Improving Quality in Asha-Supported Projects

and

Locating Projects In Wider Social Context

Coming out of the 10-year Asha for Education conference in Berkeley, two main issues were identified as ones where focus is urgently required.

Improve ‘quality’ in Asha-supported projects
Locating Projects in Wider Social context.

The Asha-2000 effort found that in an insignificant number of projects that Asha works with, the quality of education provided leaves much to be desired. Some of the factors that contribute to this are a) Inherent shortcomings of some of the models (for instance, non-formal education centers) b) shortage of close coordination between the projects and the Asha liaison for that project in the supporting chapter c) Deficiencies in the project evaluation/monitoring mechanisms of the supporting chapter

The fundraising arm of Asha has been fuelling impressive growth in the amount of money raised every year: From $700K two years back to over a million dollars last year and trends from this year pointing to an emulation of last year’s fundraising. In this context, the priority will be to increase the utilization rate of the funds raised, while at the same time making tangible improvements in the quality of projects.

On the second aspect, everything else being equal, Asha’s focus should continuously be on reaching out to the most marginalized/victimized sections of the society. In the Indian context, this broadly corresponds to child laborers (including child prostitutes among girl children), children of landless laborers, tribals, children living in slums, Dalits, physically and mentally challenged children and orphans.

Below are some salient points of a framework for looking at these two items:

Asha’s focus is primarily on education and should be. However, we have heard time and again from our projects that education in isolation will not result in any social change worth the name. So, while being consistent with our first principles, we should look to work with organizations that looks at social issues in a holistic sense, education being one component of their plan of action.

Asha’s growth model should NOT be to go from 200 projects per year to 1000 projects per year.

The model should be to keep the number of projects constant or even decreasing over the years.

Every year, a few projects have to drop out because of issues discovered with them (for all our due diligence, there WILL Be several such cases) that are substantially contrary to the expectations they set to Asha about the project. Several new projects should join the mix every year in order to continue our quest to identify and work with good groups throughout the country.

Expand on the scale of the projects so they reach out to more people, achieve economies of scale and achieve critical mass so that they can influence policy changes through collective assertion.

Provide continuity. Social problems are complex and cannot be expected to be resolved overnight. Working with an organization for several years at a stretch might be required to create a change that is sustainable.

Most of Asha-supported project get funding to the tune of $2000-$3000. This is much less than the amount they request for from Asha in the first place and the project also is typically only a smaller piece of the overall proposal they send. This is because of funding constraints at that particular Asha chapter or just because of adopting a cautious approach to a first-time funding request.

Many of the organizations we work with have the ability and willingness to scale.

This will reduce the re-inventing of the wheel that goes along with pursuing new projects every year (such as the time and effort involved in building up a working relationship with a new organization).

Action Items for Asha volunteers and Project coordinators

Actively look at existing projects across the Asha-wide spectrum before taking up new projects. At the bottom of this note is a list of such organizations (in no particular order) Asha works with currently (or has worked with in the past) that in my opinion belong to the category of being set in a wider social context and possessing the ability to scale. There might be more of such type.
Go through the websites of such projects and understand them.
Build working relationships with the project coordinators and volunteers at other chapters so that information exchange and fund-sharing that is required for a collaborative effort becomes easier.
Discuss the merits/de-merits of the projects on the asha-projects egroups.
Sometimes, Asha will have to proactively encourage the organizations to scale when it sees that the type of work/methodology of the group should be widely disseminated.

No	Organization	Chapter(s)	Web Site	Notes
1	MV Foundation	Arizona, St.Louis, Stanford, Chicago	http://www.ccrc.wustl.edu/~asha/projects/MVF/MVF.html	A focused approach to eliminate child labor
2	Sahanivasa	Boston	http://www.ashanet.org/mit/Public/www/Projects/sahanivasa/sahanivasa.html	Addresses problems of landless agricultural laborers and education of their children.
3	Bhoomiheen Sewa Samiti	Boston, Seattle	http://www.ashanet.org/mit/Public/www/Projects/bhoomiheen/bhoomiheen.html http://www.ashanet.org/seattle/proj/cons/bss.html	Addresses problems of landless agricultural laborers and education of their children.
4	CWC	Boston	http://www.ashanet.org/mit/Public/www/Projects/cwc/cwc.html	Works to eliminate child labor
5	TNSF-100 block		http://aidindia.org/aipsn/	Integrated rural development
6	Swanirvar	LA	http://www.ashanet.org/mit/Public/www/Projects/swanirwar/summaries/project-swanirwar-app.html	Integrated rural development
7	International Ocean Institute	Boston/Seattle	http://www.ashanet.org/mit/Public/www/Projects/ioi/ioi.html http://www.ashanet.org/seattle/proj/ioi/	Development of self-reliant coastal communities
8	Viveka Tribal Center for Learning	SV	http://www.ashanet.org/siliconvalley/groups/projects/aid_bihar/main.htm	Education for tribal children
9	Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement	Princeton?, Boston	http://www.princeton.edu/~gopisety/Viveka/index.html	A focused approach to get govt schools functional.
10	Saathi	UIUC	http://www.ashanet.org/uiuc/projects/saathi/index.html	SAATHI's work covers wide range of issues such as economic alternatives,housing alternatives youth, training of youth and children,health and health education, drug addiction and HIV/AIDS education.
11	Anandwan	ST.Louis	http://www.ccrc.wustl.edu/~asha/projects/anandwan/anandwan.html	Works to build a self-reliant community for disadvantaged people (lepers, handicapped..)
12	Bharatiya Mahila Federation (Thane) Samiti	Indiana	http://www.angelfire.com/in3/AshaIndy/projects/thane.html	The organization will strive in every way to protect women's rights. It will raise voice against injustice inflicted upon women and will struggle to secure justice for them, particularly by way of providing free legal aid to women from economically weaker sections
13	Champa Mahila Society	Seattle	http://www.ashanet.org/seattle/proj/cms/index.htm	Forming women's groups Running an orphanage and day care centre since 1988 Providing immunization services Operating a health clinic Coordinating social awareness programs Establishing income generating programs Running non-formal education schools
14	Bharati Trust	WAH	http://www.ashanet.org/projects/tamilnadu/irulas/index.html	Works to empower the Irula Tribe
15	RHEDT	Seattle	http://www.ashanet.org/seattle/proj/fund/rhedt-new.html	Social education, improvement in primary health care facilities and increasing the hygiene awareness. Eradication of literacy and ignorance among the tribal children and youth. Work for the upliftment of women by helping them with vocational training.
16	SUPPORT	Seattle	http://www.ashanet.org/seattle/proj/support/	SUPPORT is a group dedicated to fighting AIDS and Drug Abuse among street children in Mumbai. The objectives of this project are, TO upgrade already existing VOCATIONAL TRAINING program for the women/ young girls/ youth & children living at the pavement & on streets. TO make these groups more aware of AIDS, STD & sexual abuse. To make the youth self sufficient by giving training in small scales industry. TO develop knowledge, attitude & skills for better living, mostly in form of basic education & some basic business skills. To give literacy training for all participants. To bring in changes in the attitudes & values of the youth group. To reduce stress, anxiety & tension of living on the street through counseling services
17	Jagriti Bal Vikas Samiti	Arizona, NYC NJ	http://www.ashanet.org/seattle/proj/support/ http://www.ashanet.org/nycnj/projects/jbvs.html	Addresses the peculiar problems faced by children of migrant laborers
18	Gramin Vikas Vignyan Samiti	Berkeley Stanford		Integrated rural development
19	Urmul Marusthali Bunkar Vikas Samiti	WAH	http://www.ashanet.org/mit/Public/www/Projects/Wah2000/Urmul/Urmul.html	Works to empower the weavers in Rajasthan.
20	Ekta Parishad	St.Louis	http://ccrc.wustl.edu/~asha/projects/cheelghat/cheelghat.html	This village level organization is working towards collective self-reliance of about two hundred tribal families in the area. These families have been displaced from their original habitat in the forests where they had lived for generations and cultivated the land - their only source of sustenance.
21	Saath	Dallas	http://www.ashanet.org/dallas/projects/saath.htm	Integrated Slum Development in Ahmedabad
22	Nalamdana	Princeton	http://www.research.att.com/~krishnas/asha/projects/Nalamdana.html	Nalamdana is a very focused organisation. Six years ago, it started out as a group of artists trying to spread the message of health, hygiene and good living through the popular medium of street theatre in tn urban slums and rural areas. As a development on this, they have an ongoing health program and a women's program. Empowering communities to make informed decisions Developing leadership for tomorrow Providing an impetus for social change
23	Prachiti	SV, Stanford	http://www.ashanet.org/siliconvalley/groups/projects/prachiti/main.htm	The overall aim is to develop a replicable model of development ensuring that the career and self-development of individuals are satisfied. The group tries to inculcate in the youth an ability to combine their career with effective social work. The children in this area constitute the first generation trying to get education.
24	AID-Bihar	SV	http://www.ashanet.org/siliconvalley/groups/projects/aid_bihar/main.htm	Bonded labour
25	RRC	SV	http://www.ashanet.org/siliconvalley/groups/projects/rrc/main.htm	The center focusses on educating the local communty and eradicating the female infanticide which was quite common in this taluk. The center covers 30 villages in Usilampatti taluk and 1,220 women are enrolled with RRC. The center focusses on improving the social status of women by educating them.
26	Vanavasi Ashram Trust	NYC/NJ	http://www.ashanet.org/nycnj/projects/van.html	Tribal education
27	Muskaan	MSU, Detroit, SV	http://www.ashanet.org/msu/projects/muskaan/	Work with street children and slum communities
28	APSA	Arizona, Bangalore	http://www.ashanet.org/workanhour/projects/apsa.html	Elimination of bonded child labor
29	AVEHI	Seattle	http://www.ashanet.org/seattle/proj/avehi/	Development and dissemination of curriculum and teaching aids that promote secularism, equality, social justice and respect for the individual
30	VOICE	ST.Louis, WAH, Boston	http://www.ccrc.wustl.edu/~asha/projects/VOICE/VOICE.html	Works with Steet children
31	Asha-Assam center	SV		Creation of self-help women’s groups
32	MICDA	Stanford, Delaware	http://www.ashanet.org/stanford/projects/funded/MICDA/	Addresses complex problems of poverty, powerlessness, lack of organization, landlessness, unemployment, malnutrition, ill-health, illiteracy and ignorance surrounding the vulnerable people in the drought prone Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh