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Volume-24

Communicate Minds
31 October 2005 FORTNIGHTLY

A milestone to begin the 2nd decade

ADVISORS
Khirod Ch. Malick Pitabash Sethi Jogeswar Majhi Makardhawj Sahu Shiv Prasad Meher Aurobinda Mahapatra Pradeep Kumar Mohanty

SWADHAR STARTED IN BISWA

In this Issue...
) Editorial )Inauguration of SWADHAR )Micro Enterprenure an overview )Other BISWA News

The Link
Chief-Editor Debabrata Malick Editor Guru Prasad Nahak

Contact :The Link BISWA At-Danipali P.o-Budharaja Dist-Sambalpur, PIN-768004 Tele fax- +91-663-2533597 FAX No.: +91-663-2402115
Email:biswamalick@rediffmail.com

One of the ambitious projects of BISWA, SWADHAR, got started at its Central Office very recently. Its inauguration programme took place on 22nd October, 2005. Ms. Aparajita Sarangi, IAS, Director, W&CD participated in it and inaugurated the scheme with lighting the lamp as the Chief Guest, Ms. Pravati Parida, Chairperson, State Social Welfare Board, Mr. Manas Ray, General Manager Mission Shakti, Mr. S.P.Mukherjee and Member Social Welfare Board, joined as the Guests of Honour on this occasion. Mr. Khirod Chandra Malick, Chairman, BISWA welcomed & introduced the guests at the outset and gave a brief description on the scheme. The chief guest spokes to the occasion and said, Various State interventions are available through old age home, short stay home and Nari Niketan etc. those cover partly the problems of women. Therefore a scheme known as Swadhar has been designed with a more flexible and innovative approach to cater

to the requirements of various types of women in distress in diverse situation under different conditions. She wished every success of the scheme. Mr. Malick introduced Ms. Reena Mahananda, the leading SHGs leader who won prestigious national award as micro entrepreneur of the year 200405 conferred by the Citi- Group, to the occasion. She also spoke to the occasion and shared her experience with the audience. The inaugural function came to the conclusion with a vote of thanks proposed by Mr. S.P. Meher, PRO, BISWA. Later on Ms. Sarangi met Ms. Pranati Bag, Resident Superintendent & Ms. Rashmi Shrma, Counselor and discussed with them about the new scheme. She advised them to put their sincere efforts to serve the inmates in their best way. The Chief Guest also interacted with the invited media and press personalities with answering their valuable questions.

kc_malick@yahoo.com www.biswa.org

Category of inmates: * Widows deserted by their family members and relatives.* Women released from jails and without their family support.* Single women survivors from natural disaster.* Women /girl victims of sexual assault and disowned by family members.* Women/ girl deserted by family members due to myth and mis-conception.* Women/girl left their houses out of dire poverty & aimless in their life.* Women/girl their trauma and without their family members support and home

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BISWA MICRO ENTREPRENURE:

It is the prime objective of a civilized society to take care of its weaker sections and particularly women in distress. There are various states interventions available through schemes likes oldage home, short stay home and Nari Niketan but these schemes cover partly the problems of women in distress. Therefore a need based scheme, SWADHAR is designed with an utmost flexible and innovative approach to fulfill the desired requirement of such women. It is established that Indian family as a social institution is known for its emotional and physical support extended to its members, but many a time it fails to respond to the needs of women and especially women in difficult circumstances such as widows, destitute and deserted women, women ex-prisoners, victims of sexual abuse and crimes, including women trafficked and rescued from brothels, migrants or refugee women who are rendered homeless due to natural calamity, mentally challenged women and women victims of terrorist violence. Very often that desired support hardly extended by family due to reasons varying from economic instability of the family for such support to the break down of joined family system and social biased against the marginalized women. Some times society it self drives out such women to lead lives of subhuman existence. Such women in distress end up as beggars or prostitutes for their survival. Then they become of blotch on the face of the society. So it is better to save the face off situation and initiate schemes like SWADHAR for better care for such vulnerable women. The immense support of the society is very much essential to ensure the success of such scheme. Objectives of the SWADHAR scheme: AN O VER VIEW OVER VERVIEW
MINORITY COMMUNITY The minority community consists of 30% of the total beneficiaries of BISWA. The clusters so far identified by BISWA within its operational area has a minority community presence of 21%. The minority community is always given priority during the development intervention of BISWA. ROLE OF BISWA >> Showing the path to the artisans and rural youth. (Understanding need) >> Networking (i) Among firms (ii) Firms & Institutions >> Capacity building of the rural, tribal & urban youth. ISSUES *Low level of technology. *Limited network among the development actors. *Low level of information communication among various stakeholders of development. *Little knowledge about scope and limitation of the product marketing. *Very little or non-existence of Small & Micro Enterprises (SME). Static industry association STRATEGY Develop local institutions through promotion of SHGs among minority community.*Technology up gradation through skill development of artisans from minority community.*Network formation among minority community artisans.*Development of BDS market for minority communities. *Efforts to establish Small & Micro Enterprises for Minority Community. *Sensitize & strengthen the Small & Micro Enterprises Associations of Minority Community. TECHNOLOGY UP-GRADATION The rural & urban artisans do not have the scope and resources for their technology up-gradation in traditional skill, through any kind of training programme. In addition to the above fact, there is always an apprehension among these poor artisans regarding the marketability of their new design products in their local market and/or their traders. To overcome such problems, BISWA has insisted on providing technology up-gradation training programs to the already existing traditional artisans in order to provide them an increased income generating opportunity. The following interventions are regularly made by BISWA for its project beneficiaries for their technology up-gradation.*Conduct technological workshops.* Impart technological training *Visit of expert from recognized institutions.*Personal counselling to the entrepreneurs. * Workshop on good health & work safety.*About 50 cases documented

*Home away home for deserted, distressed & destitute

women.*Rehabilitate such women by counseling, and moral support.*Creation of employment opportunity through vocational training.*Provide forward and backward support for vocationally trained women

MARKETING INTERVENTION We at BISWA before taking on any Small & Micro Enterprise (SME) for the cluster artisans, assess the market of the product, to be manufactured by these enterprises. In the process we conduct some of the following programme prior to taking up the technology up gradation programme and some during the tenure of programme. *Product benchmarking (during training),*Workshop on diversification (Post-training), *Developing list of potential traders (Pre training), *Personal counseling to traders (Pre-training), *Developing common brochure & website (Post-training), *Buyer-Seller meet (Post-training), * Tie-up with retail outlets (Post-training), *Training programme on diversification (Post-training) BISWA in order to ensure a permanent marketing facility to SMEs established by the beneficiaries trained under its technology upgradation programme has opened a marketing outlet which displays the products manufactured by such trained artisans and retails it and also acts as a wholesale agent for such products. Networking As BISWA believes in collective effort, it has involved all the stakeholders in all of its development effort. In all the programs assisted by NABARD, it has formed a monitoring committee at the district level, consisting of all possible institutions and persons.

Detail list of cluster identified by BISWA in its operational areas

Name of the cluster trade

Bell & Brass metal Handloom Weaving Sisal Products (Hatibari) Cane & Bamboo articles (Jhankarbahali) Coconut fiber products (Keonjhar) Terracotta products (Sambalpur) Dokra Casting (Sambalpur) Dokra Casting (Dhenkanal) Dokra Casting (Mayurbhanj) Sugarcane cluster

Integrated DC (H) under the scheme of AHVY for design development in the No. of No. of SHGs from No. of Minority cluster development at Rengali for District SHGs Minority Commty. Commity Families Brass & Bell Metal. Working with DIC as one of the district level monitoring committee formed to Sambalpur 74 16 234 monitor the programme implementation Bargarh 52 11 161 of the NABARD sponsored cluster development.Sensitized Bankers to Sambalpur 57 12 175 provide loan assistance to the trained artisans under different EDPs. Involved CARE (India), RMK & Sambalpur 156 33 482 BANK in its micro finance programme in order to leveraging fund for meeting the credit demand of these trained Keonjhar 58 13 190 artisans to establish SMEs.Involved Sambalpur 129 27 394 lead Banks of the district, District Magistrate & Collector as members and Sambalpur 56 12 174 chairman of the district level monitoring Dhenkanal 43 09 132 committees formed for proper coordination and effective Mayurbhanj 27 08 117 implementation of the EDPs. Dhenkanal 49 10 148

FUTURE STRATEGY

TOTAL

701

151

2207

MARKETING SUPPORT TO SHGs PRODUCTS

A meeting on Market Linkage of Self Help Group products was held on October 27th & 28th at Bhubaneswar, organized by The Directorate of Mission Shakti. In this meeting the various problems relating to marketing products of SHGs was discussed. On this occasion Ms.Aparajita Saranghi, IAS, Director, Mission Shakti, highly appreciated activities of BISWA. BISWA assured Mission Shakti for giving marketing support of various SHGs products. At the first trial phase, BISWA supported for marketing of Phenyl and Turmeric Powder. Self Help Group members from different districts participated in it. Sri K.C.Malick, Chairman, BISWA and Ms. P.Maheswari, Marketing Executive, BISWA participated on behalf of BISWA in it.

Skill up-gradation training to artisans belonging to minority community. Formation of artisan guild for these minority community artisans in their respective places. Provide a common facility centre to these artisans of minority community. Transformation of existing infrastructure into model village infrastructure. Help establish set-up individual SMEs for each minority community artisan family. ******************

A three days training programme on Women Entrepreneurship was organized at BISWA central office, with the support of Newano Peace Foundation (NPF) from 26th to 28th October 2005. In this three days training programme the various aspects of women entrepreneurship and its role on the development of the society was discussed. In this training programme Mr. D.Padhi, Admin. Secretary to Chair Man, Mr. S.P.Meher, PRO, Mr. P.Sethi, Secretary and Mr. L.Dash, Asst. Planning Manager, were the key resources persons. 20 numbers of trainees participated from Maneswar block of Sambalpur district. Ms Sucheta Panda, Planning Assistant, co-ordinated the three day training programme.

TRAINING PROGRAMME ON WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

ACTION PLAN MEETING ON CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT

An action plan meeting on cluster development was conducted at the office of the Director of Handicraft, Bhubaneswar. The discussions were made regarding the process measures and implementation of the cluster development projects on CaneBamboo & Dhokra Casting in various districts. In this meeting members of different districts were present. The GMs of different DICs also participated. Mr. Lingaraj Dash, Asst. Planning Manager and Deepak Nayak, Planning Assistant participated in it on behalf of BISWA.

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PARTICIPATION WORKSHOP ON INTERNAL AUDIT & C ONTROL

A two days workshop on Internal Audit & Control, was organized by FWWB at Manage Campus of Hyderabad from 6th & 7th October 2005. The workshop was conducted by Ms. Ranjana Joshi where as Mr. Milroy Paul & Mr. V.Nag Rajan from FWWB were the resources persons in it. The FWWB is a leading consultant of micro-Finance. In this workshop Ms. Joshi justified the need of strong internal audit and control system on micro finance based institution. Mr. Nagrajan presented the current scenario of micro Finance Institution and discussed basic structure of mFIs, Liquidity of Finance, Audit, Control and Risk Management. He also emphasized on the nature & scope of internal audit for the sustainability. Mr. Dhruba Ch. Panigrahi, District Coordinator, Boudh & Chandra Sekhar Pradhan, District Coordinator, Deogarh participated in it on behalf of BISWA.

LAXMIPRIY A LAXMIPRIYA

a t Tr ade F air at Fair

BISWA sales outlet Laxmipriya participated in a trade fare at Belpahar, organized by Belpahar Durga Puja Committee from 9th 14th October 2005. The eye-catching items like Bamboo, Brass Metal, Soft Toys and Terra Kota were highly appreciated & sold in it. Ms Purnima Maheswari, Marketing Executive, BISWA actively participated in this trade fare.

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS DAY

B I S W A
The Link
BISWA
At-Danipali P.O-Budharaja Dist-Sambalpur PIN-768004 Sri Sudhakar Nayak, District Emergency Officer, flagged off the rally for Disaster Preparedness Day on 29th October at CSB Zilla School. Sri S.P.Meher PRO, BISWA also participated in it & helped in organising the rally. Tele-fax- 0663-2533597(O) **********

Printed and Published by Debabrata Malick, Chief Editor. The Link, at BISWA Computer Section, Danipali, Budharaja, Sambalpur. PIN- 768004 Ph. No- 0663-2533597