Training Programme at Shahdol

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health camp was organized by BISWA during "Badayatra" in Malkangiri district from 09th March 2009 to 11th March 2009. Dr. Rajaram Sarangi, Assistant Manager Health checked up more than one hundred patients who were suffering from health problem and distributed medicine at free of cost to the patients. On behalf of BISWA, Mr. Suprabhat Sarangi, District Coordinator, Malkangiri and Mr.Gauranga Haldar, Assistant District Coordinator, Malkangiri conducted the health camp.
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Health Camp at Malkangiri

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& motivation was organised at Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh on 3rd March 2009. About 25 staff members of BISWA attended from different parts of Shahdol. At the outset an interaction session was made run among the staff members. In this programme Mr. Mandardhar Naik, Manager Internal Audit imparted the training on accounts more particularly on maintenance of books of account. Further he emphasized on motivation to the workers at grass root level like Community Organiser and Area Coordinator as per Single Window system of BISWA. In the training various queries put forth by staff members were answered upto their satisfaction by the Manager Internal Audit.

A training programme on accounts

Published by Debabrata Malick, Chief Editor. The Link, at BISWA Computer Section, Danipali, Budharaja, Sambalpur. PIN-768004 Ph.No- 0663-2533597, Email: thelink@biswa.org

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Volume-98

Communicate Minds

16th March 2009

FORTNIGHTLY

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MANIPUR NGOs visit BISWA

Khirod Ch. Malick Pitabasa Sethi Duryodhan Malick Ajoy Shroff Shiv Prasad Meher Bibhu Prasad Mohanty Prasant Kumar Sahu Dr. Jharana Mishra
In this Issue... Editorial MANIPUR NGOs visit BISWA Other news of BISWA

production again. He further added that about 70% of our population earn their livelihood from this agriculture sector, but their contribution to the GDP is not proportionate to that percent and that is a matter of concern for all of us. In such a situation NABARD wants to promote some farm clusters, producer groups or farmer groups. These are to be covered by our financial inclusion programme, so that small farmers could be

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Chief Editor Debabrata Malick Editor Ashisbala Dash DTP Govinda Ch. Tripathy
Central Office
BISWA At- Danipali, PO- Budharaja Dist. Sambalpur, PIN-768004 Tele fax- +91-663-2533597 Email:biswamalick@rediffmail.com, kcmalick@biswa.org www.biswa.org

and skill up-gradation in these groups are the real challenges being faced at the field level now, he added. Encouraging the activities of BISWA, he announced that let it come up with BIG schemes and we would welcome it. Mr. Malick painted a brief picture of profile of BISWA in his deliberation before these visitors from Manipur. Then he started an inter-active session and answered all the questions raised by the visitors to their satisfaction. In this interactive session the present members of second line took staffs of BISWA also took active participation. Mr. Singh expressed his satisfaction and said that their trip to Sambalpur is very successful & useful for the

visiting NGOs of Manipur. Besides understanding the organizational structure, human resources and activities of BISWA; these guests also visited some flagship projects like Hathibari Health Home, Kusanpuri and Barpali Handloom Cluster & Rengali Common Facility Centre (CFC) for a deeper study on BISWA. They were also made to visit the World famous Hirakud Dam to enjoy its beauty as well as its mega structure. They made a trip to Bargarh to see how the famous Sambalpuri Bastralaya is being run and managed in the cooperative sector. Virtually these young and energetic members of some NGOs fro Manipur left Sambalpur with much information on how a large non-government organisation like BISWA functions here. 4

State Offices

ORISSA Gada Gopinath Colony, In front of High School, Plot No. E/7, PO: Rasulgarh Bhubaneswar-751010 CHHATTISGARH C-243, Kuber Griha Society Rohinipuram, Raipur-492010, Telephone No: 0771-6451927

from Manipur in the leadership of Mr. L.N.Singh, AGM NABARD Manipur visited BISWA for three days on 8th, 9th & 10th, March 2009. A warm welcome was given to them in BTI hall in a meeting of second line staff members of BISWA. It was chaired by Mr. K.C.Malick Chairman BISWA and Mr. B.K.Dash AGM NABARD graced the occasion as a special guest. Mr. Dash was pleased to know that there is a separate department here on Natural Resource Management (NRM). So he requested BISWA to submit its proposals on NRM at the earliest; as NABARD has a special consideration for such proposals. Speaking on the main approaches of NABARD, he said that earlier the priority was focused on non-farm sectors rather than the farm sector, as NABARD felt it needed special attention. But the focus is now changed to again on farm sector, as agriculture needs much more attention today. Till yester years it was presumed that India may not face any problem of food scarcity, as there used to be sufficient buffer stock of food grains. But now a threat on food scarcity looms large on India & that warrants a special attention on food

T wenty NGO members

benefited, he explained. He had all praise for BISWA in his deliberation and said BISWA is a pioneer in financial inclusion of self help groups in this region. Formation of self help group is not a problem as on today and many organisations are doing it successfully now. Consolidation of these groups and rather restructuring them is now a real problem at the field level, he said. But BISWA is lodging its success in this field and that is an achievement, he clarified. Similarly credit linkage is no more a problem in this sector, rather to teach these group members how to bring out money out of this investment is the real problem, being faced at the field level. Moreover market linkage; technology adoption
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E ditorial
Women Empowerment
Human resources are supposed to be an asset for any nation, but it is a different situation in India. Almost half of our population that is the womenfolk are turned into liability instead of being asset. And we are responsible for this situation. Our negligence towards them has virtually made them weak before us. And the pity is that we called them weaker sex very fondly. But the present situation demands that they should be brought up to make them stand parallel to us and not behind us. The womenfolk be given sufficient opportunity to show their talents in various fields of life, so that the society could develop in a balanced way. The man & woman are to be taken as two wheels on a same axle and if both the wheels are unable to roll together then obviously the movement of the axle can not be in a straight line. There are efforts at almost all levels to bring them at par and the entire exercise is known as women empowerment. India is not the only nation that is lagging behind in this front, so similar efforts are being taken at the international level in the name of women empowerment. Each year on 8th of March we observe International Women's Day to mark the cause. The very purpose of all these exercise is to elevate their moral with giving them sufficient opportunity to prosper. But it may only yield result only if the womenfolk avail the opportunity and groom a strong desire to come forward to shoulder responsibility voluntarily.

DNCC Meeting to Combat Heat Waves

Calamity Committee (DNCC) took place on 5th March 2009 in the conference hall of the Collectorate in the chairmanship of Mr. Nirmal Chandra Satpathy, Additional District Magistrate Sambalpur. Mr. Sanatan Bisi, Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Government of Odisha and Mr. William Bilung, Project Director- District Rural Development Agency were on the dais with him. The meeting was convened to review the preparedness of the district administration to manage contingency of heat waves as well

A meeting of District Natural

as to suggest further advance arrangements for the same. All the line department officials were present in it for their departmental participations. The meeting discussed in detail about on subjects like, dissemination of heat waves warnings, medical arrangement, drinking water supply facilities, re-scheduling of timing of educational institutions, re-scheduling of working hours of labours & workers, re-scheduling of bus timings, veterinary relief measures and public awareness campaign. Mr. Shiv Prasad Meher, Manager- Public Relations, BISWA participated in it representing his organisation as the convener of District Level Coordination Committee of NGOs

Brain Storming Session in BISWA

Brain Storming Session of Second Line Staff Members of BISWA was convened on 8th March 2009 in BTI hall in the chairmanship of Mr.K.C.Malick, Chairman, BISWA. Initiating the session he said managing such an NGO like BISWA is a purely professional work and our managers are performing their role up to the mark. In such a team work, it may not be possible that each and every member of the team must get a chance to speak his or her mind but the success lies in the perfect team coordination. One may possess a 2

difference of opinion on certain points that may not get accommodated in the team work, but it should not be taken as a deterrent at all. On the contrary the whole team should work as a single body to reach the goal and each member of the team should think in terms of how to contribute collectively with individual participation. In the session, each participating member was given a chance for self introduction with addressing points like ownership to the organisation, accountability and transparency in works. Participating members bagged the opportunity and spoke their minds eloquently that were documented in detail. Such an exercise would certainly enable the management to adopt certain points while drafting policy for the organisation. So it was consensually decided that there should be such brain storming sessions in regular intervals in future.

ISWA observed the International Women's Day on 8th March at BTI in the chairmanship of Mr. K.C.Malick, Chairman, where in many leading women of the society participated as the invited guests and spoke to the occasion. At the outset Mr. Shiv Prasad Meher, ManagerPublic Relations BISWA welcomed the guests with inviting them to the dais. He also facilitated the greetings to them with flower bouquet. The day's programme started with lighting the licks of the lamp by the invited guests. Mr. Malick shed lights on the rights and self-reliance of women in his inaugural speech. He described the facilities extended to women working in BISWA and said that we have 62% participation of women in our organisation that indicates our gender sensitivities very clearly. Moreover there are 99% women participations at our self help group level that speaks volumes of our sensitivities towards womenfolk. He emphasised on women empowerment in real terms for an over all and balanced development of the society. Ms Bani Mohapatra, Counselor- SWADHAR in BISWA explained that how the neglected women could be brought back to the main stream of the society with appropriate empowerment. Ms. Mamata Sahu, Chief Manager Micro Finance- BISWA narrated

International Women's Day

how the organisation is able to empower the women self help groups by extending them micro credit at their door step in easy terms. Such an exercise is enabling them to earn their livelihood as well as their self dignity. She is also a member of district level women empowerment committee- Mission Shakti. So her deliberation was just convincing. Speaking to the occasion, Ms Sunita Padhi, ManagerProgramme BISWA described in various phases how women in our society are facing problem in their day to day struggle for survival. Ms Runubala Dei, Jailer- Naribandi Niketan (women jail), Ms Subasini Sinha, Assistant Jailer, Ms T.Disa & Ms Sanjukta Sahu both of them police officials from women police station spoke from the dais as the invited guests and high lighted women causes in their speeches. Ms Gitanjali Mohapatra, Programme Officer & in- charge of District Social Welfare Office participated as the chief guest on the occasion and described various women welfare activities & programmes launched by the government. Five women self help group members of BISWA were felicitated on this occasion for their achievements in concerned fields. Ms Rina Mahanand, Ms Kheta Mirdha, Ms Lila Sikandar, Ms Saraswati Mirdha, Ms Shama Begam & Ms Urkuli Bhua were also felicitated on the occasion for excellence in their working fields. The meeting was concluded with vote of thanks tendered by Ms Sunita Padhi at the end.

BISWA Relief for Fire Victims

A fire broke out suddenly in the afternoon

of Thursday, March 5th, 2009, on Hitsara village of Naktideul Block, as a thatched roof of a house caught fire while the house lady was cooking food for her family in an open hearth (chulha). Use of such open hearth for home cooking is a common practice in villages. The village was seriously affected by this fire as it spread rapidly from one roof to another. The dry straw thatched on these roofs was hot by harsh Sun by then and the breezing air helped the spread. As such these houses in our village are very prone to fire and any flick of slight mistake leads to such casualty. The hapless villagers tried to bring the spreading fire under their control but before it was brought under control about 52 houses were turned to ash. The affected families virtually lost their lifetime savings in this unfortunate fire and they were pushed to streets literally. Since, they lost their entire belongings, so they were forced to depend on others for their basic needs like food, shelter & clothing. The remaining villagers, those who were not affected by this fire did their best to arrange these basic needs for their affected brethrens with their limited resources. But it was just difficult for them to repeat the feat for the subsequent days. Moreover expected relief could not reach there from the Government. In such a situation BISWA came forward there to meet its social obligation as an NGO. Mr. Sagar Pujari & Mr. Sitakanta Panigrahi rushed to the affected village from Sambalpur and distributed relief to the fire victim people with the help from the ADC office staff at Naktideul, Mr. Sumanta Patra ADC, Mr. Kalandi Sethi Area Coordinator, Mr. Ranjit Sandha & Mr. Ranjit Sahu both Community Organisers. The relief team from BISWA provided breakfast, lunch and dinner to the affected people on March 6th (second day of incident). The local members of Panchayati Raj Institution helped the team in this relief work. Since the affected people were left with no clothes in that incident, so the BISWA relief team also arranged new clothing for their use.