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Vision and Strategy
by Kirankumar Vissa and Sharatchandra
Bhargav
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What is the best way a grassroots development
organization like AID can use its experience and skill, when confronted
with a mighty disaster like the Tsunami? The answer was simple in the
initial days – AID-India was one of the first organizations
in the field, doing whatever was needed, from organizing food and
shelter to clearing dead bodies to providing healthcare. Once the
initial phase was over, a broader vision and strategy was needed.
In
this section, we describe the main ideas that form the backbone of our
Tsunami rehabilitation efforts. This should set the context for
understanding the projects detailed in the other sections. Underlying
all these is the vision that we need to be engaged with the community
in the long-term rather than build some short-term assets and leave the
area.
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Build Back Better: Does
rehabilitation mean simply bringing the situation back to the way it
was before the tsunami? We believe our goal should be to build it
better than it was earlier. Many schools have been destroyed or
disrupted in the area. Instead of simply helping to revive them, AID is
working to improve the education facilities in a holistic manner.
Similarly, our income-generation programs are creating new livelihood
opportunities which did not exist before. “Now
that we are making a new start, we have to remove some of the
inequities that were existent before, we have to do better than what
was there before …”
envisioned Prof. Mohan Bhagat, a Director of A.I.D. This approach
includes empowering the women to be an integral part of decision-making
and connecting the Dalit community to mainstream developmental programs.
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AID's
long-term Integrated
Development Plan
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Cluster-based Community Development: AID
is focusing on the community rather than individuals, by building and
strengthening community resources like balwadis, schools, mobile health
clinics and vocational training centers. It is more effective to work
in a cluster of villages than a single village to leverage these
programs better. Accordingly, AID is working in 5 clusters of villages,
with 20-30 villages in each cluster, implementing community based
livelihood and development programs.
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Looking for Missing Pieces:
The government as well as an overwhelming number of organizations and
funding agencies are working in the tsunami-hit areas. A huge amount of
funds have been allocated for boats and nets and house construction.
AID consciously looked for those aspects which were not receiving
attention from other agencies, and where we have the capacity to fill
the gaps. For example, initially, many Dalit families were left out of
the rehabilitation following age-old discrimination. So, AID
proactively worked with Dalit groups like NESA, PAM etc in various
Tamil Nadu districts. Similarly, while those who lost boats and nets
were being helped, many other sectors allied to the fishing operations
were being neglected. These included the fish-sellers in nearby
villages, who were provided with bicycles and baskets by AID.
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"A
few years from now, AID will still be working in these villages even
after most other groups have moved on. By allocating 10% of the funds
for program sustenance, we will ensure that the health, education and
community centers will serve the villages for many years to come".
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