VEDCHI PRADESH SEVA SAMITI
Tuff Friendship House: Near Gandhi Vidyapith: VEDCHHI - 394641
T. Valod: D. Surat - Gujarat

BILPUDI VILLAGE IN DHARAMPUR TALUKA [COUNTY]

April 2004

1. OUR BILPUDI OFFICE

We now have our headquarters in the Bilpudi village near Dharampur town. We stay there almost permanently. We live in a tiny tribal hamlet Samar Pada of that village. It is a very fulfilling experience. It gives a new dimension to our age-old concepts. It as well gives a new perspective to our life and work. We can see how efficient our stay, close to the ever expanding project is proving. The implementation of the programs is rapidly becoming obvious. At the same time, we have seen how convenient our workers and village leaders find our headquarters there. We are saving lot of energy, time and of course fuel. We are in a better position to take on the spot decisions and prompt follow up action from Bilpudi. We are now better placed to make more field visits than before.

The hamlet did not have any telephone line and the electricity was nonfunctioning. For about 15 days Koki was renovating the house [not having even a latrine], handed over to us by one kind tribal farmer. She approached the telephone department in the mean time. On account of her intensive efforts, we now have the telephone and electricity as well. The computer is reaching us very shortly. It would facilitate e-mail on Internet, a must nowadays.

Let me tell you, staying face to face with the tribal community is the greatest learning experience of my life. Except in my native village Valod, all my life I have lived in the locations, surrounded by tribes. But this stay is so different. Every moment we experience with great astonishment their inborn survival capacity. It is an unmatched joy to observe their value-based behavior, their community organizations, systems and traditions to resolve their problems and the virtues of the surrounding tribal families.

We are there only since last 6 weeks. But we feel as if we are living amidst those nice and generous people for ages. They are so loving and straight forward. Hypocrisy and greed are unknown to them. They are taking care of us, which we cannot expect from even the closest relations. It is difficult to find words to express what I feel from within.

We have heard a lot how the tribes survive with so little, encircled by nothing but scarcity all the time and lacking just primary amenities [for example drinking water]. We are well aware about their day to day struggle, just to exist. They depend so much on nature and keep their environment unpolluted. Selfsufficiency is a way of their life. Only after living in Bilpudi we have understood their strength and simple but rich life style, in the real sense of the term. How can we proclaim them as backward? On the contrary, they are forward in many respects compared to so called advanced societies and modern world.

Telephone Number – (02633) 240750

BHIKHU VYAS & KOKI VYAS

E-mail: bhikhu@satyam.net.in

2. An additional report of progress.
February 2004

During our long stay in Bilpudi recently, I visited some remote villages, to have a look at Development in Action.
A few outstanding experiences and outcome:

Some Developments

The highlight of the last week was the visit to the Pirmal well. After reconstructing a well in that remote village to serve 800 people in summer, a soil mud check dam was constructed by the people. It was to recharge the well, which was collapsed during the monsoon, and a cement dam was the only solution, at such a site.
A few weeks ago I had a chance to see some government officials. I suggested them to construct a cement dam at that site. The officer requested me to provide the measurements for the dam. Our coordinator visited Pirmal the very next day. The required measurements were given to the officer just in 24 hours. And there is a dam! The cost of the dam is totally met by government. It must be around RS 300,000.

Long last we are getting some support from the Government on our conditions. After several sessions, they are providing funds for the reconstruction of 10 old wells having water. The wells were collapsed and then neglected, remaining without repairs for years. Once we finish with the 10 wells [work is in progress] we are likely to get support for 10 more wells. We have also got support for 14 wells from Well-Wishers & Trusts. Then we are going to have two more wells – [1] Edmundo & [2] Ebbe. With possibilities of individual Swedes to contribute for wells we may touch 50, as against the target of 27 wells fixed by the core group.

Last week we organized three health camps in very remote villages. Two Bombay doctors kindly helped us in these camps. About 230 poor patients took advantage of them.
On 19^th [March] a camp meeting about eye diseases is to be held in one of our schools, by a reputed eye hospital. Then the govt. leprosy doctors and staff [20] are to stay in two schools for 10 days, for planning.

There is a self-supporting and almost self-governed village named Medha Lekha, about 1500 km away from here. It has become very famous in India. About 30 village leaders, the core group and both of us are visiting the village, during third week of March. It is Holi [Fire] Festival vacation. Those days are very special for the tribes of Dharampur. So we would have some free days.

As for bull buffaloes 80 more have been distributed in the last week, totaling 300 so far. Our target is to distribute 500 buffaloes before it starts raining, in the middle of June.
I was just getting a phone call from a leader of a group of primitive tribes. They are considered untouchables in tribes. They are the poorest of the poor amongst Dharampur communities. They have collected their contribution [50 % hiring cost for a lorry bringing buffaloes from towns,600 km away. They wanted to deposit advance money [I agreed immediately] in one of the schools. What an involvement!

The sixth group from Tuff Schools is visiting Bombay on the next Sunday. With that group, close to 400 students and teachers of our schools will have made a trip to Bombay. Out of the 375 students, about hardly one dozen may have traveled in a train in their life.

We received yesterday the third installment of RS 75,000 [Total RS 250,000 so far] from one Trust of a world-wide shipping company of Bombay. They have several other businesses. Their senior manager visited Dharampur last week. We moved extensively. He was satisfied and we are hopeful of getting more support from the Trust.

14 new soil and mud check dams [2004] are ready by now. 12 more would be completed before the Holi [Fire] Festival starts. This most important festival goes on for about 8 days [starting from 5^th of March], when the tribes are in a very excited mood, forgetting everything in their small world: Their miseries - Pain and even Hunger.

We are passing the number of 200 dams in the last 3 years.

Bhiku

3. Visits for the future.
Mail 13 April 2004

Dear Ake,

I have just come from Bilpudi [Dharampur] and am returning tomorrow afternoon. Koki is now in Ahmedabad. She will also return to Bilpudi tomorrow night.
There is a truth in the observation of Petersens that there are too many visitors in Dharampur. We have accepted this fact of life and are adjusting with it as a part of the game. Everybody [or groups] is contributing in the ‘Development March’ of Dharampur in one way or the other.

We are having in Dharampur two special groups one on 17th and one on 19th. The first group of young and well - educated 6 girls [from Bombay] in their teens is visiting a remote village. They want to meet the community and plan out a check dam with them. Then they would come again in big number after about a week, when the construction by the community must be on. They are not only financing the dam, they want to join the people in actual work [now it is 102 – very hot]. It is like an ‘Operation Day’ – [or days]. They are a ‘Young Giant Club’ of one Bombay Suburb. Their spirit of solidarity is commendable. This would be their first contact of such an area. After they pass through this experience, they may involve in a big way, after monsoon.

On 19th is coming a group lead by Rashmin Sanghvi of Bombay. One of them will be a young architect lady. She just got an ‘All India Prize’ of RS 50,000 in New Delhi, in architectural excellence. She wants to utilize that amount plus RS 100,000 to be added by one Rotary Club of Bombay [Total RS 150,000], to construct library cottages in all the 6 Tuff Schools. She will stay on for two days to supervise and guide things in her presence. She would visit Dharampur again when the work is in actual progress. I think this a good pre – planning, before [in case] support [?] comes for books through some Swedish funding agency, to whom Marianne of Forellskolan has approached and who is also contributing [?] to start with.

This letter is just to remember all of you, as I am not only away most of the days in Dharampur and else where and also away from the world of e – mailing. I miss it so much in Bilpudi. Rajesh Shah was with us in Bilpudi two days back. He has informed us that he is donating a computer to us. It would reach us in about a week.

Love to all of you.

Bhikhu

4. OUR LINE OF THINKING
May 2004

I am pleased to state that there are several Indian sources coming forward, inspired from the example of Swedish Schools.

A few of them have promised to support our schools. With all this and the cooperation from Swedish Sister Schools, we would not be facing any financial crisis for this year. It is a healthy situation to go ahead, without any uncertainty for all our 6 Tuff schools. Now we will be able to concentrate more on quality and innovations, all the time.

For other development programs like Soil - Water - Forest Conservation, Drinking Water, Health-Care, Utilizing Solar Energy, Animal Husbandry, Mango Plants and Agricultural Development; we are getting nice support from so many Indian well – wishers. To mention a few major programs, we have just completed 42 earthen check – dams this year [total: 223 in the last three years] and 24 wells [total: 140 to date]. Now the monsoon is about to set in.

The project now has taken a holistic shape, covering many areas. We are really passing through a ‘take – off’ phase and could take a leap forward, with a big jump. Of course we have almost reached to the optimum limit of our physical capacity and the personnel, to run the ever - expanding Project. Nevertheless, we have a nice team of committed workers and teachers - all hardworking, as well as wonderful cooperation of the community. That is our greatest strength.

The first decade was a formative period – a journey without rather a clear road – map. Things started to take real shape in the last 5 to 6 years. The base is expanding fast with several programs and increase in the number of villages as well as beneficiaries. The area of operation is spreading to about 100 remote and isolated villages, having the population of approximately 80,000 people. They are the poorest of the poor tribes [aboriginals], and neglected strata of the society, simply left out from the main stream development.

After education the focus now is more and more on soil, water and forest. Now is the phase when we would rather like to consolidate the gains on all the fronts, limit the speed and be clearer about our vision, approach, strategy and perspective. In brief, we want to take a pause and restrict the expansion of non – schools plans for some time.

Otherwise, it certainly is a stimulating stage at present, when the Sarpanchs [Heads of Village Councils] and community leaders are taking over the planning and execution of the programs from our core group. They come forward with new ideas and practical [really worthwhile] programs for the ‘greatest good of the greatest number’. Almost 50 % share in the form of labor contribution of the community is to be taken for granted, in all the physical programs.

There is a lot of inter – action with the people. They have been told time and again about our approach. We share our view - points all the time with the community, the local leaders and grass – roots workers in scores of community meetings and with our activist well – wishers. It is a continuous process of education and awareness of the masses. By and large they now agree with our participatory and ‘down to earth’ approach almost fully and share our vision. I can very modestly say on the basis of the contact with the people that now Dharampur Project is ‘Of the - People, By the People and For the People’.

The time seems ripe when the Development is knocking at the doors of Dharampur. If we are not many in number and competent enough, if we are not succeeding the development cannot stop now. If it does not take a faster pace, deep and wide, qualitative and quantitative as it should be and as we all want it to happen, with such a positive climate; the fault is not of the people, but of the others – NGOS, the social workers like us, our approach, the society at large and the government etc. etc.

Living amidst the community and working with such wonderful people is an unmatched joy and return. It is fulfilling beyond description. We will go on doing our duty, with a reduced speed at the moment. Of course, we should strive to reach our goal, as best as we could.

The ‘March’ is on!

5. Male Buffalo Distribution Program

May 2004

The Initiation of the Project

In last July [2003] we came to know rather casually that the cook of one of our Dharampur Schools lost both his male – buffaloes. He offered the school his fellow land for the expansion program of the vegetable garden, as he was not in a position to till his farm. Luckily one activist well – wisher was present there, when the dialogue was on, between Koki and the cook. He told Koki that he knows of some Panjarapoles [Buffalo –Sheds]. They organize free distribution of male – buffaloes. The poor Dharampur farmers could get advantage of the scheme.

Padas [animals] are used in agricultural operations in Dharampur hills. This is not the case in the plains, like Valod and Vyara. Here if male buffaloes are born, they are literally starved and ill – treated and allowed to die, eventually.

Reaching Vedchhi koki first talked to the concerned people. Then she started contacting the project workers and leaders in Kaprada. As it is the poorest and very remote block of original Dharampur, we are concentrating on Kaprada, since last 3 years. The local leaders organized A to Z before 45 animals arrived within a week, one by one, in 3 lorries. It was raining heavily. People waited for 24 hours, when the first consignment reached to Kaprada and finally at the door – steps of the people in distant villages. They deposited in advance RS 250 for each animal, as nominal one – way hiring charge. We subsidized the transportation a little. The cattle were given free of charge by the Trusts

Thrill & Complications

This inventive program is full of thrill, but full of challenges as well. I will mention only the last incident, which took place during our recent trip to Dharampur and Kaprada, last week.

About two months back one fine evening, we got a call from a person from Dharampur. He must have handled the phone for the first time in his life. He spoke straight and simple, rather falteringly:

‘ We have collected transportation charges for 80 animals. To whom may we hand over money? ‘He was the leader from Kolchas - a primitive tribe, considered backward and inferior by even other tribes of Dharampur. The gentleman was from one invisible village Pangarbari, 2900 feet high – up in the remote mountain area. The animal program that we executed so far is spread in the neighboring Kaprada block. We were astonished as to how these Kolchas living far away, came to know of this program, about us in Valod and even the terms of their share! They explained the requirement in great details on phone! We had neither contact with them nor any motivational meetings. It was a direct demand, with their contribution in their hands. The people got animals as was required, before long. The first chapter was over to the satisfaction of those Kolchas; but that was not the end of the story.

Finale

The Kolcha leaders approached us again for more animals, with advance contribution. At the feg end of this summer, we dared to contact one Trust, in extreme North of Gujarat. Within 4 days the request was conceded with the swift follow up. The outcome was rather complicated.

We received a phone last week in the middle of the day, that 4 lorries [in stead of 2] loaded with 96 animals are reaching Dharampur within two hours. Communication is a problem in Dharampur / Kaprada – more so in such emergencies. Fortunately Koki manage to convey the message to the concerned worker on phone in Kaprada. Then she rushed to the cross roads in Dharampur, where the lorries were supposed to wait. After great persuasion the drivers agreed to drive further in two different directions. Two lorries left for Kaprada – just on road. After a long search a person from another cluster was found out to lead the lorries to that unknown corner on the mountain.

But it was real crisis in Kaprada, as the drivers refused to move an inch further. All our requests and arguments on phone failed to convince them that there were no beneficiaries to whom we could hand over the 46 young animals, tired after the packed journey for the last 12 to 14 hours. They even threatened to unload the animals on road and return, as they say their contract was only for Dharampur. Our coordinator could have managed some how, but the emerging town [head quarters of Kaprada] faces acute drinking water scarcity in these days. They were the moments of unprecedented tension in the history of the project, in the last decade and a half. And the tensed retreat for Dharampur started. Koki took a spot decision to shift the animals to one of our schools, 16 km further from Dharampur. The messengers were sent to that Khanda School, to get prepared for the sudden eventuality, these being summer vacation days. Fortunately the head master of the school was there. Every thing was meticulously planned and worked out, before the animals reached to Khanda. Of course the drivers again refused to redirect their return journey to a un known Khanda village. But they were prevailed upon finally, as the animals were in very bad shape. They also had some goodness and kindness in their hearts. After all, they were human beings and could sense our spirit – why we are doing all this for the mail – buffaloes [animals].

The caravan reached to Khanda finally at 9 in the night. The 48 animals were unloaded, with difficulty to control them. 3 of them died in a couple of minutes. The leader of the drivers came to our Bilpudi house in the middle of the night, to collect transport charges. We felt relieved finally, though we had yet to resolve an issue, as to where to send our guests in Khanda.

We rushed to Khanda School the next morning. We were relieved to see the wonderful arrangement made by the teachers, for fodder and water for these unexpected and strange guests. This time it was not for the students, but for animals. 20 animals were already sold out at the fixed rate. It indicates the usefulness of the animals in this area and hence its attraction. Of course, they were getting animals at throw - away price and right at the door – steps of the needy families.

Building from Below

All the Trusts were so happy with the initial success that they offered to donate 500 animals. We almost touched the figure last week, with the cooperation of the distant Trusts. Never in our dreams did we plan for such a massive program. This is what is termed as: ‘Building from Below’ and reaching out to the poorest of the poor, with need – based approach. The market value of 500 animals would be more than half a million rupees. Its productive value in near future is a matter of multiplication. This is what is called the job – oriented sustained development at the grassroots.