Seva Setu – Page 7 – Serving to bridge

13 Jul

Hunarbaaz Babli!

Today, we introduce Babli, a newly elected ward counselor of Muradpur village from Bhulosa Danapur panchayat, Patna.

We first met Babli when we were associated with World Health Partners to ensure that drugs to check TB were being consumed in a timely manner by those fighting it. Babli had seen Seva Setu’s active involvement in this program and had walked up to us asking whether she could be a part of the action. A couple of discussions later, she was on-board, active as a field executive.

On having worked actively on monitoring the government’s VHND programs and getting malnourished children from her neighborhood admitted to the local Nutritional Rehabilitation Center (NRC), she took up Seva Setu’s Skill India program and helped set up stitching centers in three villages in her panchayat.

Babli receiving a certificate of training for stitching from another of our field volunteers Abhay Anand

Babli and the team she helped assemble to get trained in stitching.

Babli today has a vision for where she wants to see her village in five years’ time. Her stint with Seva Setu has exposed her to a number of ways in which women and children from her village can live healthy lives and also double up as income generators for their respective households. Setting up a robust drainage system, connectivity to nearby towns through well-connected roads and ensuring each house has a toilet are a part of her immediate action items. We are pleased to aid her in setting up the initial capital in getting some of these projects started off.

We see a fantastic opportunity to help the Bablis of tomorrow. At Seva Setu, the range of activities we involve ourselves in, invariably exposes our field executives to the various pain-points the common man suffers from. Additionally, our model also shows through actionable work on how some of these pain points can be circumvented. The hope and aspiration we see in Babli’s eyes fuels our drive to be the “setu” we envisioned to be – between those willing to serve and those who cannot help themselves.

Pleased to hear about Babli? Want to meet many others on the ground who are as active and determined to bring about a change? Want to lead a team of such spirited individuals into building something worthwhile? Drop a note right away – we’ll be happy for you to be involved!

Work done with: Abhay Anand ji

03 Jul

The seed of entrepreneurship is sown! (Danapur, Patna, Bihar)

The hallmark of a true entrepreneur is an irresistible urge to grow his/her enterprise; to constantly think of new ways to reach a wider market and in order to do so, to constantly acquire new skills as well.

Meet Neetu ji – one of our first stitching trainers we had on board to teach a group of 15 local women.

Neetu ji showcasing some of the designs she has made!

Neetu ji has both, party wear and daily wear in her catalogue of clothes she designs!

Neetu ji has both, party wear and daily wear in her catalog of clothes she designs!

On having completed the three-month training course we set up some time back, Neetu ji now sees an untapped opportunity here and has gone ahead and opened a full-fledged stitching and tailoring center with the help of those whom she trained. She went to the Ministry of Industries (Udyog Bhawan) in Patna and on utilizing the Pradhan Mantri Employment Generation Program, which helped her take a loan, has bought electric sewing machines and a store to run her activities. She now is actively looking at markets to cover so that people buy their produce. She is particularly eyeing entering Big Bazaar and its likes.

One of Neetu ji’s associates whom she’d trained through Seva Setu’s stitching training initiative

Another of Neetu ji’s associates whom she’d trained

This is probably the best realization of the vision Seva Setu had when we started off this initiative. We consider this to be the right model to replicate with our other stitching training centers. Full steam ahead on this!

If you want to be a part of this initiative to help these local entrepreneurs in growing their markets, do drop a line here – we’ll be happy to connect you to them (we are after all a Setu [bridge] on a mission). Generally, it’s an information barrier that’s a show-stopper for them. We can ensure they make the best of what you have to offer in terms of domain knowledge and expertise.

It would also be great if you could share this post with as many to help spread the word!

26 Jun

An Audit of the Health Sub Centers (Phulwari Sharif, Patna)

At Seva Setu, our efforts are two-fold in ensuring that existing government infrastructure reaches the last mile: one line of our effort involves hand-holding and providing innovative interventions to make existing infrastructure work better and the other involves strong advocacy to urge relevant stakeholders in improving the existing infrastructure.

In an attempt at our advocacy – we were curious to know how the state’s Health Sub Centers were functioning. The HSC, as envisioned by the National Rural Health Mission, is meant to be the first point of contact by the community for basic healthcare. An Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife (ANM) is supposed to man these clinics and treat and dispense non-critical cases, referring the critical ones to the Primary Health Centers (PHCs). These centers are normally located in every panchayat as against the PHCs, which usually cover one block. By the design of it, it rightly should reduce the load of footfalls happening at a PHC.

When we went around to see what’s going on, we found a different story. Of the 15 HSCs we visited in a span of 2 weeks recently, we noticed 13 of them to be closed. On speaking to the locals there, we realized this has been the case for a long while now.

HSC at Bhusola Danapur: People in the vicinity did not even know there was an HSC in the area.

HSC at Suitha: Unknown to the locals, this HSC neither has the required stock nor is visited by the locals. All of them prefer to head to the nearest PHC, which is a good 10km from this place.

HSC at Parsa: Totally unused, the locals told us that the ANM (Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife) visits once a month. During the other days, it is used as a makeshift place to store grass, fodder etc.

HSC at Pashi - 1: A very dirty and clearly unused HSC, one of the rooms here is used to store fodder.

HSC at Pashi : A very dirty and clearly unused HSC, one of the rooms here is used to store fodder.

HSC at Pashi

HSC at Chilbili: This three-roomed HSC is closed throughout. Two of these rooms did not have doors; the other was locked. There were men seated outside playing cards. Was visibly very dirty.

HSC at Chilbili

HSC at Visanpur: The HSC runs within the premises of a temple

HSC at Visanpur

Some highlights from our study –

13 out of the 15 HSCs were closed.
Of the ones open, there were expired tablets kept in stock.
One of the HSCs runs in the premises of a temple.

What’s worse was the people around did not know what an HSC was or why it is of use to them.

We are shifting gears into a concerted drive to get this awareness reach the last mile as well as sensitize a wider audience regarding this.

Do share this to as many you know with the hope that those who err and those responsible for its upkeep also catch sight of it. We are also working on some innovative interventions to aid the existing system in doing better – drop a line to know more!

At Seva Setu, we are actively pushing for these cases to be highlighted by the media as well. We have a detailed report on these findings. Do drop in a line if you’d like to read it or if you have ideas to share on how to increase readership.

We have now started off with a drive to evaluate the PHCs in some of these districts and highlight discrepancies we find there. Full steam ahead!

21 Jun

An Audit of the Social Audit Day Program by the Ministry of ICDS (Phulwari Sharif)

A social audit of the Anganwadi centers in every village is supposed to be an audit by the members of the society in seeing whether the Anganwadi is able to serve the people right. This is an event which takes place every six months and is widely publicized by the organizing ministry, the Integrated Child Development Services.

Designated office-bearers along with the citizens get an opportunity to walk up to the Anganwadis and audit the performance of the center over the last couple of months. A very powerful tool by the letter of the law.

However, when at Seva Setu audited the audit today, we found a different story. No audit really happens! The letter of the law is all the remains. Most Anganwadi centers were busy doing paper work related to Aadhar and ration cards. Further, we found out some centers which were not functioning at all!

Expected vs. reality – Social audit program by the department of ICDS where the society is supposed to walk up to Anganwadis and ask how the last 6 months have been. Of the ten we visited randomly today, none had the audit going on!

Further, some Anganwadi centers were dysfunctional!

Non-functioning Anganwadi center number 101 at Kurthol village, Phulwari block in Patna, Bihar.

Minutes of the audits maintained by the Anganwadi centers. This is a boilerplate message, without real information on any actionable items or discussions, being used for the last couple of years.

Attendance logs maintained by the Anganwadi centers. It shows most of the members required to be at the audits to be missing.

Jago Ganatantra, Jago! Spread the word to make those who err sit up and notice.
We also have a detailed report on our findings which we hope to publicize. If you have ideas on how to make this go viral, please drop a comment here. Further, to read our detailed report on this, drop a comment here – happy to share it with you.

21 May

Bridging Digital Divide | Training Batch 3

We are pleased to share with you that we have successfully completed the training on computer fundamentals for our 3rd batch of students. 🙂

While the next batch has already been started with 18 students in it, we have trained 87 students so far in Rajapakar block, Vaishali (Bihar) in the last five months.

The final assessment and certification by NSDC (National Skill Development Corporation) for the first 2 batches is expected to be completed by the end of this month. Post-certification, these students will be eligible to apply for relevant job opportunities or enroll for more specialized courses.

Here are a few pics from the last written-test held on 13th May, 2016.

We Serve. We Bridge!

Bridging Digital Divide. Building ‪#‎DigitalIndia‬