From the desk of the Secretary

We are happy to bring our annual report 2006-07 in your hand. Society to
Uplift Rural Economy SURE is a Non Government organization serving
people since 1990. The organization initiated its work with few committed
people from Barmer with a vision to uplift the rural economy.
We are determined to play a noticeable role in the betterment of
downtrodden people. We believe that a very slight change can play a
major role in their increased living standard.
It is the continuous and rigorous support of our staff that made the
organization a standing stone. SURE is working with holistic approach in
the fields of education, health, livelihood, women empowerment,
advocacy, animal husbandry, microfinance, and natural resource
management with the support of various International, National,
State and District agencies.
We are presently working in two districts i.e. Barmer and Jaislmer. We
have coverd entire Chohton Block of and also increasing our outreach to
Gudamalani and Sindhari Block.
We are very grateful to the organizations that believed on our credibility
and supported us. Our organization is working with the motive of group
dynamism. And we sincerely care for the feelings of societal change
through common participation.
I would like to thank our chairman, Board Members, funding agencies,
partner NGOs and District administration for their support and guidance.

Mag Raj Jain

Secretary, SURE
Society to Uplift Rural Economy (SURE) has came in to being in the year 1990 & it is the
result of inspiration of late Sanjay Ghosh and the aspiration of Padmashree Magraj Jain to
work for the rural suffering masses at large in this border desert district of Rajasthan. This
organisation has been working with strong believes and commitment to work for the socio-
economic upliftment and to enforce self-dependency by improving the livelihood conditions
of the rural poor, especially rural artisans & relentlessly working with these masses and
artisans, helping them in getting the recognition of their work and culture.

The organisation is working in the Barmer and Jaisalmer districts of Rajasthan, which are
situated on Indo-Pak border. Our focus areas are Livelihood, Income Generation, Natural
Resource Management, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Education, Health, Women
Development and socio-economic rehabilitation of blinds/ physically challenged persons as
well as poor community. The Meghwals, Bhils (Dalit Community) and the migrants form
Pakistan are the major target groups of the organisation.

SURE’s Vision is a society where

♦ All social and economic relationships must be non exploitative
♦ There is a ‘just’ social order
♦ Women are empowered

SURE’s Mission is
To work for sustainable development of the villages and the improvement in quality of life of
deprived people (tribal, SC and other backward communities, especially women of all castes
and class) through capacity building and appropriate programme interventions.

Goal
To ensure the participation of the poor and marginalized in the development process through
collective decision making and development of democratic leadership within the ambit of
local community institutions and Panchayati Raj Institutions and to ensure that the process of
development is sustainable.

Projects Update:

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The following are the project highlights of SURE activities during
April 2006 to March 2007:

HEALTH
Khoj Health Project
We are running this project with the support of Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI), New
Delhi in 18 villages of Chohton Block. After august 2006 we are doing regular follow-up at our own
cost. With the objective to link people with government health services and increase the outreach of
these services, Providing Homeopathic treatment, hence to reduce Infant and Maternal Mortality Rate
and solving health related issue through group approach.
Achievements:
We have formed Village Health Committees and these committees are doing regular meeting
for solving the village level issues and playing a great role in Health, promotion of Safe
delivery, Supplementry food at Anganwaadi Center, Refer patient to Homeopathic hospital
awareness creation for sanitation and prevention of diseases and other issues like advocacy,
govt. schemes etc.
• 42 TBAs have been trained and they are using Mamta Kits for safe delivery and people are
paying money to her
• MMR and IMR is now reducing
• VHCs are looking on the regular immuniisation and creating awareness for it
• Nearly 4400 patients were treated in this year at the Homeopathic hospital R B Ki Gafan
• People organized rally for resurvey of BPL-list & help of people suffered by heavy rain/flood

Community Eye Services

We are running Community Eye Health Project with the support of Sight Savers, Mumbai in Jaislmer
Block since June 2004 and its objective is to rehabilitate blinds by providing support services i.e.
education, income generation, social development etc.and generation of total health awareness

Achievements:
• 670 Castrate operations
• Blinds are running their own shops
• Blinds are getting education through integrated education programme
• 2 SHGs have been and the members are the Blind People to formed and linked with Banks

Health -This Year……

Child Maternal Health Programme (CMH)

• We are running Child Maternal Health Programme with the support of the Center for
Development & Population (CEDPA), since October 2007 in 9 villages of Barmer district.

Community Eye Services

• We are running Community Eye Health Project with the support of Sight Savers, Sindhari
Block, of District Barmer since December 07 and its objective is to rehabilitate blinds by

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 providing support services i.e. education, income generation, social development etc.and
generation of total health awareness.

Education

SURE believes children are the future and sees education as a

fundamental human
education is centralized and of poor quality due to gender and social
biases, unequal distributions of income, dispersed patterns of settlement
and few employment opportunities outside of agriculture and animal
husbandry.

Sri Satya Sai Public School (Special School for Disables):

Getting education was a dream to the disable children of rural areas of Barmer
but due to our imitative and with the grant from Social Justice and Empowerment
Department Government of Rajasthan, we are running a residential school where
30 disable children are getting education up to 5th class and also learning music.
These all are from the rural areas of Barmer district.

Dalit & Women Development Project (DMDP)

DMDP project is running since April 2005 in 20 villages of
Chohton Block with the support of Christian aid. In this project we are
also covering education. The objectives of this project are:
• To empower the SC/ST (Dalit) community keeping women in priority
• To organize dalit people and develop group felling among them
• To empower the group to fight for their rights
un
• To create accessibility & reach out for government services/schemes
Biet tin gi chua, vao day coi di http://thucaithoi.xlphp.net

To change the attitude of community people and promote women education as well as link
up 6 to 14 years children with school education program we are doing the following
activities:

I. Workshop for Teachers:

• Though there are registration in schools but most of the time children remains absent
because of their other family workload. To overcome the problem two days workshop on
28-29 July 06 was organised at Resource Center, Chohton for school teacher.
Achievements:
• Prejudices among teachers in the locality regarding NGO work removed.
• Teacher got information regarding activities of SURE.
• Coordination developed between project staff and local teachers
• Trust on teaching and rectitude developed
• Sensitization developed on women education
II. Balika Shikshan Shivir (BSS) was started by SURE (Under DWDP) at Binjrar from 15th
July 2006 to 17 Feb. 07. The objective of this program was:

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 • To promote girls education
• To promote girls enrollment and retention.
• To link up the children in the government schools as regular student.

Village wise registration is as follows:

total girls
Completed Completed Total
Total Registered completed
Education- Education- Dropout
Villages Girls education-iv & v
v th std iv th std girls
std
11 64 27 10 37 27
The above data shows that total 64 girl children were registered in this camp (shivir) but
looking the lower age limit 18 girls were scrutinized. The remaining 27 children are
continuing their education in this BSS.
Impact of Balika Sikshyan Shivir (BSS):
• Awareness increased among villagers in relation to women education
• Dalit girl children got opportunity for education
• People became sensitized on women education issue

Education this year…

• About BSS THIS YEAR---
• This year we started Balika Sikshyan Shivir from 14 month--- with
------ girls ------ no of villages.
• Successfully running School (Sri Satya Sai Public School)for Disables
with 30 Disable children

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
Through Microfinance:
The successful facilitation of mahila mandals and women’s self-help
groups (SHGs) is one of SURE’s greatest accomplishments to date. As of
March 2007, 2570 women were mobilized into a total of 150 Self Help
Groups. They are doing regular savings and their saving upto this year is
nearly Rs. 17,58,000/- and doing interloaning, 67 have linked with Bank
and got the loan of Rs.
Economic power is the source of all other kinds of power existing in
society. In rural areas of Rajasthan, women’s economic position is weak

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 as a result of traditional beliefs classifying females as a liability. By
providing women with loans SURE have reduced women’s financial
dependence and increased their decision-making power in both family
and community. In many cases, group members’ husbands seek their
wives advice prior to making decisions.

Through Advocacy:
In the same project DWDP we are working for women empowerment
especially Dalit women the group approach is followed for this:
Formed Dalit Jagruk Samiti (DJS):

There are 220 women members in DJS out of total 455 members. In the project universe
most of the families belongs to Dalit group. Till date they are socially, economically,
politically and even educationally backward living isolated life. They have no means to
access informations and knowledge. So it was necessary to establish a committee of Dalits to
advocate for their rights. Therefore Dalit Jagruk Samiti was established in the project villages
enclosing following objectives to give a platform to the Dalits women to raise their voice.

Impact of DJS:
• This provides a platform to the rural people to fight for their rights
• This become the mean of liaison between government agencies and people
• DJS started advocacy to solve out the local issues
• This is also developing as a pressure group in the Bakhasar region

Formation of Mahila Mandal: (DWDP)

During the period Mahila Mandals had been formed in the newly selected 10 villages rest of
20 project villages. The main objectives behind Mahila Mandal are to provide a platform for
village women to share their issues and develop we-feeling among women. To promote
Women's participation in the program and to promote gender equality were the objectives of
the formation of Mahila Mandal. In a Mandal (Group) there are 12 to 18 members.

Adolescent group: 4 mandals in 4 villages 42 adolescent awareness A

Achievement:
D
Out of 20 Mahila Mandals we shape 14 Mahila mandals in Self Help Groups and these SHGs V
are doing regular savings,inter-loaning and have linked with Banks.
O
ADVOCACY C
FOOD SECURITY PROJECT, Dan Church Aid, New Delhi A
We are running food security project in Barmer and Chohton Block and
covering 21 villages, since January 2007 with the support of Dan Church
C
Aid, New Delhi Y
Achievements:

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 • Done Base line survey
• Formed 21 Village level food security committees

Dalit Women Development Project, Christian Aid, New Delhi

DWDP project is running since April 2005 in 20 villages of
Chohton Block with the support of Christian aid. The objectives of this
project are:
• To empower the SC/ST (Dalit) community keeping women in priority
• To organize dalit people and develop group felling among them
• To empower the group to fight for their rights
• To create accessibility & reach out for government services/schemes
We are raising advocacy related issues through various approaches:
• Formation of Dalit Jagruk Samiti
• Formation of village development committees
• Formation of Mahila Mandals
• Estahlishment of Resource center at Block Chohton
Objective to form the groups:
• To build positive thoughts for the developmental work in the Village.
• To bring awareness for Participation in the Society.
• To solve the village problems through participating method.
• To provide a forum for villagers.
• To have approaches of governmental schemes.

To activate and sensitise these groups we organize monthly, quarterly and yearly meetings,
capacity building trainings i.e. Training on Women Leadership and capacity building, Legal
Work shops, exposure visits etc.
Achievement:
• This year we entered into 10 more villages in DMDP project. Selection of villages
was done through the working members of Dalit Jagruk Samiti. Village Development
Committees have been formed in new villages.
• Formed DJS, VDCs and Mahila Mandals are raisining the issue through Resource
center, Chohton and also themselves i.e. widow Pension, Old age Pension, Caste
Certificates, Indira Awaas Yojna, Public Distribution System, Palanhaar Yojna,
NREGA , Drought Relief, Village level problems and issues etc. This year nearly 150
people raised the advocacy issues.
Customs

Advocacy-

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BPL list ---------- raised issues in djs meetings-demand by djs-1500 rally at
chohton block- 38 gram panchayat resurvey and 13 gram oanchayat
appeal hearing

From Project to Programme

Rationale, Priorities & Benefits
Over the last 28 years S.R.Society has covered selected areas of
development on a project-basis. Activities were short-term and uni-
sectorial with pre-determined start and end points. The decision to shift
from a project-oriented approach to a programme-based agenda was
jointly made in 2006 by members of the General Assembly and
Management Coordination Committee and upon the advice of
beneficiaries and select partners.

The plan to move from a project-oriented approach to a programme-

based agenda is both a part of SURE’s growth cycle and a reflection of its
success. SURE recognizes that development is a complex, multi-
dimensional process that requires systematic, integrated interventions to
maximize outcomes and secure sustainable change. The organization has
successfully diversified its activity-portfolio beyond the original interests
of its founders unto encompass new priorities. Core pushes in the
programmatic direction stem from effective community mobilization,
advocacy and empowered beneficiaries’ demands for more
comprehensive interventions. The programme approach emphasizes
inter-sectorialism, incremental execution, and long-term commitment.
More importantly, the approach conceits that change and adaptation are
necessary to catalyze effective and sustainable actions and execute more
successful development interventions.

The organization identified the following priorities for the next

year: health, microfinance, livelihood development and advocacy.

Health Health significantly affects economic welfare and

subsequently many other aspects of a person’s life. The
organization plans to continue promoting positive
health, disease prevention, nutrition and safe drinking
water, hygiene and sanitation, reproductive/sexual
health, traditional health practices and access to
medical facilities to comprehensively improve
marginalized and underprivileged persons quality of life.

Livelihood Livelihoods are highly insecure in semi-urban and rural

district

Development The diversification of livelihood prospects by

means of

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of Rajasthan skill and capacity-building, formation of women’s
groups
and microfinance activities (see below) will
enhance
women’s access to basic needs, empower them to
fight
for their rights, and address livelihood issues such
as
health, nutrition, agriculture, and education

Microfinance Microfinance activities’ potential to be self-sustaining

makes them a powerful development tool. The
organization is intensifying its efforts to promote
women’s economic self-reliance through the formation
of women’s groups, savings and credit, and building
linkages with financial institutions. Uniting women in
these common causes will promote economic
empowerment and, subsequently, development in other
areas.

Advocacy Sustainable development requires the protection and

advancement of peoples’ rights. SURE plans to continue
raising peoples’ voices, networking, and promoting
environments and policies that positively affect
marginalized peoples’ lives.

Planning and articulation are the building blocks of a successful transition

from project orientation approach to a programme based agenda. For the
programmatic approach to be successful, benefits must be identified.
Below is a summary of the benefits SURE and its partner(s) can expect to
gain in coming years from the programmatic approach.

Stable, phased, and predictable • opportunity to focus

resource flows available
More strategic relations and resources on (an) area(s) in
interactions with partner(s) need
More focused, prioritized • opportunity to mobilize more
Interventions; wider effective interventions
participation (compared
Streamlined processes; reduced to project-oriented
transaction costs and less approach)and

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 duplication of work introduce programmatic
improved scope, impact, and results at the grassroots level
sustainability of activities • opportunity to build and learn
• promotion of rights-based from
development growth in organi- a local or foreign partner
• zational credibility, Streamlined processes; reduced
transparency and transaction costs and less
accountability duplication of work
Decentralization of operations
• opportunity to allocate
fund from co-financing
• growth in organizational
credibility, transparency and
accountability
•

As we have discussed earlier that we are grateful to our partner bodies

who believed on our credibility thus we understand the value of support
and participation. In coming years also we will move in the direction of
desired goal and will try to stand on the expectations.

CHALLENGES & RECOMMENDATIONS

To strategically identify and assess the internal and external
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats affecting SURE’s
transition from a project-oriented approach to a programme-based
agenda a SWOT analysis was conducted. Results are summarized below
and explored in the proceeding section.

Internal Strengths Internal Weaknesses

• Committed to improving • Communication barriers between
vulnerable and headquarters and grassroots
disadvantaged persons’ level
quality of life • Financially dependant
• Rich experience in semi- • Human resource shortages/
urban and rural inadequacies
development • Lack of inadequate
• Strong base for documentation
interventions due to • Insufficient monitoring and
participatory approach to evaluation practices
development and positive • Lack of publicity and civic
rapport in operational exposure
areas/region at large
• Informed understanding of

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 operational area
• Organizational capacity to
successfully operate in 90
villages
• Diverse forms and levels of
institutional support (e.g.
financial, joint-study
liaisons, voluntary
knowledge networks)
• Awarded project extensions
(e.g. IGSSS Women
Empowerment Project)
• Committed to human
resource development by
means of capacity-building
workshops, exposure visits
etc.
• Infrastructure rights to
central office and field
offices in Rampura-Unti and
Newai; organization vehicle.
• Democratic, flexible, open to
change and new priorities
External Opportunities External Threats
• Unfulfilled needs (e.g. • Reduced funding for Indian NGOs
education, health, from international donors due to
environmental issues) country’s [economic] development
remain in operational • Falling behind during growth of civil
area(s) society & globalization movements
• Use growth of civil society to • Financially-motivated views of non-
build strategic alliances governmental organizations by
• Increase scope of activities influential state, national or
and organizational international actors
credibility through transition • Institutions’ top-down approach to
from project to programme development limiting support and
• Internet restricting mobility
• Politics reducing funding

Our organization will improve in few of the fields to accomplish the task
and in a successful manner.
• Blueprint policies and strategies of the programmatic approach.
Emphasis should be placed on identifying partners, co-production and
co-responsibility (e.g. access to information, assigning functions,
decision-making), financing, learning/adaptive management,
safeguards, and exit strategies.

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• Establish a team of internal and/or external experts to quantify/qualify
progress made (“watch-dog”)
• Develop and test a pilot programme to demonstrate and catalyze the
new way of work. Identify modifications as necessary.
• Strengthen accountable and transparent governance and
administration by:

a) Revisiting and monitoring and evaluation strategies. Employees

must be adequately informed and updated on project-specific
responsibilities and knowledgeable of internal and external
expectations specific to reporting criteria. Fluctuations in job
responsibilities should be minimized.
b) Implementing a standardized system to respond to and incorporate
observations, evaluation results, and report recommendations into
ongoing and future activities.
c) Placing greater emphasis on portfolio management and clear,
frequent, and precise documentation. User-friendly records such as
the Funding Agency Database and Proposal Status File should be
built upon.
• Thoroughly explore the possibility of developing a corpus fund for
the purpose of greater financial autonomy, risk management, and
organizational sustainability.
• Special considerations should be given to legal arrangements such
as investment and distribution policies, fund management and
protection and accounting.
• Intensify qualitative networking. Instead of pursuing a large number of
alliances, the organization should harness resources to nurture and
fully gain from existing partnerships. At this point, strengthening
linkages with government agencies should be a priority. In the case of
developing new partnerships, the potential for cooperation should be
carefully explored both in terms of the partner’s quality of services and
SURE’s ability to adequately maintain an additional alliance.
• Continue to develop innovative and community-friendly approaches to
empower marginalized groups and attract financial donors.
• Develop a second line of leadership to promote human resource
development, efficiency, and organizational sustainability.
• We are also planning to strengthen our Management Information
System (MIS). So that loopholes in communication system can be
healed up.

CONCLUSION

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Development is a complex, multi-dimensional process intensified and
transformed by contemporary compressions of time and space and rapid
movements of people, commodities, capital and ideas. Globalization has
heightened public awareness of social, political, economic and cultural
injustices while at the same time contributing to poverty, illiteracy, poor
health, and environmental degradation. Reducing these miseries at the
grassroots level is a challenge. To increase the scope, outcomes, and
impact of their interventions, non-governmental organizations in both
global North and South are increasingly looking to adopt a programmatic
working approach.

SURE is capable of and responsible to shift from a project-oriented

approach to a programme-based agenda. The organization has diverse
experience and vast knowledge in implementing, managing, monitoring
and evaluating projects and is sensitive to the needs, concerns, demands
and struggles of Rajasthan’s semi-urban and rural communities. The
organization possesses the institutional support and guidance needed to
effectively and sustainable upscale its activities making the programmatic
approach a logical choice.

SURE is committed to improving marginalized and underprivileged

persons quality of life. By focusing on health, livelihood development,
microfinance, and advocacy, the organization hopes to more effectively
reduce the miseries facing women, children, youth and tribal.

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