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Christ University Bengaluru

Centre for Social Action (CSA)

Project Officer CSA

Jino Joy, MSW, MPhil

Submission Date

13. December 2017

Student

Roger Buchmueller

exchange student from Switzerland

R E P O R T

R U R A L E X P O S U R E : V I S I T K O L A R

D I S T R I C T

2 5 . - 2 6 . N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

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Contents

1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 3

2. Various Definitions and Explanations ......................................................................................... 3

3. Program 1st day (Saturday, 25.11.2017) .................................................................................... 4

4. Program 2nd day (Sunday, 26.11.2017) ...................................................................................... 5

5. Observation ................................................................................................................................ 5

6. Information from the CSA field coordinator and community leaders about the Project .......... 8

7. Theoretical framework regarding the work for the development of rural communities .......... 9

8. Challenges and ethical considerations ..................................................................................... 10

9. Conclusions ............................................................................................................................... 10

10. References ................................................................................................................................ 12

List of Abbreviations

CSA Centre for Social Action (Christ University Bengaluru)

CUB Christ University Bengaluru

SHG Self-Help-Group

Acknowledgement

First of all, I would like to thank Aneesh and his friends very much for the great organization of the

camp. It was impressive how Aneesh and his friends – in addition to all the other work they have

to do at university – managed to set up such an exciting and varied camp in Kolar district.

Furthermore thank you for the great support of the Field Coordinators, Mr. Anjaneyappa and Mr.

Nagaraj, to show us the villages, to answer all our questions and also for the delicious meals.

Moreover, a big thank to Mr. Jino Joy to let me spontaneously join the group of Engineer students

to visit their camp. Last but not least thanks to all the students who participated on the camp and

contributed, we had an informative and fruitful time.

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1. Introduction

The department of Social Work of my home university in Zurich has a cooperation with Christ

University Bengaluru (CUB). CUB has its own non-governmental organization (NGO) with the

Centre for Social Action (CSA) and carries out development urban projects in Bengaluru and also in

rural areas. I am working on a research project for my home university and the assignment is to do

a research into the project methods of CSA. I am interested to understand how the responsible

persons develop and manage projects at CSA. Therefore, together with 4 American exchange

students, one CSA volunteer from the Netherlands I got the opportunity to join a group of

engineer students from Kengeri Campus on their rural exposure. Rural exposure means that

students are taken to the village areas as an attempt to make social responsibility a culture among

students in the University and to expose them to rural realities and in turn make them realize their

roles in the society. CSA coordinates 60 rural exposure visits for students from various

departments and deaneries every year. 3500 students are exposed to the village system of India,

which serves as the backbone of the country and are exposed to the problems faced by rural

communities especially women and children.

Therefore in this report I would like to write about the rural exposure of Kolar district. The next

chapter introduces some definitions and explanations for the further understanding. The third

chapter reviews briefly the 1st day (Saturday, 25.11.2017) and the fourth chapter the 2nd day

(Sunday, 26.22.2017) of the rural exposure. Chapter five illustrates observation examples and

chapter six constructs a theoretical framework regarding the work for the development of rural

communities. The next chapter reviews challenges and ethical considerations and the final chapter

is a conclusion.

2. Various Definitions and Explanations

Centre for Social Action (CSA)

Is a 'Students Movement for a Humane and Just Society' where student communities are

sensitized on various issues affecting the poor and the marginalized sections of society.

Established in 1999, CSA works towards promoting the value of Social Responsibility amongst the

student community. With the support of volunteers, faculty and full time development

professionals, CSA is strongly engaged in addressing issues related to child rights, socio-economic

development of women, youths and farmers, livelihood, community mobilization and

environment/climate change issues (Christ University, 2017).

Kolar District

Kolar district is a district in Karnataka state of India. The town of

Kolar is the district headquarters. Kolar district is located in the

southern region of the State and is the eastern-most district of the

Karnataka State. The district is bounded by the Bangalore Rural

district in the west Chikballapur district in the north, Chittoor District

of Andhra Pradesh in the east and on the south by Krishnagiri and

Vellore district of Tamil Nadu (Government of Karnataka, 2017). The

major sources of employment are agricultural: dairy farming,

sericulture and floriculture. The district is popularly known as the

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land of "silk, milk and gold”. Farmers in Kolar depend on borewell water for irrigation and drinking.

The Kolar Gold Fields were closed in 2003 due to shrinking gold deposits and increasing production

costs.

Kannada

Kannada, also known as Canarese or Kanarese is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by

Kannada people in India, mainly in the state of Karnataka, and by significant linguistic minorities in

the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala, Goa and abroad. The

language has roughly 40 million native speakers who are called Kannadigas (Kannadigaru), and a

total of 50.8 million speakers according to a 2001 census. It is one of the scheduled languages of

India and the official and administrative language of the state of Karnataka. The Kannada language

is written using the Kannada script, which evolved from the 5th-century Kadamba script

(Schwartzberg, 1978, p. 102 and The Karnataka Official Language Act, 2017).

Community Development The United Nations defines community development as "a process where community members come together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problems." It is a broad term given to the practices of civic leaders, activists, involved citizens and professionals to improve various aspects of communities, typically aiming to build stronger and more resilient local communities. Community development seeks to empower individuals and groups of people with the skills they need to effect change within their communities. These skills are often created through the formation of social groups working for a common agenda. Community developers must understand both how to work with individuals and how to affect communities' positions within the context of larger social institutions.

Empowerment

Empowerment appears to have a range of meaning, with no common agreed definition. Often it is

easier to define empowerment by its absence (Rapport, 1984, p. 8). The Oxford English Reference

Dictionary defines empowerment as authorise license (a person to do) give power to; make able (a

person to do). This definition implies the notion of enabling and giving power to. According to

Adams (1996, p. 2), while empowerment literally means “becoming powerful” in Social Work, it

means much more since it embraces both theory and methods. Thomas and Pierson (1995, p. 134)

define empowerment as concerned with how people can be enabled to gain collective control

over their lives, so as to achieve their interest as a group and a method by which social workers

seek to enhance the power of people who lack it.

3. Program 1st day (Saturday, 25.11.2017)

Time approx. Action

07.30 h Meeting Christ University Main Campus

07.45 h Driving by bus to Kolar District

09.30 h Breakfast Idli

11.45 h Arrive at CSA Quarter Kolar District

12.00 h Icebreaker / introductory game Part I

13.00 h Lunch

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14.00 h Icebreaker / introductory game Part II

15.00 h CSA Field Coordinators explain the Project

16.00 h Speech of a Community Women Leader / Discussion

16.30 h Driving to a village

17.30 h Interact with the residents of the village and visit in different groups three houses to ask about the

health issues

19.30 h Driving back to SCA Quarter Kolar District

20.15 h Diner

21.00 h Discussions / Preparing the awareness Performance for tomorrow / Card games and Bonfire

4. Program 2nd day (Sunday, 26.11.2017)

Time approx. Action

07.00 h Get up / stand up

08.00 h Breakfast

09.00 h Drive to St. Anne's School, Marianpet, Kolar District

10.00 h Celebrate Kannada Day with local people and travel from village to village

13.00 h Lunch

14.00 h Celebrate Kannada Day with local people and travel from village to village

15.30 h Awareness Performance *

17.00 h Going back to CSA Quarter Kolar District

18.00 h Drive back by bus to Bengaluru Christ University

21.00 h Arrival in Bengaluru / exchange contacts and numbers / say goodbye

* Awareness Performance on a social issue to sensitive the community about contemporary social issues

The story was based on having washrooms and maintaining self-cleanliness. The scenario: There was a lady and two

guys come and propose her, so she asks them if they went to the washroom? Both give a positive reply. Then she

wants to make sure that they washed their hands or not and asked them. One gives a positive reply and the other one

a negative answer. So she goes with the one who’s hygienic. 3 students in the circle played the performance and the

other students were standing around and were singing.

5. Observation

The CSA Quarter in Kolar District is located in a very nice big building and was well visible (see Fig. 1.1.). All

the activities, budget, objectives, goals etc. are well visible (see Fig. 1.2. – 1.7.). Inside the building there

was a lot of space to discuss and talk (see Fig. 1.8.) as well as to sleep later on (see Fig. 1.9.). We had one

big bus (see Fig 1.10.) for all the approx. 60 people and later on 2 smaller buses (see Fig. 1.11. and 1.12) to

transfer to the different villages. Inside the building the first day after arriving the field coordinators

explained about the project and one Community Woman Leader (which had a lot of self-confidence and

could explain everything perfectly well) had a speech (see Fig. 1.13) and we had a good discussion. One of

the students was translating. Later we were interacting with the residents of the village, visited in different

groups three houses to ask about the health issues (see Fig. 1.14.and Fig. 1.15) later on visited the Children

Activity Centre (see Fig. 1.16 and 1.17). As we arrived to the village quite late, it was already dark and it was

difficult to enter the houses and interact with the residents and ask them about health issues because most

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of the people did not speak Kannada and it was late. The answers about health issues were very different,

some said everything is good, others said the next doctor, public health centre or hospital is very far away.

It was subjective and varied from family to family. Most of the families knew CSA, but not all.

The next day, on Sunday, we went to St. Anne’s School in Marianpet, Kolar District. As it was Festival of

Kannada Day many people were dressed up, played instruments, were dancing and we went from village to

village with all the school children and musicians (see Fig. 1.18 – 1.23) I also had the opportunity to talk to

the field coordinators which had a lot of knowledge (see Fig. 1.24). While traveling from one village to the

next village sometimes in the buses, sometimes walking, it was very informative to see the agriculture.

People were working very hard on the fields (e. g. tomato’s). There were also a lot of Mango trees. People

were happy that an event happened and I guess always almost all of the people from the villages came out

of their houses when the musicians and all the students came with their cars. The school St. Anne’s

Mariapet was simple but developed a lot. I was talking to some adults and they explained me that many

years ago they were the first students in this school and at their time they were still having had classes

under the trees and now the infrastructure improved a lot during the last 10 years and the school building

is indeed very nice (see Fig. 1.25 – 1.29). Before leaving we performed in one of the villages the street play

“Awareness Performance” (see Fig. 1.30).

Fig. 1.1. CSA Quarter Kolar District Fig. 1.2 Activities, budget, goals etc. Fig. 1.3 Activities, budget, goals etc.

Fig. 1.4 Activities, budget, goals etc. Fig. 1.5 Activities, budget, goals etc. Fig. 1.6 Activities, budget, goals etc.

Fig. 1.7 Activities, budget, goals etc. Fig. 1.8. Inside the building Fig. 1.9. opportunity to sleep inside later on

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Fig. 1.10. our Bus Fig. 1.11 small buses to move to the villages Fig. 1.12 small buses to move to the villages

Fig. 1.13. Field coordinators and Community Leader Fig. 1.14 visit houses and interact with residences Fig. 1.15 visit houses and interact with residences

Fig. 1.16. Children Activity Centre Fig. 1.17 Children Activity Centre Fig. 1.18 St. Anne’s School, Kannada Day Festival, villages visit

Fig. 1.19. St. Anne’s School, Kannada Day Festival Fig. 1.20 St. Anne’s School, Kannada Day Festival Fig. 1.21 S Anne’s School, Kannada Day Festival

Fig. 1.22. Anne’s School, Kannada Day Festival Fig. 1.23 Anne’s School, Kannada Day Festival Fig. 1.24 Selfie with great field coordinators

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Fig. 1.25 Transfer from one village to the next Fig. 1.26 Transfer from one village to the next Fig. 1.27 Transfer from one village to the next

Fig. 1.28 Transfer from one village to the next Fig. 1.29 Transfer from one village to the next Fig. 1.30 Street Play Awareness Performance

6. Information from the CSA field coordinator and community leaders about the Project

Project Pragati functioning at CSA Kolar. The Kolar project started its interventions in 22 villages to

bring changes in the life of women and children. As part of this, the project started Children

activity centre and for women’s development project started forming Self Help Groups (SHGs) and

taught the members to have regular saving in the group. It also further helped them to avail loans

to meet out their family and business needs. At present there are approx. 40 SHGs are functioning

with its full potential. A federation also formed in the project to manage the activities of the

project. So far 442 members have availed financial assistance for Income Generation Activity. This

activity helped SHG members to start or improve small enterprises and earn more income to raise

their standard socially and economically.

There is an improved infrastructure facility at early childhood care centres in terms of regularity of

the teacher, ayah, providing service, nutrition children enrolment and attendance etc. Pragathi

Child Focused Community Development project had mobilized 7690 saplings and planted in

various locations such as, road avenues, school premises and individual houses out that 50% of

saplings are grown well and survived. Awareness programmes are conducted with the help of the

Supplementary Education Centre (SEC) children, Community Based Organisation (CBOs) members.

There is lot of scope for the project to sustain. Women are taking initiative to send their children

to school. They manage their finance on their own through CLAs, Federation also formed and the

registration process is going on. Federation members are getting training to take up their

responsibilities.

The members in the SHG meet once in a week and discuss on various aspects like the working of

tuition centre, need for toilet construction, sanitation improvement, children’s health, village

welfare measures, community development etc.

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7. Theoretical framework regarding the work for the development of rural communities

India is a large country with its geographically dispersed, economically stratified, culturally and religiously diverse populations. With a total population of 1.32 billion, India is one of the largest democratic countries in the world. Since its Independence, the Constitution of India prohibits discrimination on the basis of a person's race, sex, religion, place of birth, or social status. Despite different laws relating to discrimination against women, persons with disabilities, indigenous people, and national, racial and ethnic minorities wide discrimination still exists in Indian society. The traditional caste system, as well as differences of ethnicity, religion, and language, has deeply divided the society. Domestic violence, the issue of the high rate of marriage of underage girls, and dowries is prevalent in the Indian society. In both rural and urban areas, women are paid less than men for the same job. It is extremely complex – especially for an exchange student – to understand the Indian context. On the basis of existing socioeconomic contexts, it can be said that the above-mentioned empowerment-based Social Work practice can be fruitfully introduced in India on the basis of the basic philosophy of collectivisation. Collectivisation aims to create change by building powerful organisations at the community level. It is a process by which people gain control over their lives, realise their potentials and strength, raise their voice in the community, and get a critical understanding of their environment. This can have positive effects on excluded groups.

Empowerment plays a significant role for CSA as a term and as an approach. CSA is working with

the Empowerment-Approach regarding the work for the development of rural communities. CSA

sees themselves as facilitators. Not to solve the problems of the communities, but facilitating

them to empower. When communities are empowered, they are able to talk by themselves to the

government and stand up for their rights. CSA also forms women Self-Help-Groups which manage

their budgets and learn how to save money for bigger investments.

The table 1 (Empowerment Model in Social Work Practice) explains the empowerment model

regarding Role, Practice / Activity and Outcomes for Social Worker, Constituent and Organization,

the same way as also CSA describes it:

Social Worker Constituent Organization

Role Facilitator Change Agent Resource Provider

Practice / Activity

Information Forms Self-Help Groups Leadership Training

Self-Advocacy Group Member Decision-maker Political Activist Evaluator

Brings constituents together to take action Provides decisions-making opportunities Voter registration & education

Outcomes Work Self-Efficacy Police Change

New Skills Self-Efficacy Political Power

Constituents Political Power Better Service

Table 1: Empowerment Model in Social Work Practice (Fisher, 2017)

While pointing out the positive aspects of the empowerment approach, it’s also important to explain some critique about the approach CSA has to be aware of. First of all, paradoxically, the finding that a particular group needs empowerment is always preceded by a deficit diagnosis by the experts dealing with the problems of that group. The fundamental asymmetry of the relationship between experts and clients is usually not questioned by empowerment (Henkel, 2005). Furthermore, it must be assumed that implementation of the concept of empowerment requires a minimum level of communication and reflection capacity for the person concerned.

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8. Challenges and ethical considerations

India has a very complex culture and Non-Indian person usually mainly only see the surface, but not the deep culture. For a deeper understanding is it important to focus on the invisible parts (see illustration 1).

Illustration 1: Distinction between “Surface Culture” and “Deep Culture” illustrated by an iceberg. Source: own representation

Another difficulty is the linguistic diversity of India (the population of India speaks about 400

different dialects). As only a few students of the camp could speak Kannada, the communication

and also to find trust was difficult. It is important to understand the community, understand their

base and their culture. The language is very important in understanding. If someone speaks the

native language, the community feels happy and they will start sharing more likely. Only if

communities talk we are able to understand and support them.

9. Conclusions

I am very thankful and grateful that CSA offered the opportunity to leave Bengaluru city and to see

more of the “real” India. CSA provided the opportunity to experience the life led by a large part of

the Indian society, where their wishes are not always fulfilled, where what is our necessity is

luxury. Although some people in Kolar District live in poverty it is important not to build them a

city to progress towards a better tomorrow and not give them something and take away their

pride but show them that we are all equal and encourage or motivate them to take initiative and

build, create, think, initiate and advance themselves. If we Social Worker consider the life we lead

normal then imagine how hard we must strive to make people in urban districts feel special. Social

Worker must first work towards making that feeling of normality mutual as it is fundamental to

any goal or vision we have for society. CSA is exactly doing that and is therefore a role model in

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terms of empowering communities. When the community reaches to a certain level, it is

important to leave them and give them the ownership and move back.

“Nothing can strengthen people more than the trust that is given.” (Paul Claudel, was a French writer, poet and diplomat, 1868-1955)

"And you cannot help women and men permanently by doing for them what they can and should do for themselves." (William John Henry Boetcker, was an American influential public speaker, 1873–1962)

The goal of empowerment is to conceptualise a society in which every person is afforded

maximum opportunity to enrich his or her spiritual, psychological, physical and intellectual well-

being. The empowerment method focuses on the achievement of goals and change of systems by

utilising available strengths, resilience, and resources. By focusing on competence rather than

deficits in individual or social functioning, the empowerment model supports resourcefulness and

the development of skills to remove social barriers for individuals and communities. In light of the

increasing violation of human rights around the world, the growing privatisation of social welfare

and the alarming rise in poverty among certain groups in both industrial and developing nations, it

is essential that we continue to search for strategies and techniques that will empower the

oppressed. The objective is to make the world more equal, but in the present state of the world it

seems very difficult to achieve as this is divided into two groups — the rich who have the power

and the poor who are powerless and victims of the policy formulated by the power holders group.

Srilatha Batliwala, a social activist, advocate of women's rights, scholar, and author of many books

on empowerment of women from Bengaluru suggested to move away from the empowerment

approach and not focus on existing theories or concepts, but argues for a new approach:

„Clearly, we need to build a new language in which to frame our vision and strategies for social

transformation at the local, national, or global level. I for one intend to do so not by re-reading

Foucault or Gramsci or other great political philosophers, but by listening to poor women and

their movements, listening to their values, principles, articulations, and actions, and by trying to

hear how they frame their search for justice.” (Batliwala 2007: 564)

I absolutely share Batiwala’s idea. For more social justice and social equality new approaches – which are not developed from Western researchers or experts, but with the social movements of people affected by poverty, marginalization and structural inequality – are needed in the near future.

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10. References

Adams, R. (1996) Social Work and Empowerment: Practical Social Work. Basingstoke Hampshire: Macmillan Press ltd.

Batliwala, Srilatha. 2007. Taking the power out of empowerment. Development in Practice 17(4–5): 557–565.

Christ University (2017). Centre for Social Action. From: http://csa.christuniversity.in/csa Fisher, Barry (2017). Theory in community organization. From:

http://slideplayer.com/slide/5861612/ Government of Karnataka (2017a). Kolar District. From: http://kolar.nic.in/en/index.html

Government of Karnataka (2017b). The Karnataka Official Language Act. Official website of

Department of Parliamentary Affairs and Legislation. Government of Karnataka. From: http://dpal.kar.nic.in/pdf_files/26%20of%201963%20(E).pdf

Henkel, Antje (2005). Empowerment - Eine Vision oder real umsetzbares Konzept?. From:

https://www.heilpaedagogik-info.de/empowerment.html.

Nef, Susanne (2014). Indien – zwischen Postkartenidyll und sozialen Herausforderungen: Soziale Arbeit im Ausland. sozial, 1. 8-9.

Schwartzberg, Joseph E. (1978). "Currency of Selected Languages and Scripts". A Historical Atlas of

South Asia. University of Chicago Press. p. 102.

Thomas, M. and Pierson, J.(eds.) (1995). Dictionary of Social Work. London: CollinsPublishers.