HAND IN HAND INDIA Office: 90 A Nasarathpet village, Little Kancheepuram, Kancheepuram DT 631503, Tamilnadu - India

Poverty Reduction &

Facilitating Convergence

through a program of

Eco-tourism in Banda

district of Uttar Pradesh

Monthly Progress Report

February, 2013

Planning & Achievement

For giving the strength to the vision and mission and moving towards achieving the goal of

HAND IN HAND INDIA , the Banda team planned their whole month’s work accordingly

and fixed the target to organize minimum 25 SHGs and mobilize 375 women in the fifth

month of its operation. To achieve this, the team organized group interactions and

meetings in the targeted villages and arranged for joining of different dignitaries of

villages i.e. Sarpanch, Aanganwadi members, Sathins and other key persons/key

stakeholders of the targeted villages. Our interest was to find the key persons from the

meetings and we did so. As a result, we could appoint two new enthusiastic field workers

(Credit Officer) from the community and on the basis of their hard work and commitment;

we are able to form/organize 8 new Self Help Groups (job for work) in month of February,

2013. Mrs. Chitwan Verma, (Commissioner’s wife) Chairperson Akansha Samiti, Banda

visited in our groups and interacted with our SHG members. Mr. Shahee Deepak Kumar,

Project Coordinator, Banda arranged her visit. She acknowledges HiH India’s work in the

most backward area of Uttar Pradesh and is willing to collaborate in future for the

development of women.

Snapshot of achievements for December and cumulative up to February, 2013

Table-1

SHG

formed in

Feb, 13

Cumulati

ve SHGs

formed

up to

Feb,13

Member

Enrolled

in Feb,

13

Cumulative

member

enrolled up

to Feb,13

Cumulative

No. of

SHGs are

trained on

M- 1. As on

Feb, 2013

Cumulative

no. of SHG

members are

trained on

M-1. As on

Feb, 2013

Cumulative

no. of SHG

members

are trained

on M-2. As

on Feb,

2013

Cumulative

no. of SHG

members

are trained

on A&R. As

on Feb,

2013

8 28 104 354 23 254 108 37

Table-2

Dashboard – For the month of February 2013

Genre Activity Milestone Self Help Group

Formation Women Self Help Group Formation No.of SHG – 8; Women covered –104

Training to SHG women Module – 1 training imparted to 36 SHG

members on the SHG concept.

Module – 2 training imparted to 112 SHG

members on the SHG concept

A&R training imparted to 88 SHG

members on book keeping and role and

responsibility of Animators and

representatives.

Relationship

development

with

local

stakeholders

Interaction meeting organized All the active villages of Tenduari Block

with the key stakeholders covered

including the Simounee village.

Rapport with various authorities NGOs, ICDS-Tenduari, Child

Development Project Officers, Block

Development Officers, Sarpanchs and

other officials of the Tenduari Block,

Banda.

Interviews To identify Credit Officers. To select Credit Officer for Tenduari

Branch.

Appointment Credit Officers for Tenduari Branch Shortlisted two new Credit Officers and

appointed.

Research To identify the market places to

provide extensive marketing support

to SHG made products.

Identified different types of places like

Fair, Religious places etc., in Banda &

Chitrakoot

To identify the family based

enterprises and products that

encourage Eco tourism.

Banda team visited in different Blocks

and villages of Banda to identifying new

products and value addition in existing

products.

Target Vs Achievement in SHG formation Target Vs Achievement in M-1 training

0

7

14

21

28

35

Dec,12

Jan, 13 Feb,13

Target

Achievement

0

7

14

21

28

35

Dec,12

Jan, 13 Feb,13

Target

Achievement

Detail of different types of fairs/Melas in Banda are given in below table-3

Table-3

S.

No.

Date/

Occasion

No. of

Days

Fair Details Places Remarks with details

1 14th Jan 1 Day

(Every

Year)

There is a

SAMADHI of a

NAT on which

every year there

is a Fair.

At Bhuragrah Fort-

Kane river Banda

People serve RABRI on

the Samadhi

2 15-17 Dec 3 Days

(Ever

year)

At the AASHRAM

of SIMONI BABA

Handicraft fair

organized for 3

days and same fair

extend for more

three days

inBHANDARA

At Simoni Baba place,

Baberu Block, Banda

Different types of

Handicraft products

illustrate the fair.

3 Month of

December

7 to 10

days

Handicraft fair Government Inter

College Ground,

Banda

Famous for Handicraft

products

4 At Nav-

Ratri

9 Days

each

(Twice a

year)

Fair on occasion of

Nav–Ratri Maheshwari Devi

Temple, Banda

On occasion of famous

Hindu Festival namely

Nav-Ratri, religious fair

is organized to sell

religious based

products.

5 Kaali Devi Temple,

Banda

6 KhatriPahar, Girwa,

Banda

Kaali Devi Temple,

Benda ghat, Tindwari,

Banda

7 At Maha

Shiv-Ratri

1 Day A fair on the

occasion of Maha Shiv-Ratri

Neelkanth Temple,

Kaalinjar Fort,

Naraini, Banda

Demand of milk and its

related products sell on

the occasion of festival.

8 13th Jan 1 Day

(Every

Year)

OrganizingYAGYA

and Fair

JauharPur, Tindwari,

Banda

A Religious fest, People

take part in YAGYA and

fair.

9 15 & 16th

Jan

2 Days

(Every

year)

Fair on the

occasion of

Makar-Sankranti

Benda Ghat,

Tindwari, Banda

10 Month of

February

1 Month There is a big fair

for 1 month

Chilla, Tindwari,

Banda

Wooden and Iron made

products are the main

products to sell in the

fair.

11 5 & 6th

Feb

2 Days

(Every

year)

Fair with the

program ofDangal (Wresling) at the

temple of Dane

Baba

Dane Baba Temple,

Luktara, Banda

People from different

regions and states are

participating in

wrestling. It is an

attraction for Banda

audience.

12 Next 2

days after

Deepawali

2 Days

(Every

year)

A two day fair

organize just

after Deepawali on

occasion of

PARIVA

Kaleshwar Baba

Place, Paprenda,

Tindwari- Banda

13 3rd and

4th day

after

Deepawali

2 Days

(Every

year)

To play

RAMLEELA

Khaptiha Kala, Banda RAMLEELA attracts the

numbers of audience

belongs to Banda

district.

14 25 & 26th

Jan

2 Days

(Every

year)

Fair is for

wrestling

Mawai, Banda People from different

regions and states are

participating in

wrestling. It is an

attraction for Banda

audience.

15 28 & 29

Jan

2 Days

(Every

year)

Fair is for

wrestling

Piprahri, Tindwari,

Banda

People from different

regions and states are

participating in

wrestling. It is an

attraction for Banda

audience

16 29-31st

Jan

3 Days

(Every

year)

The fair is known

as “JariKaMela” People from many

placesare visit fair

and participated in

different

activities. The fair

is famous because

once a woman

made her SATI

with his Husbands

dead body.

Banda The fair attracts the

women because mostly

shops in fair is for

Sindoor, Bindi Bengals

etc., Wrestling and

Drama is also one of the

attraction for Banda

people.

17 BasantPanc

hami

1 Day Fair is organize on

the occasion of

Basant Panchami (SaraswatiPooja)

Semari, Tindwari,

Banda

Centre of attraction for

the people of Banda

18 ShivaRatri

to Holi

About 15

to 20

Days

Avery old and big

Temple of Lord

Shiva is situated

in place.

Thawai Sur, Banda

(Bahau to Bandwa to

Kirthi Kheda and

then to Thawai Sur)

According to a myth,

Lord Shiva was apparent

from a tree, a miracle.

Big markets of wooden

made products are

placed in fair and people

from different blocks

of Banda buy these

products

19 17-20th

Jan

4 days in

a year

Sufi devotional

music (Qawwali) is

an attraction to

call thousands of

people in fair

Kurrrahi Fair is belong to Muslim

community but due to

Qawwali it attracts all

religion to mark their

presence.

20 14 & 15th

Jan

2 days in

a year

Fair is devoted to

wrestling.

Mahokhar, Banda Products made up of

stone are centre of

attraction in fair.

21 Nav-Ratri 9 Days

each

(Twice a

year)

Fair is organized

by committee on

the occasion of

Nav-Ratri

Madhi Devi Temple,

Baberu, Banda

Products related to

worship are the

attraction of fair.

22 Karthik

Purnima

12 Days There is a fair

called Kunahul Ka Mela on the

occasion of

KarthikPurnima.

Kunahul, Banda

(On Baberu to Atarra

road, 3 km from

Bisanda)

Cultural programmes

with wrestling are

organized in fair.

23 BasantPanc

hami

12 Day There is famous

fair called

Jamurahi Baba KaMela

Baberu to Rajapur

road, 4 KM from

Kamasin

Fair is organized in the

campus of Lord Shiva

temple. Demand of milk

is high in these 12 days.

24 After

Jamurahi Baba ka Mela

10 Days There is a fair

called Paleshwar Baba KaMela.

Rajapur Pahadi,

Banda

(Baberu-Rajapur-

Karvi road-Pahadi

Thana)

Fair is organized in the

campus of Lord Shiva

Temple. Demand of milk

is high in these 10 days.

25 Baisakh

Purnima

15 Days The fair is called

Bhad Baba Ka Mela.

Baberu to Marka

Road,

(Before Marka turn

from Nahar)

Fair is organized in the

campus of Lord Shiva

temple to the range of 2

Km. Demand of milk is

high in these 15 days.

26 10th Feb 1 Day Fair is known as

Rampur Ka Mela,

Pailani, Banda Iron and stone made

products are the centre

of attraction.

Detail of different types of fairs in Chitrakoot are given in below table-4

Table-4

Fair Name Time Period

Ramayan fair

Deepdan

Navaratri

ShrawanJhoola fairAmavasya

February-March on Ramnavmi

During Dipawali

Twice a Year 9 days

Fair every monthAmavasya

All these listing of fairs and events will help us in collaborate the SHGs and involve local

community to lead the development of the area by increasing the quality of existing

products, focus on eco-friendly products, through SHGs demonstrate and sell Hand-made

products, put up stalls of those products which is very rare available in market and having

good demand and encourage Ayurved & Herb based medicines with the help of putting

stalls, banners and local “wise” Hakeem.

Campaign and demonstration

In the project area will start campaign to promote about available heritage, for instance;

Kalinger fort and its great monument of the art and science of fortification and a gem of

archeology, demonstrate brown stone and art of Bhuragarh fort in ‘Natbali Ka Mela’, (Once

in a year organizing by local community) etc. Apart from this demonstrate and promote the

culture of local area by supporting existing cultural events in above mention fair.

Focus more in Handicraft fair at the AASHRAM of SIMONI BABA which is organize for 3 days and

minimize the conflicts between resource use for eco-tourism and the livelihood of local inhabitants

by identifying more options.

Challenges in Project and the reasons behind to not achieve the targets in proposed

time interval

1- Staff retention: Banda is one of the most backward districts of region Budelkhand,

they are not capable to perform his/her duty well. The concept of SHG is fully new

for them; current situation is that only 3 COs are active out of 7 appointments

done for Banda project.

2- Local populace are not taking interest on same, they are habitual to work as a labor

and their participation in joining SHG and attending village meetings, SHG meetings

and in trainings is very low.

3- Local populace especially women do not advocate the SHG concept, willing to work in

JLG concept (more than 90% of SHGs formed by SGSY and RGF is inactive)

RGF-Rajiv Gandhi Foundation in Banda district

4- Bankers are not supportive in opening SHG Bank account as well as in Credit

linkages. According to them SHGs NPA is much more than the NPA of individual

loan.

Organize village level meeting in village Paprenda of Banda district

What currently we are doing through group meetings and M-2

training:

Developing entrepreneurial culture entails the development of a positive attitude towards

new and unforeseen circumstances. However, shifting the attitude towards change does

not suffice for rural entrepreneurship to thrive. What is important is seeing and seizing

entrepreneurial opportunity. Too often, potential entrepreneurs are hindered by the lack

of motivation to take risks, the non-availability of information on what are a good business

opportunity and the lack of skills/knowledge on how to set up a new enterprise.

In above picture, Mr. R. K. Singh, Director Operations – Rajasthan & UP is giving M-2 training to SHGs.

Development of entrepreneurial

culture:

Training inputs include themes to

enhance participants

understanding of:

· What is entrepreneurship?

· Who are entrepreneurs'? And

· Mechanisms crucial for the

development of positive attitudes

towards entrepreneurship on

regional and local levels.

Note-1- HiH India is working on to reduce the factors of poverty, for this HiH India adopted

different types of strategies and solutions to increase the level of income of an SHG member’s upto 2

dollar per day. Step by step it will also replicate in Banda.

Weekly Review Meeting

Every week we organize a meeting for review the performance of Credit Officers. Weekly

targets setting and achievements against the target are mainly discussed with the

obstacles. Weekly review meeting chaired by Project Coordinator, Banda

Staff weekly review in Branch All staff of Banda Project

Voice of Project Staffs:

Poverty Reduction & Facilitating Convergence through a program of Eco-tourism in Banda

district of Uttar Pradesh is itself having a good opportunity for me to encourage eco

tourisms and the experience I gained after the visit of Head Office is very valuable and

helps me to design further plan – Mr. Deepak, Project Coordinator

I’m very much thankful to HiH India for understanding the need of poor women and came

with an interesting project and it is my heartily gratitude towards organization for chosen

me as a team member – Mr. Neeraj, Regional Trainer

SHG members and I is very much thankful to HiH for providing a wonderful platform for

working together – Mr. Pradeep, Branch Manager-Tenduari, Banda.