ICDS for reducing Mother and Child Mortality Rate,
and free enrolment and quality education for 6-14 years age children. Groups of villagers are using right to
information to put pressure on public officials to account for their activities. They are also advocating for rights
and entitlements of the marginalized communities through rallies, interviews and signature campaigns at various
levels. In all these activities, community radio has proved to be a dependable and stimulating tool. Now they
collectively assess the impacts of their works, produce audio and video documentations of the same and evolve
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strategies for further strengthening the rights based initiatives. The leaders and members of MHGSs are now
confidently working with the PRIs and concerned government officials for addressing the problems of fellow
villagers.
Orientation of Women SHGs on Rights and Entitlements of the Poor
Women empowerment through formation and strengthening of women SHGs has been an important
component in the project. To this end, we organized 60 orientation programs for 1283 women members of 240
WSHGs in 5 project blocks in the EMCOR project area. The orientation programs had been tailored to meet
general and project specific needs of the participating women and covered a broad range of topics, including aim
and objectives of micro-financial institutions, members’ code of conduct, roles and responsibilities of the group
leaders, record keeping, institutions collaborating with WSHGs, banks and credit linkage, public policies and
schemes for welfare of the poor and the women, community radio, lobby and advocacy for realization of rights
and so on.
The programs provided a platform for women to discuss unemployment and poverty issues in rural areas and
focused at length why low-income people should seek self-employment as a viable option for alleviation of
poverty by mobilizing small scale social and human capital. It facilitated qualitative analysis of the impacts of
women SHGs on individual members, their knowledge, attitude and skill, and their family and community life.
The participants were also made to appreciate the successful outcomes of the group activities and the
unbounded scope for development of human and social capital under WSHG movement.
The orientations have raised the participants’ awareness of governmental programs and schemes affording them
extra insight into politics and administration of the country, as well as capacity to engage in community radio
(CR) program confidently. A push to this end has also come from the WSHG federal arrangements and
awakening inspired under the MISSION SHAKTI initiatives of Odisha government for women empowerment.
Subsequent to the trainings, the WSHG members have demonstrated substantial intelligence with regards to
sustaining small savings practices, revolving internal loans and contributing to poverty reduction in the
household and community. Now they willingly participate in preparation of community radio episodes
highlighting concern for village level issues and for better environment, accountability of public officials,
participatory democracy and poverty reduction. They also promote Mamata Yojana and Janani Surakshya
Yojana meant for safe delivery and wellbeing of the mothers and new born among fellow women.
Capacity Building Training for Community Radio Activists
In the year, we organized 13 nos. of capacity building training programmes for community radio activists. A
greater part of the training consisted in lessons for educating the participants on governmental schemes and
programs, as MGNREGA, NRHM, RTI, RTE and FLR etc. that could help them identify realistic alternative
solutions vis-à-vis to crucial village issues. A total of 774 CR activists including 433 male and 341 female attended
the CB trainings facilitated by Community Radio Reporters, and Program and Technical Managers. Much of the
discussion aimed at developing participants’ understanding of poverty, rights and entitlements, gender and
governance issues pertinent to KBK region, in addition to giving them intriguing insight into the range of
entitlements and provisions enacted in the country for welfare of the poor. The discussions also focused on skills
required for CR applications, production of programs, and obtaining information under the RTI act. Besides, the
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programs provided an excellent platform to these grass-root level change makers to share their ideas and
experiences, and strengthen collective initiatives for accessing rights and entitlements.
An obvious impact of the training was subsequent involvement of community radio activists (CRAs) in facilitating
right based actions for poverty alleviation by individuals and groups among the marginalized communities in
their own village. Now, the CRAs are taking lead role for preparation of community radio programs and
application of CR technics for reaching out to a greater audience. They are also making extensive use of RTI to
obtain necessary information for backing up their lobby and advocacy drives.
Orientation of Community Radio Listeners' Clubs on Poor People's Rights & Entitlements
Under the EMCOR project, community based radio listeners’ clubs have been conceived of as an integral element
for shaping and articulating demands of the voiceless people. During the year, we oriented 1856 nos. of listeners
consisting of 896 men and 960 women who represented various listeners’ club spread out across the target area
to various aspects of community radio program. We raised their awareness about different governmental welfare
provisions and schemes to help them realize the significance of role they were going to assume. The programs
helped the radio listeners to review the circumstances when they have been denied an entitlement despite legal
injunctions to deliver, and to identify specific problems of the individual and the community as consequence of
malfunction of certain administrative machinery. It was for the listener’s club to cast such realizations as concrete
issues for advocacy. Our staff and knowledgeable persons from government and social sector facilitated these
workshops as resource persons.
The club members have been specifically oriented to use audio materials for carrying information to the
disadvantageous families regarding the provisions under RTI, MGNREGS, NRHM, RTE, FLRA, ICDS, housing
schemes, social security schemes, land and water conservation schemes and livelihoods promotion programs
etc.. Now they are taking lead role in organizing narrowcasting of the community radio episodes involving local
issues. They are encouraging voiceless people to articulate their views through local cultural mediums like pala,
dance and singing which are being subsequently woven into these episodes. Due to their support, it has been
possible to broadcast CR program ‘MOR HAQ’ on AIR, Bhawanipatna every Wednesday at 1.20 pm and on AIR,
Sambalpur every Tuesday at 6.20 pm.
The listener club members are also engaged as ‘change agents’ in respective communities. Through their
activities they add momentum to the process of empowerment of the marginalized, contributing to poverty
reduction in the targeted area. They help fellow villagers in gaining access to various government programs and
services, and actively follow through their claims through dialogue and negotiations with duty bearers in
different government department and agencies.
PRI Members Orientation on Rights & Entitlements of the Poor
We arranged for a series of programs to orient PRIs representatives currently holding the positions of sarapanch,
naib sarapanches, ward members, samiti members and zilla parishad members in different Gram Panchayats,
Blocks and District Councils on the role and responsibilities of the Panchayati Raj Institutions and Panchayat
Representatives in the context of rights and entitlements of poor and marginalized communities. A total of 202
incumbent representatives including 112 men and 90 women attended these orientation workshops. 52 former
PRI representatives with community leadership predilections also participated in these programs.
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The resource persons discussed wide-ranging issues pertaining to rights and entitlements of the poor, and the
discretions at the hands of the Panchayati Raj Institutions to address them. The programs were participatory in
nature. On their part, the PRIs representatives shared about their experiences in implementing various
development works in the communities, the problems faced and the strategies adopted by them to overcome
them. During the sessions, the representatives were made aware about NRHM, RTE, RTI, FLRA, MGNREGS,
ICDS, Housing Schemes, Social Security Schemes, Land and Water Conservation Schemes and Livelihoods
Promotion Programs of the government. The salient features of 73rd constitutional amendment act that
conferred power upon PRIs for ensuring implementation and management of 29 welfare and development
functions with direct impacts on lives and livelihoods of the common villagers also came under the focus of
discussion. The programs also succeeded in upgrading their knowledge about gram sabha and palli sabha, as well
as about facilitating participatory decision making process, strengthening local governing structure and
accountable service delivery mechanism. The trainees were urged on to make the gram sabha and palli sabha
evolve as effective platforms for addressing issues of hunger and poverty.
The PRI members shared their positive experiences of community radio, mentioning how it has served to
spotlight issues surfacing within the GPs, and to raise awareness of people on ongoing governmental programs
related to health, education, housing, infrastructure, employment and poverty reduction. They expressed
optimism about the progress of EMCOR activities and welcomed the EMCOR staff, volunteers and activists to an
enduring cooperation and partnership for expediting developmental process in the target communities.
Information Fair (Suchana Mela)
An Information Fair or ‘Suchana Mela’ throws open extraordinary opportunities to know the project beneficiaries
in person and to implant the desired information deep in their minds. During the year, we organized 10 such fares
at 10 central locations within the project villages. Over 1154 people including 635 men and 529 women visited the
fare and went through various entertaining and educative shows hosted on the premises. Among the visitors
were the people’s representatives, civil society members, media and government officials who came from
relatively distant places to recommend our effort. Some of the invitees promoted our objective by disseminating
in public useful information on governmental schemes and services meant for marginalized people. There was a
rich display of hoardings, banners, posters and information charts featuring different welfare measures initiated
by the government to improve health, livelihood, education and employment scenario in the country. The
program staff distributed several leaflets and mini-booklets among the audience containing detailed information
on various governmental schemes. Recordings of community radio episodes on burning issues were played aloud
at the mela compound. Several cultural events were also organized for the edutainment of the masses. All these
communication mediums disseminated information about Right to work (MGNREGA), Right to Education (RTE),
Right to Information (RTI), Forest Land Right (FLR) to tribal and traditional forest dwellers, Food security
Schemes and Right to Health under NRHM.
Over the fare, we spread awareness about 210 verities of medicines available in government hospitals for various
ailments free of cost. We appealed to poor women to stop paying tips while seeking benefits under JSY and
Mamata Yoyana and encouraged people to be confident while demanding information under RTI. We urged on
the people to contribute their accounts of success or frustration with public machineries to the production of
community radio episodes in increasing number and they responded to our call positively. We also encouraged
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them to carry on dialogue with government officials using peaceful means to resolve issues that come in the way
of accessing their legitimate rights and entitlements.
Workshop on Rights and Entitlements for the Marginalized Communities
We organized 2 consecutive workshops on rights and entitlements for the marginalized communities on 23rd &
28th December 2012, at Babamatha (Ghantiguda) of Nuapada district and Turekela village of Bolangir district
respectively. 278 persons, including 137 male and 141 female belonging to different marginalized groups
attended these workshops. Mr. Jagat Kata, Sarpanch of Ranimunda GP, Mrs. Rebati Das, ANM, Mr. Rajkishor
Panda and Mr. Muralidhar Das, Social activist and experts on governmental schemes, as well as senior staffs of
CHALE CHALO facilitated the sessions as resource persons. The principal objective of the program was to
develop the capacity of the members of ‘Mor Gaon Haq Samiti’ (MHGS), listeners’ clubs and the women SHGs to
help them take maximum advantage of various poverty reduction and livelihood opportunities extended by the
government. The strategy was to boost their knowledge of governance and skill of articulation so that they are
able to hold effective dialogue and negotiation with government officials and people’s representatives to access
rights and entitlements for reducing poverty, as well as to raise their voice against discrimination and wilful
negligence by the authority.
During the discussions the resource persons explained the provisions of MGNREGS, RTI, RTE and FLR acts,
NRHM, RWSS, ICDS, MDM, IYA, JSY, MAMATA, MO KUDIA, MO JAMI, and PDS to the participants and
discussed various grievance redressal laws and mechanism under all pro-poor schemes. In the course of group
exercises, the participants were asked to prepare lists of existing issues, evolve strategies and draw action plans
to address them. They shared their success stories that described different stages of their sustained effort to get
governmental programs and schemes implemented in their favor. They also shared their community radio
experience and experience with RTI for demanding information from public authorities, as well as other
achievements made through EMCOR project interventions that has brought real changes in their socio-economic
conditions contributing to poverty reduction and improvement in local governance. The participants
acknowledged that their organizations in the form of MHGS have raised awareness level and collective
democratic actions for rights and entitlements of the project participants, making the governance system more
and more accountable to the poor.
Project Orientation to Technical and Managerial Project Staffs
Orientation of Technical and Managerial project staff was carried out in two phases at CHALE CHALO’s
conference hall in Khariar to keep them abreast of the latest developments in project monitoring, evaluation and
management tools and the recent changes in the spectrum of pro-poor policies and legislations. All EMCOR
project staff and staff of other implementing projects of the organization took part in the program. Mr. Ranjit
Kumar Swain, Director and Mr. Rudra Madhab Barik, Chairman of CHALE CHALO, initiated discussions on
various aspects of the project while focusing on updated log-frame that defined achievements and challenges
come upon through its implementation. The staffs were guided through a SWOT analysis process in order to
identify the strength, weakness, opportunity and threat accompanying the project execution at various levels.
They were made to reflect on the growth of the organization, structure, institutionalism and progress achieved in
the course of the project implementation. The staffs revisited their roles and responsibilities and detailed job
profiles. They identified lessons learnt from their interactions in the field and shared their best practices with
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other colleagues. Each individual activity performed by them in the implementation of the project was brought
under focus. They were asked to draw up future action plans in their respective sphere of activity.
The guest resource faculties, Mr. Gopal Dash, Dr. Ajit Panda and Mr. Khuturam Sunani discussed at length about
the recent development in pro-poor policies and laws including amendments to the existing programs and
schemes. They oriented the participating staff to various government schemes and issues related to rights &
entitlements, poverty, gender, governance, civil society and inclusive development. The community radio
reporters, narrators, technical and program manager improved their learning on community radio with lessons
on new technology and approaches involving radio messaging on mobile phones that could enable to expand
their reach of people many times larger. The participants were further capacitated on better facilitation of
community forums for claiming and accessing their rights and entitlements and evolving people-centered
approaches to implement poverty reduction schemes and programs in the project villages.
Networking Meeting on Rights and Entitlements of the Poor
A Networking Meeting on Rights and Entitlement of the Poor was organized on 9th February 2013 with 76
participants, consisting of the representatives of NGOs, Government, SHGs, MHGSs and Youth Clubs, Listeners’
Clubs, PRIs, Media, Lawyers’ Association and Social Activists from Nuapada, Balangir and Kalahandi districts. 33
of the participants were women. The meeting was facilitated by a team of CSOs headed by Dr. Ajit Kumar Panda,
Secretary, Ayuskam. The Chair and Trustee of IVDT, UK, Ms. Helena Nightingale and Ms. Kim Devenish were also
present in the meeting. The participants reviewed the status of rights and entitlements of the poor in project
villages, GPs, Blocks and districts. Ms. Nightingale and Ms. Devenish who followed the overall process presented
their monitoring observations, and warranted attention to development issues that needed urgent treatment.
The participants thoroughly reviewed the progress of the project interventions in terms of improving the
situation for implementation of RTI, MGNREGS, RTE, FLR, Women and Child Rights, and NRHM in the targeted
areas of the three KBK districts. They carefully examined every cases of collective action and achievement in
areas like, building leadership among the poor, especially the women, dalits and tribals, generating adequate
popular demands for service, pressurizing duty bearers into increased accountability, and accessing rights and
entitlements. The participants appreciated the project’s contributions in breaking up of the epoch of silence
permeating the marginalized communities and people, and encouraging them to lead a decent life free of stings
of poverty by gaining unrestrained access to their basic rights and legitimate entitlements. The participants
attributed these developments to the positive role of community radio that has thrown open the opportunity for
the poor to be organized, raise voices and advocate for their cause. Sharing her observations, Ms Helena
Nightingale remarked that through the project actions and positive policy environment the women in project
villages are coming forward to take leadership and responsibility in developmental work. She expressed her
concern about increasing fatalities among dalits and tribal in KBK areas as a result of high alcohol consumption
and renal failure, and urged the CSOs to bring the problem to the notice of government for immediate action.
The participants drew up a participatory action plan for the following project year 2013-14 in consonance with the
EMCOR project proposal and the log frame targets. The day long function came to an end after a vote of thanks
offered by the Director of CHALE CHALO
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Jan Sambad on Rights & Entitlements of Marginalized Communities
We organized 2 numbers of ‘Jan Sambad’ on Rights and Entitlements of Marginalized communities on 20th and
28th February 2012 at Ghantiguda of Nuapada district and Jamkhunta of Bolangir district respectively. A ‘Jan
Sambad’ is an arrangement for a community-government interface where the poor could share their concerns
directly with the local duty bearers. On the other side, it provides an opportunity to the duty bearers to interact
personally with the end beneficiaries and learn about the issues and problems affecting the poor and the
marginalized communities.
The two interfaces were participated by a total of 239 persons including 112 men and 127 women. The local BDO,
MLA, CDPO, BRCC, CRCC, medical officers, JE, revenue and forest officials, PRI representatives, GP executive
officers, AWWs, ASHA, goan sathi, ANMs, and teachers represented the government side, whereas, the social
activists, members of MHGSs, SHGs, and listeners clubs, children, youths, women, elderly persons and victims of
social oppression were among those who came for redressing their grievances or advocating for common issues.
The marginalized poor submitted their complaints to the duty bearers in verbal as well as in written forms. Some
of the problems were resolved then and there by the concerned official, while some others were scheduled for
subsequent appointments, or forwarded to appropriate authorities at block or district level. In some serious cases
of denial of right and entitlement, the concerned duty bearers offered to visit the affected families in their own
village.
The duty bearers educated the people on the provisions of different schemes and programs currently
implementing in the state, including the range of benefits that can be accessed by the poor people under these
schemes by following simple procedures. Mr. Santosh Singh Saluja, Honorable MLA, Kantabanji who has
assumed a pro-active stance for improving the circumstances of the marginalized community in Bolangir district
assured the participants to take follow up action in coordination with the concerned government officials for
speeding up grievance redressal process.
Consultation with Media on Rights and Entitlements of the Marginalized Communities
On 20th January 2013, we had organnized a media consultation meeting at our Conference hall at Khariar in
Nuapada district. A total number of 35 media persons representing prominent newspaper groups and television
channels of the state, as Sambad, Dharitri, Samaj, Surjyaprava, Pramaya OTV, ETV, Kamiav TV, Kanaka TV, and
community radio associations like Lok Udayam, Mor Haq and Mo Tundre Mo Kathani from Kalahandi, Bolangir
and Nuapada districts took part in the meeting .
The representatives of Mor Gaon Haq Samitis (MHGSs) discussed various developments at the field level
following EMCOR intervention. They shared some of the key issues that have come to surface over the project
term and the actions initiated by them to address them. Our project staff also shared the goal, objectives,
activities and impacts of the projects and presented few case studies as indications of changes that have taken
effect in these communities. They mentioned an isolated survey conducted in 68 villages with a population of 57,
653. The survey has revealed that 71 people in the age between 15 and 45 have died in recent months due to renal
failure and 37 persons were suffering from severe nephropathy, while pointing to the status and effectiveness of
the health rights in the area. The project team also drew attention of the participants to the problems at the
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ground level related to MGNREGS, RTE, NRHM, FLR, ICDS, PDS and other welfare and development schemes
and programs, and the measures initiated by local MHGSs to resolve them.
The project team also acknowledged the bighearted support coming from the media mentioning that since the
beginning of the project, the team has been closely working with the local media to help the voiceless poor to
raise their issues, get heard by others, and claim and access their rights and entitlements. During the meeting, it
was decided that detailed district wise information regarding functionality status of various welfare schemes
directly affecting the poor to be gathered with evidence and communicated through media consultancy and
popular representations to concerned authorities for redress.
Project Information Sharing Workshop
The Annual Project Information Sharing Workshop was held at CHALE CHALO Conference Hall, in Khariar on 23rd
March 2013. A total number of 56 participants, comprising 43 men and 13 women who represented different
NGOs, CBOs, service providers, radio activists, youth clubs, SHGs, MHGSs, listeners’ clubs and PRI members
were present on the occasion. Mr. Rudra Madhab Barik, chairman of CHALE CHALO and Mr. Basanta Kumar
Ojha, program manager of EMCOR project welcomed the invitees and facilitated the proceedings of the
workshop. Mr. Baisnaba Jagat, Secretary, VIDYA and Mr. Paresh Pal Coordinator of World Visions facilitated
group discussions among the participants on project learning and future actions in consonance with the project
plan.
During the discussion, it was made clear that all project activities undertaken during the year were linked to the
rights and entitlements issues affecting the poor and the marginalized, and that every activity aimed to
accomplish improved accountability in government and reduction of poverty of people. The chairman, CHALE
CHALO provided an account of various budgetary and non-budgetary activities carried out under the project
during the year. These activities aimed to pave the way for better implementation of provisions under
MGNREGS, RTE, NRHM, FLR, ICDS, PDS and other welfare programs that could reap direct benefits for the poor
people in the target areas. He appreciated positive involvement of stakeholders like, MHGSs, NGOs, CBOs,
SHGs, youth clubs, listeners clubs, PRIs, radio activists, government officials, service providers and others in the
project and hoped for their continued cooperation. The participants on their part expressed satisfaction about
the progress of the project, its achievements and impacts for ensuring rights of the marginalized communities as
well as for poverty reduction.
Capacity Building of Technical & Managerial Project Staff & Trustees
A capacity building program for technical and managerial project staff and trustees was held from 1st to 2nd April
2013 at CHALE CHALO Conference Hall in Khariar. 16 Project staffs and 04 trustee members took part in the
workshop. Mr. Ajit Kumar Panda, Social Activist and Mr. Ranjit Kumar Swain, Director, CHALE CHALO facilitated
the sessions. The program aimed at upgrading skills of the participants for effective facilitation of participatory
planning, program implementation and management, monitoring, impact assessment, evaluation, and
documentation. Emphasis was laid on sustainability of poverty reduction process and continuation of
organizational growth beyond the project term. In addition, it provided several useful tips on organization of
people’s forum, lobby and advocacy, campaigning, networking and actions for rights.
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Capacity Building Training to Community Radio Reporters
We organized 2 capacity building training for community radio reporters from 22nd to 23rd April and from 14th to
16th June 2012 at CHALE CHALO Conference Hall in Khariar. Community radio reporters of EMCOR project, the
radio reporters working for community radio program, volunteers and project staffs participated as trainees. The
two events were facilitated by Mr. Sharat Kumar Naik, Technical Manager, Mr. Ranjit Kumar Swain, Director, Mr.
Ghanshyam Bhitria, Social Activist and Mr. Rudra Madhab Barik, Chairman, CHALE CHALO.
The trainings focused on the use of community radio as a tool for empowerment of the poor, and for self-led
advocacy to claim their rights and entitlements. The participants were reoriented on various aspects of the
projects and were made to revisit the log frame. The facilitators provided them with several updates on various
government programs and schemes. The participants shared their experiences, learning and problems
encountered during the period and the steps taken by them to accomplish project objectives. Elaborate
discussions were carried out on people led and evidence based advocacy by using RTI and community radio tools
for improving poor people’s access to rights and entitlements. The facilitators demonstrated skills for better
facilitation of marginalized community forums to identify their key problems. They were also taught about
prioritizing issues, designing, production and transmission of community radio episodes. The discussion moved
around subjects like filing RTI application, obtaining information, preparation of charter of demands,
articulations of the issues, sharing of issues with the villagers and participatory planning. They were further
oriented on the skills of holding dialogue with duty bearers, negotiations for striking a deals, follow up actions
and tracking of progress. The facilitators also touched on the procedures of project impact assessment and
documentation of process and output during the sessions of the training.
Annual Participatory Review and Planning Exercise
We organized Annual Participatory Review Meetings one each in 10 randomly selected project villages during the
month of February – March 2013. The purpose behind such meetings was to involve the beneficiaries and other
stakeholders at grassroots level in the assessment the progress of the project and record their suggestions for
the following year’s planning. 154 participants, including 86 men 68 women who represented project
beneficiaries, MHGSs, SHGs, LCs, Youth Clubs, GKS, PRIs, service providers and others stakeholders were
present in these meetings. They went through the long chronicle of activities accomplished during the project
year and examined the quantity and quality of achievements, and the impact and outcome against each. These
activities ranged from workshops and rallies to production of radio episodes and broadcasting, and from RTI
moves and advocacy to community-government interface and negotiations with the duty bearers. They also
reflected on the capacities and leadership qualities of the program beneficiaries, their knowledge of
contemporary and village level issues, their skills of articulating and ventilating problems on community radio,
the strength of the organizations like MHGSs, listener clubs, CBOs and WSHGs to successfully implement the
project activities. In addition, they carried out a detailed assessment of responsiveness of the service providers
and authorities to popular demand for rights and entitlement, and examined the status of various pro-poor
schemes in the target area. Finally, they gave their feedbacks on various aspects of the project and offered
suggestions for next year’s project planning which was duly acknowledged and recorded by the project team. In
the end, the project team helped them prepare the draft annual action plan for MHGSs and village level activities.
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Rights & Entitlements Claiming Procession and Rally
During the reported period, the project team provided facilitation and support to 2 numbers of rights and
entitlements claiming processions and rallies organized jointly by people’s organizations, like ‘Krushak Shakti
Sangathan (KSS)’, ‘Jami Jangal Mukti Abhiyan (JJMA)’ and ‘Manab Adhikar Suraksha Abhiyan (MASA)’. The
rallies mobilized on the street on 7th December 2012 and 8th February 2013 at Khariar in Nuapada district on both
occasions. More than 2000 men and women representing forest dwellers, MHGSs, women SHGs, youth clubs,
KSS, JJMA, MASA, CBOs, NGOs and PRI representatives joined in the procession that passed through the main
town and attended the rallies held at the public ground.
In preparation for the rally, we facilitated a series of village level awareness meetings on various rights and
entitlements with focus on government’s welfare schemes and programs, as, FLR, MGNREGS, RTI, RTE, NRHM,
PDS, farmers benefits and others, which had as their themes, pro-people arrangements to bring about
development in education, health, nutrition, agricultural supports, road, electricity, food and social security of
people. On the day of rally, the participants marched in an orderly procession as they shouted for legal redress
against delay in issuance of land rights certificates for private and community land under FLRA, inadequate
MGNREGS works and delay in payment, insecurity of girl children in government residential schools, poor health
services in remote villages and negligence of duty in some government offices. Many people from places outside
the project villages had also voluntarily joined the rally as they faced similar problems in their areas. They
submitted petitions containing those demands to the local authorities like the BDO, Tehsildar, DFO and DAO.
They also sent copies of the petitions to higher officials at the state secretariat, and to the ministers in the
government. The rallies helped in creating awareness on various schemes / programs / services and empowered
the poor to clam and access them for bringing positive changes in their socio-economic conditions.
The processions and rallies succeeded incredibly well in drawing attention of the duty bearers, media and general
public to the neglect and discrimination faced by the marginalized communities. Many people including
government officials pledged their support for the marginalized people. The effect of the rally also became
evident quite soon, with officials initiating actions for speeding up issuance of land rights certificate, providing
more MGNREGS works, improving basic services and welfare activities in forest and non-forest villages.
Broadcasting and Narrowcasting of Community Radio Episode
During the period from 1st April 2012 to 31st March 2013, we have produced and put on air 52 community radio
episodes under the title “MOR HAQ” (My Rights). It takes the total number of such episodes produced and
broadcasted by us since 1st July 2009 to 175. The issues are invariably those affecting rights and entitlements of
voiceless marginalized communities of the KBK districts. The overall process of production and transmission of
episodes is a long route involving issues identification, developing understanding, prioritization of themes,
discussion and debate on aspects of production including choice of literary genre, selection of characters, script
design and rehearsal. Then the technical team is recording the voices, editing out the final version and taking
steps to put them on air as per the arrangement with AIR stations in the districts. The process even goes further,
as for gathering feedbacks of listeners and planning improvement on subsequent productions. We have been
transmitting different episodes of ‘MOR HAQ’ on AIR Bhawanipatana on Wednesday between 1.20 pm and 1.50
pm and on AIR Sambalpur on Tuesday between 6.20 pm and 6.50 pm. During the year, we conducted 442
transmission and learning sessions for 60 EMCOR project villages on issues affecting the poor.
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The EMCOR community radios are all community-patters, reflecting the life, culture, livelihood, poverty,
discrimination and deprivations of the marginalized communities of KBK regions. They have given a voice to the
voiceless people who had been struggling so far to articulate their thoughts and reactions. The ‘MOR HAQ’
initiatives now get these people to talk intently on their own issues, and get them on air across a wide audience
including the authorities and policy makers. It has tapped the rural talents, nurtured them and brought them
under limelight. It has provided a common platform for the government officials, service providers, PRI
representatives, MLA, experts, CSOs representatives, beneficiaries of government programs, community leaders
and villagers to hear each other’s view points on issues of marginalized people and take collective actions for
their improved access to rights. It has also brought about accountability and transparency in governance, gender
and social equality, inclusive development and poverty reduction.
CHILDREN COMMUNITY
RADIO
Voice to Voiceless Marginalized Children
In NUAPADA District of Odisha
Introduction Since 2007, with the support of CRY, India, CHALE CHALO has been engaged in a special relationship with
thousands of disadvantaged children of Nuapada district of Odisha, putting their voices on air through
community radio episodes, “Mor Tune Mor Kathani” (It’s My Story on My Lips). The episodes depicting their stark
insecurities and plight of living are based on real life accounts retold by the children themselves. The shocking
stories warrant attention to the grim status of rights of children in the sphere of childhood care, educational
facilities, health, nutrition, drinking water, sanitation, environment, development and other issues in both rural
and urban areas of the drought-prone and poverty stricken district. Our strategy is to use the community radio
inputs as an important advocacy tool for promoting children’s right to survival, protection, development and
participation. By sensitizing, educating and mobilizing the community, we are facilitating a campaign to promote
adequate childhood care, universal primary education, free health care facilities, and right to life, liberty and
association of children. Simultaneously, we are coordinating collective action to discourage seasonal migration
of parents, child labor, illegal trafficking, and their exploitation and abuse by others.
Migration Survey Tracking to Basic Rights Status Nuapada district, an erstwhile sub-division of Kalahandi District of Odisha until 1993 is prone to severe seasonal
distress migration. The district formed of nearly all droughty areas of former Kalahandi district is known for its
abject poverty, starvation deaths and child sales. In fact, every year acute deficiency of provisions in the local
area forces thousands of people to migrate to Andhra Pradesh, Utter Pradesh, Mumbai, Surat, Jammu and some
other parts of India often with the family.
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The trend has been growing in volume for last couple of years due to unrelenting drought across the district and
unavailability of work for the working force. MGNREGA could have been a source of relief for the poor, but as it is
fraught with several instances of delayed and occasionally non-payments, most of the workers find it unreliable.
Many public officials also intentionally avoid implementing MGNREGA due to stringent transparency
requirement under the act, depriving the community of its manifold benefits. Many other pro-poor schemes,
such as, IGA promotion and social security have also little effect on the trend for their slipshod approaches.
Consequently, people land themselves at a brick kiln of Andhra or other state, mostly with their wives and
children for having taken money from the kiln agents early in the year, taking their wives and children with them.
Another practice contributing to child migration is the ‘PATURI’ (A Unit of Dish) system which requires a unit of
labor to comprise of one male, one female and a male or female child labor. In such cases, parents having no
children usually borrow children from their relative and friends to compete for the job.
To assess the status of child migration in the age groups of 0-5 and 5-14 for both girls and boys a survey was
conducted in the project villages of Khariar and Boden block, the two most poverty stricken blocks of the district.
VCR-Odisha had developed questionnaires for tracking issues behind migration in the area. Following the survey,
we compiled the information and arrived at the following results. Migration is rarely an enjoyable experience. The principal reason behind it is the extreme livelihood pressures.
Migrant workers suffer a lot during their journey and during their stay at the worksite.
The migrant worker is always apprehensive of the safety of his person and his family in his alien
accommodation, and lives in the dread of possible sexual harassment or abuse of his spouse and children.
The children have to drop their school permanently. Even after their return, they are afraid to join school for
having missed their study for so long. The teachers are often unwilling to take them back into the same class.
Mild to serious health hazards occur very commonly to the workers at their alien dwelling and worksite, which
are usually located on the periphery of the town or close to the slums in unhygienic environment.
The worker must compromise his choices even to his disadvantage, because he fears that, his claim for better
arrangement or pay might make him liable to physical torture or wage deprivation.
Apprehensions about financial exploitation or trickery hangs over the assignment from beginning to the end.
The employer often extracts extra or hazardous work without giving additional payment.
On the other side, the lucky ones among the migrant workers gather a sizable sum of money to the extent of 10
or 20 thousand, with which they recover their loans or pay off mortgages, buy utensil, electronic gadgets or
jewelry, or build houses in their native village. Their relative success allures the fellow villagers to follow the suit.
However, not every one’s venture is crowned with success and majority returns home with broken health or
horrific experiences. Consequently, it is the child that is the worst loser in this vicissitude. He cannot resume
school and virtually weds himself to the fate of manual labor and drudgery for life.
Hence, it stands to reason that the rural workforce should be dissuaded from such migrations that entail
discontinuation of children’s schooling. In such case, MGNREGA must be presented to people as a rewarding
livelihood opportunity. Simultaneously, the local resources, both natural and human, need to be capacitated to
create more or less same facilities and jobs as in the targeted towns. Ever since, we have taken up advocacy at
different level for better implementation of MGNREGA and other development schemes in the district. We have
been conducting sensitization meetings advising the prospective migrant workers to register their details with
District Labor Officer, or at Gram Panchayat for personal safety and wage security before going outside the
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district or state for work. During this quarter 26 families from 28 project villages registered their names before
migrating to other states for work.
Interaction with District Collector regarding Distress Migration
We conducted two rounds of discussions with the honorable District Collector of Nuapada, Mrs. Guha Punam
Kumar Naik, IAS in the month of September. After reviewing the situation, the DM assured to implement
MGNREGA across the district in a larger scale. She sent instruction to the officials to make available all possible
assistance to the poor people in filling in C1 forms for lodging job demands under MGNREGA. She also
suggested that creating awareness at the Palli Sabha and Grama Sabha would be the first step to make
MGNREGA popular among the masses. Subsequent to these discussions, CHALE CHALO began to provide
facilitation at different model Palli Sabha held between 2nd and 12th of October in 16 gram panchayats of Boden
block. The officials from the district administration actively cooperated in the conduct of business at these
meetings. They raised different issues associated with development and appealed the villagers to check
proliferation of distress migration, especially the trend of migrating for jobs to alien towns with school-going
children. It was proposed to scale up MGNREGA activities in the block and speed up job allocation and wage-
payment procedure to make it attractive to the villagers. In due course, CHALE CHALO shared the findings of
these meetings with the District Collector and discussed measures to dissuade people from distress migration.
Regular House Hold Campaign
Our project team has been sensitizing the people to the various provisions of the Child Rights Act and the
numerous benefits of enrolment of children in schools through door to door visit in all the 28 CRY supported
project villages. The team members are meeting with the parents and legal guardian of children and discussing
with them the various ill effects of child labor, school dropout, child marriage and distress migration. Our staffs
are getting along well with village children and encouraging them to join schools. We are distributing posters and
leaflets carrying information on Right to Education Act and various ICDS services among the people of all
operational villages and 16 other non-project villages of the neighborhood. People have begun to welcome us to
their homes and listen to our talks patiently. Through such regular campaigning, we have been able to produce
significant moderation in parents’ attitude towards enrolment of children, including the girls.
Strengthening of Child Rights Clubs
We have promoted 46 child rights club in Bargaon, Khudpej, Lanji, Larka, Karlakot and Farsara GP of Khariar and
Boden block of Nuapada district. Presently, the children are carrying out their routine meetings and getting
involved in recreational activities with minimum facilitation provided by elders. They are listening to community
radio episodes, having rehearsals for new episodes and staging the final production for recording by our technical
team. For a child club member, every Sunday is a special day when they would organize debates on interesting
issues, discuss child right problems, recite songs, tell stories, conduct quiz tests and play various local games. The
community radio reporters like Mr. Sishu Kumar Barik, Mr. Harisankar Podh, Mrs. Saraswati Panda, Mr.
Debendra Bhitriya and Mr. Rajkumar Meher have earned recognition as good organizers and facilitators of
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children’s collective processes. Our project staff are keeping in regular touch with the child clubs and orienting
the child leaders to various organizational procedures and skills.
Training for SMC members on School Development Plan
During the year, four training programs were conducted on the subject of ‘development of school development
plan’ for the chairpersons and members of the ‘School Management Committee’ (SMC) of 25 government
primary schools running within the operational area of the project. The trainings were held at Kenduguda and
Darlipada village, and at the training hall of the organization at Khariar. Mr. Boldhar Nag, BRCC, Khariar, Mr.
Trinath Punjee, CRCC, Khariar and Mr. Khuturam Sunani, CRY-Fellow, RTE Activist and Senior Journalist
facilitated the trainings as resource persons. The resource persons stressed the importance of a sound school
development plan (SDP) in the context of the RTE act. They outlined the salient features of an SDP and discussed
a paradigm to adapt the plan to local conditions and requirement. A floor exercise followed when the participants
working collectively drew a comprehensive SDP consistent to the RTE specifications. Mr. Ugresan Majhi, Head
Master, Bhimapadar Project UP School and Mr. Jagadish Barik, Head Master Kenduguda Primary school shared
their experiences of some real problems and ground realities in implementation of Right to Education provisions.
Preparation of IEC Materials on ICDS Services and RTE
The organization has designed two leaflets on provisions of Right to Education and ICDS services. The leaflets
have been circulated widely among the children, students, elders, teachers, AWWs, ASHA and other service
providers in the operational area for creating awareness on the respective subjects. They have also been used by
the child rights club members as an awareness and campaign tool during their meetings and prabhat pheries.
These leaflets have helped people to know about the services and schemes of the government and generated
popular concern for safeguarding the spirit of the provisions for welfare of the masses. The organization has
printed 5000 copies of leaflets in each category.
Wall writings on the Child Rights
Wall writings were carried out in Putupada and Gumabahal villages of Boden block and in Mantritarai Kala and
Bhimapadar villages of Khariar block. The writings were supplemented with impressive drawings of boys and
girls with symbolic gestures and appeal for recognition and dignity. The objective behind the wall writings was to
popularize ideas, principles and catchwords associated with child right movement in the communities, and to
facilitate peoples’ articulation of issues related to children. Many posters and leaflets were distributed in the
villages as complements to growing public interest in issues relating to children’s education, health, safety, and
freedom from exploitations. The publicity materials also reflected concern for distress migration of parents, non-
enrolment of children and school dropout, child labor, and illegal trafficking of children.
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Interface Workshop on ICDS Services
We organized rounds of Interface workshops on ICDS services with the active involvement of CDPOs, lady sector
supervisors, ANM, AWW, ASHA, community representatives and Janch (Investigation) Committee members, at
Mantritarai Kala, Bheruamal, Karlakot, Bhimapadar villages and at our training and conference hall at Khariar. In
these workshops the CDPOs and the lady supervisors described at length the progress achieved with respect to
supplementary nutrition food program, health check-up, immunization, referral service, nutrition & health
education and pre-school management. The CDPO of Boden Mrs. Droupadi Kauir, and Lady Sector Supervisors
Mrs. Kalpana Raut, Achana Raut, Bedamati Khamari led several interactive discussions on issues associated with
service delivery in ICDS and Anganwaris, and responded to questions raised by the janch committee members
and community representatives.
Child Cultural Program (Mega Sishu Mela)
On 16th December 2012, CHALE CHALO organized a child cultural program, ‘Mega Sishu Mela’ on the premises of
Upper Primary School, Khudpej. Around 203 participants consisting of children, parents, school teachers, press
reporters and program staff from Boden & Khariar blocks of Nuapada district took part in the mega event. Mr.
Rudra Madhab Barik, chairman, CHALE CHALO inaugurated the event with a welcome speech wherein he
briefed on the aim & objectives of the sishu mela. He described the event as a platform for children who have had
little opportunities to exhibit their talents for dancing, acting, singing, painting, caricaturing, story-telling and so
on at any function of this dimension. He said that the event was not merely an entertainment program, but also
an opportunity for children residing in remote villages with hidden talents to showcase their natural endowment.
Mr. Khuturam Sunani, CRY fellow in his speech stressed the need for creating adequate facilities in rural areas to
promote talented children. He expressed his displeasure at the fact that many rural talents are dying out every
year due to lack of patronization. He thanked CHALE CHALO for creating opportunities to bring such children to
limelight. He also laid his hope on the role that could be taken by children community radio to bring out the best
in these children and help them find recognition and sponsorship in the greater world. Mr.Tankadhar Yadav,
headmaster, Panchayat High School, Khudpej described the event as a golden opportunity for the local children
to demonstrate their inner abilities. He advised the parents to nurture natural endowments inherent in their
children. He thanked CHALE CHALO for organizing such programs in the area. He also thanked CRY-Kolkata for
supporting the community radio program. He mentioned that the radio episode ‘Mor Tune, Mor Kathani’ and the
project newsletter would create enough space for the young talents to refine and sophisticate their natural
abilities. After the meeting, the cultural programs were started with a devotional song by young vocal artists.
Several performances by children, including dancing, singing, drama, caricature and acrobatics followed one on
another moving the audience to cheer and applause. Mr. Debendra Bhitriya from CHALE CHALO coordinated the
entire program. The performances were over by 5 PM, when Mr. Sishu Kumar Barik, offered vote of thanks to the
chief guest and the guests of honor, invitees, children and the community representatives for their participation
in the fare and encouragement to the young artists.
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Children Study tour and Exposure Visit
On 16th January 2013, a team of 18 child club representatives along with three adult guides from CHALE CHALO
were taken on a tour around district level government offices to learn about the administrative systems and
operation of different government offices in the district. As the tour schedule included activities like submitting
appeal cards based on the children’s own observations to the public official, all the children including their
parents were very happy and enthusiastic about it. The journey set forth in the early morning towards Nuapada
district headquarters and was a unique experience for many who had not been to the town before. By 10 AM, the
team had arrived at the district collector’s office in the district headquarters. With their appeal cards written by
the team previously, the children sought permission for meeting the district magistrate, but they did not
succeeded due to an emergency meeting conducted by the latter with senior officers, However, they were able
to conduct meetings with several other important officials of the district administration, such as, the sub-
collector, district social welfare officer, the district education officer, the chairman of CWC, and finally, the
superintendent of police, with whom they had an interesting meeting. The SP welcomed the children, offered
them with biscuits and toffees, and spent nearly half an hour with them. He enquired about the child rights clubs
and the child community radio. He appreciated CHALE CHALO’s effort to further children rights situation in the
district. Following lunch, the team went to see the Upper Jonk Irrigation Project at Patora. The children enjoyed
viewing the dam site, irrigation project, landscape and sceneries, the reservoir, the floodgates and their control.
They were back at CHALE CHALO’s guest house in Khariar by 8 ‘O’ clock in the evening. After reaching home
each of the children prepared a resume of their study tour and submitted copies to our office. Some of these
resumes have been published in the newsletter ‘Mor Tune, Mor Kathani’ to encourage young writing talents.
Publication of Child Oriented Newsletter ‘Mor Tune Mor Kathani’
We have been publishing a newsletter, ‘Mor Tune Mor Kathani’ (My Story on My Lips) on quarterly basis for child
rights club members, child right promoters and listeners of child community radio program. The newsletter helps
upcoming child artists by creating space for their stories, poem and drawings based on their day to day
experiences. Materials and manuscripts previously broadcast under child community radio programs on All India
Radio stations are also get printed on the newsletters. In addition, the newsletter also publishes fictitious stories,
poems and biographical accounts related to the life of great men and women written by the children. The
newsletter has been a source of inspiration for children by serving as a boost to undertake creative exercises.
Production of Child Community Radio Program ‘Mor Tune Mor Kathani’
During the year ended 31st March, our project team had produced and broadcast a total of 187 nos. of community
radio episodes with the active involvement of children as artist, singer, narrator and writer of scripts. As per our
community radio broadcasting arrangement with AIR, Bhawanipatna, we have been allowed a regular half-an-
hour slot every Sunday between 1.20 and 1.50 PM for the serial ‘Mor Tune Mor Kathani’ (My Story on My Leaps)
relating to children’s issues exclusively. We have been regularly receiving reviews and feedbacks arriving on
postcards, letters and over phone from our listener in various parts of the state. Our office has received over 200
such feedbacks till date, and as reported to us by AIR officials, about 200 other have been received by them
directly. Over these reviews, the listeners have valued our effort, commended child artists and pledged solidarity
with us for reinforcing child right status in a district infamous for its chronic poverty and violation of child rights.
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We have a team of well-trained community radio reporters who are carrying on their program recording
efficiently. In search of ground realities in connection with child right issues, we have extended the scenes of
action to neighboring non-operational villages within Nuapada district. We are also trying to involve child
reporters to record conversations and interview in their villages. Our project team has also demonstrated
excellent ability to devise interesting plots and sequences to make the best out of the recorded materials. We
have also received and made use of script designs and song samples send to us by the listeners in the neighboring
Balangir, Kalahandi and Nabarangpur districts. Our project team is also looking out for child talents on a regular
basis, and taking measures to improve presentation skill and performance of the child artists.
Narrowcasting of Child Community Radio Program
In addition to putting our episodes on AIR, Bhawanipatna’s frequency for transmission around the state, we keep
on narrowcasting the same episodes in the village where the story had been initially recorded. We employ the
original recording and amplification methods to achieve the effect. Such narrowcasting retrieves the situation for
the villagers who had missed it during the real-time broadcast. It makes possible to replay the material as many
times as needed helping every persons involved in the production to rethink improvements to respective roles.
Narrowcasting also sensitize people to the issues in a profound way and help sustain the overall sensitization
process for a long time.
Others:
Involvement in the Capacity Building Training for 2nd Liners Organized By CRY
CHALE CHALO representatives attended a capacity building training program for 2nd liners organized by CRY
between 27th and 29th at Puri in Odisha. The representatives actively participated in the discussions and shared
their experiences of the ‘child collective processes’ as employed in organization of child clubs, community radio
reporting and production of radio episodes under the children community radio program in Nuapada district. The
CRY officials admired the approaches taken by us to mobilize children and commented that child collective
process helped in developing inner qualities of children making them confident. Project aspects were also shared.
Participation in CCRP network
CCRP (Coalition of Child Rights Protection), a CRY initiative in Odisha for promotion of child right through
collective action held a partners’ meet at Bolangir on 17th of September. Representatives of CHALE CHALO and
community leaders from the operational area under children community radio program took part in the function.
During the meeting, our organization made a brief presentation related to child protection issues in the context
of Nuapada district and actively contributed to the discussion moving around child right status in the state.
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Involvement in the VCRO Process
We have been actively involved in the Voice of Child Rights in Odisha (VCRO) process to reduce child migration
and child labor, and to provide children safe protection under the Early Child Care and Protection (ECCP) scheme.
We are working to ensure that the child gets adequate early childhood care and protection through parents, legal
guardians or private and public institutions functioning to that end. We have also been carrying on awareness
campaign to halt proliferation of distress migration and consequent loss of schooling on the part of the child, and
all other kinds of child rights violations. Campaign on ICDS and School provisions have been organized.
Participation in Children Right to Food Convention
A 20 member team representing CHALE CHALO attended the convention on children’s right to food organized
by VCRO at Bhubaneswar from 27th to 29th December 2012 and given their inputs in Food Right Bill.
Participation in Children’s Right to Education
The project staff of Children Community Radio Program enrolled themselves for the TOT program organized by
VCRO between 18th and 20th March 2013 at the Institute of Regional Education Center, Bhubaneswar. The
training of the trainer (TOT) program made wide ranging discussions on various aspects of the right to education
act. Subjects like the role of the school management committee (SMC) and preparation of school development
plan (SDP) were discussed with special focus on details. Group exercises were conducted to guide the trainees
through preparation of 3 years’ SDP and annual SDP. Now the trained staffs are engaged in orientating SMC
members to their roles and responsibility as per the RTE provisions. They are also helping other on the methods
of preparation of short and long term SDPs accommodating special community needs under them.
Cleft Lips and Palate Patients’ Surgery in Collaboration with the Operation Smile India: During the year, we
organized a mega surgery camp for the cleft lips and palate patients of Nuapada district in collaboration with
Operation Smile India. The mobile van campaign launched in the month of November identified 42 patients aged
between 1 and 60 years. We organized a prescreening test at our meeting hall in the district on 16th November
2012 with the help of eye experts and doctors from Hi-Tech Medical College, Rourkela. Following confirmation
by doctors, the patients were sent to Hi-Tech Medical, Bhubaneswar with three escorts for surgical operation.
After the operation, the patients were given a week’s rest and then discharged from the hospital with smile on
their face.
Budget Advocacy
CHALE CHALO has been implementing Budget Advocacy programs in Nuapada district in collaboration with
Odisha Budget and Accountability Center (OBAC) of CYSD, Bhubaneswar. We have developed budget
expectation documents pertaining to the education, health and agriculture sectors of Nuapada district. We have
organized several budget consultations and orientation workshops in the district, and campaigned for budget
increment in cases of essential services and livelihood promotions. Our organization has also been actively
participating in state level programs on budget advocacy. Special community radio episodes have been
developed, broadcasted and narrowcast on budget issues.
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Chale Chalo’s Esteemed Donors / Supporters / Collaborators of Development Actions for the
year 2012-13
1. Local Communities and Volunteers 2. IVDT – UK 3. DFID – UK 4. CRY – Kolkota 5. WE CAN – Odisha 6. CYSD – Bhubaneswar 7. Vasundhara – Cuttack 8. VCRO – Bhubaneswar 9. Oxfam India – Hyderabad 10. Individual Donors / Sponsors / Supporters 11. Schools and Colleges 12. Smile India Foundation
We are thankful to all who have been supporting the development initiatives of Chale Chalo for bringing
positive changes in the lives of the marginalized people and strengthening the sustainable development
processes in remote and disaster prone areas in Odisha.
