Welcome!

SEDS, the Social Education and Development Society, was founded in 1980 by Rajen Joshua and Manil Jayasena as a grassroots development NGO, motivated by the desire to help the poorest of the poor in the drought-prone area of Anantapur District in Andhra Pradesh. In the early days, the main focus of the work was on community development by way of non-formal education and small loans to skilled target communities like cobblers, basket weavers, blanket weavers and others.

As Anantapur is the second most drought prone area in India and much of its natural resources are depleted, it soon became clear that environmental problems would have to be tackled first, if peoples’ livelihoods were to be made sustainable. Starting in 10 villages near the small town of Penukonda a scheme of pioneering work was developed which aimed to empower local communities and improve their environment. Initially small nurseries were started for homestead plantations and planting of avenue trees along village roads. Re-a-forestation and more sustainable agricultural practices were introduced. From 1990, SEDS started using a more participatory approach, through the formation of Community Based Organizations. Involving the communities more in the effort made them actual stakeholders in the development process of the region. Throughout the years the scope and area of the work increased and the fruits of the sustained efforts became visible in the greener environment and the enthusiasm of the communities.

Today, SEDS is working through an integrated rural development approach with an emphasis on women’s empowerment, watersheds, re-a-forestation and natural resource management. This is within five Mandals in the southern part of Anantapur District, in south western Andhra Pradesh namely, Penukonda, Roddam, Gorantla, Somandepalli and Chilamathur. In these 5 mandals SEDS currently supports 125 villages, being some 12000 women and their families, 980 Self Help Groups (SHGs), 120 Village Organisations (VOs) & 5 Mandal Samakyas (MMSs) .

Through its sustained efforts SEDS has made a significant impact on the lives of the people in the area and the local environment. The SEDS slogan “Towards a greener tomorrow” has become a reality.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

SEDS' Stakeholders Meeting for the Gold Standard


On the eighteenth of February 2010 SEDS conducted the Stakeholders Meeting for the Gold Standard Premium Quality Carbon Credits in Penukonda. Beneficiaries (the people who will get the biogas unit installed on their land), local politicians, government representatives, people from other NGO’s, All were invited to attend this meeting. The meeting is a mandatory step in the process of acquiring the Gold Standard for our CDM project. Developers of Gold Standard projects are required to use a bottom-up and integrated approach that puts particular emphasis on incorporating feedback from local stakeholder consultations. But why the need of the Gold Standard? - The gold standard certification allows the sale of CERs at a premium price.

The carbon market is just developing and still immature. Prospects can be very fluid and as the latest climate conference showed, there are more uncertainties than certainties. This is where the Gold Standard comes into play as it brings an assurance to this market. It is a kind of quality control seal that sets out the highest standards in the carbon market. Projects that wish to attain this seal of approval must not only reduce carbon offsets but also invest in sustainable development. With the Gold Standard requirements host governments and local communities can be sure that the implemented project reflects their priorities as it will make a contribution to sustainable development. And with the Gold Standard project developers will be sure their credits will fetch the best price on the market. On the other hand, the purchasers of these carbon credits will know that their investments will carry an environmental and social integrity in its heart.

During the meeting different stakeholders voiced their opinions regarding the project. The spokesperson for the forest department was lyrical on how this project will save trees in the future. A representative from the government lamented on how the state had tried to undertake the same project in the past but had failed miserably. They were just fulfilling the set target number. The construction work of the biogas units was very poor and once built there was never any monitoring put in place. Result is that there is not one functioning government built biogas unit in the state. Now, he promised, the authorities will take lessons from our project as they have done with our watersheds.

There was advice from the people of ADATS with whom we have been involved for this project (see: CDM field visit with ADATS). They told the beneficiaries that there might be negative reactions from the richer people in their communities. “Out of jealousy they will say bad things. They will laugh at you picking up dung, telling you that you will be living in a bad smell, saying that the biogas unit will explode. Well these are lies. Do not listen to them as they know nothing! Once this project is working you will not only have free gas but you will also receive money for properly using it.” Who will be laughing then?

After this there was the time for input and questions from the beneficiaries who had come in large numbers. Their questions ranged from problems regarding a proper building site, to will the biogas units need to be clean out regularly.

* “The ground is pure rock where I live, what can I do?” –“ No problem the unit can be built in a more suitable place, even a hundred meter away if necessary”

*“Why do we need to clean out the tank?” – “As you pick up dung and put in the tank sand will also come along. After some time this sand will accumulate in the tank and a tank full of sand will not bring forth the needed amount of gas.”

In the end the visitors were asked to fill in an evaluation form about the meeting. They had to give their opinion and state any reservation they might have against the project. All these evaluation forms will be collated with the minutes of the meeting and printed and displayed in public for everyone to have a final look at the project.

Now the process for the CDM project for 5000 biogas plants has reached registration stage and we await this process and forward financing to initiate and take this forward.

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