Disha Kathuria: SEDS from the eye of a volunteer (Independence Day Celebrations)

On 15th August, 2014 India celebrated its 68 years of freedom. A day to be grateful for, became even more special for us when we were invited to be Chief Guests at SEDS school, Anand Vidyalayam. We accepted the invitation with love and humility, that Mr. Henry, the school's principal, had sent for us. Handwritten and heartfelt, it became a moment we'd cherish forever. And when the day came, we were left wonderfully surprised at the performance this 'school of joy' had put to celebrate India's Independence Day. 

The school premises were modestly decorated and filled us all with a sense of pride and belonging. 

The lovely audience gracing the occasion. 

The students dressed as prominent figures from our history.

 Students getting ready to sing the National Anthem.

 Teachers and a few other elders teaching students what it means to be free. 

The students of Anand Vidyalayam put up a grand show for the audience. Spellbound, we enjoyed every moment as the students danced, sang, acted and more. Kudos to Mr. Henry and his team of dedicated teachers who do their best to bring out the best in their students.

Photo Courtesy: Jasper Daniel and Disha Kathuria 

Volunteer Say: A PARTICIPATORY APPROACH- PART ONE by Natalie Owens

I say part one as we have only been living at SEDS for two weeks now and it feels like we are only scratching the surface of the interconnectedness of community life in Anandapuram. Slowly, finding our way through the layers of community organisation and its complexities of history, culture, caste systems, gender and poverty, that have all molded a way of life that exists today. I only attempt to understand it not to be an expert. It has been such a pleasure and priviledge to sit and hear the stories of these people and hope that I can share some insight of our global brothers and sisters who are doing it tough and contribute purposefully in some way, for "we are all waves"- Hindi proverb.

Since 1980, SEDS has been working with the local communities to improve the livelihoods of families, by providing a range of social and environmental initiatives. However SEDS discovered that by providing its services and resources for free, they were not being valued by the communities. Therefore, in 1990 SEDS realised that a more sustainable approach was to involve the community members as much as possible through participation. Each target community has since been required to contribute a small amount towards the facilities, whether it is the installation of a water pump or a biogas fitting. This two-way process has had positive outcomes as the people become stakeholders in the development process of their community.

In the last week we have gained exposure to some of these exchanges where SEDS is called to do a biogas fitting or maintenance. We entered a village where there were people living out of tents in poverty. A farmer expressed his sadness that someone had accidently split the water pipe while digging, thus cutting off the village water supply. The SEDS field worker obviously took this seriously, however it was requested that a small contribution of 200INR be paid to SEDS for the repair, ($3.50 Australia Dollars). It appeared to be an unexpected amount that the community would have to pay for, however they would need to accommodate for this. SEDS encourages this contribution in order to empower communities to take ownership of these processes and their resources, this deters a sense of dependency on the organisation.

Another story of reflection was one of a small community that was fitted with a biogas system by SEDS. Workers have reported difficulties in shifting some of the perceptions and processes of community members and farmers who are set in their ways. While communities see the benefits of biogas, it is a task to change traditional attitudes and behaviours that have been used for hundreds of years. An example of this was when a community faced financial concerns they were forced to sell their cows, thus the manure  (fuel) for biogas was not available and as a result people returned to their traditional ways of cooking on an open fire. One lady though decided that she would collect cow manure from neighbouring fields and through her actions and personal agency she was able to demonstrate a shift in thinking.

We also recently attended our first community organisation meeting of local farmers who are participating in the Low Carbon Farming (LCF) initiative. This involves the use of no chemicals and fertilisers which helps to generates carbon credits ie. money from Developed Countries such as Australia. The farmers reported that they are very happy to be involved as it reduces the costs of buying chemicals and fertilisers and provides a much-needed income. While the organic farming process is more time consuming they can see the benefits in the long term. The only problem that was communicated by the farmers was the lack of rainwater in the area which causes substantial delys in the process.

To be continued.... ~~<3~~

Photo Courtesy: Natalie Owens

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Volunteer Say: Welcome to SEDS by Natalie Owens

SEDS- Social, Education and Development society, is located about 180kms (2.5hr drive) from Bangalore in the Anantapur District of Andhra Pradesh. As we turned off the main road we noticed a large rock face in the distance with the word SEDS inscribed in large white letters like the Hollywood hills we joked. As we drove towards our new home filled with anticipation and excitement we passed through rocky terrain and beautiful overshadowing mountains. The landscape was dry and barren of water. We then passed through a bustling small village of shops and local action called Penukonda, this would be our closest town to buy goods. 20kms later we arrived at our beautiful organic farm home-stay, the surroundings were evidently greener with palm trees and plants everywhere.

SEDS was founded 30 years ago by Rajen and Manil (husband and wife) to address the environmental problems of the area as Anantapur was the second most drought and desert prone area in India with an agrarian economy.  The drought has caused many social issues in the area including a high-rate of school drop-outs, unemployment, increased crime in the area, migration to urban areas, Indebted farmers commiting suicide, lack of food security and high rate of deforestation.
 
"You can't change people’s minds until you feed them" ~Rajen~

SEDS now works in 5 mandals covering an area of 5,400 sq. km. with a population of around 300,000 across 180 villages.  Its aim is to empower communities and improve their environment and livelihood through sustainable projects such as bio-gas, low carbon farming and water storage methods. SEDS also facilitates community support, self-help groups, skill development, and education programs to the nearby villages, with an aim to particularly empower and upskill the women.

The SEDS farm itself, where we are living is a bustling community that operates it’s own projects including a private school and English lessons, a hostel for children who are homeless or unable to remain with their families, a sponsorship program, and much more. Claire and I have begun to work in the school in our spare time providing tuition to some of the children who are struggling with their English.

Yesterday, in our lunch break, the teachers gathered in the staff room and started painting Henna on one another in preparation for Ramadan festivities tomorrow. On our way to school we were surprised by the head chef Gangama who bounded out of some thick plantation with some herbs in her hand. Most of the workers on the farm speak the local language of Telugu so we had some difficulty understanding what she had been harvesting. But later I found her grinding a green substance in a massive stone mortar & pestle and discovered she was making her own organic Henna paste for Ramadan. 

As I look out of the window of my humble room, beautiful green trees stretch for miles with abundant bird and wildlife, sunflower fields and farmland it is hard to believe this was once considered desert prone land, Manil and Rajen’s success is evident.

Anything is possible…

Photo Courtesy: Natalie Owens

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Volunteer Say: Nothing goes to waste by Natalie Owens

Nothing goes to waste is a phrase said quite a lot around the grounds of SEDS and as we have explored some of the surrounding areas it is not hard to see why.  

The electricity at SEDS is powered by the grid in the area, however, it doesn't seem to kick-in until around midday with the farm being so remote. Therefore, on workdays (Monday-Saturday) electricity is powered by a generator. It is not unusual to go without power on a Sunday until the evening and it being our only day off provides a nice break from relying on electricity and we have taken to enjoying a book, crocheting or simply meditating/relaxing down by the pond.

The surrounding local communities have limited electricity too. It is something we take for granted in Australia, a couple of times we have mentioned to our friends here that our major cities leave their lights on in empty office buildings all night long as it makes the city look pretty at night….and have watched their jaws drop in shock that the Australian government allows this.

We have explored some of the local communities and I have been touched by the resilience of some of the families that live in tents in the middle of the desert, with no water pump or electricity for kilometers. The children still attend school despite their circumstances and learn to 'study by candlelight’ something that we have never experienced in Australia. The local government and SEDS have provided bore wells to be able to supply water to these areas. SEDS also has approval to fit 5000 bio-gas containers in the communities. We saw how large ditches were being dug to fit the large domes that create methane from a mixture of cow manure and water….this provides natural gas straight to the homes to fuel stove cookers. We were invited into one of the homes and drank coffee fueled by shit (so to speak). It was awesome!!

At SEDS our water is provided by a small tank that runs out on a daily basis as this area does not get much rain. It doesn’t take long for the many hands on deck to fill it up again. I have forgotten what a shower feels like for here we bath ourselves with a bucket. It saves so much water and there is nothing like pouring a small bucket of cold/warmish water over your head in the morning.The same bucket is used to hand wash our clothes. Claire and I have not quite worked out how we can live without toilet paper yet, however we have taken to burning our paper as a ritual to the distant drumming sounds from the nearby villages.

The farm has had some difficulty in maintaining a fruit and vegetable patch on the premises as large monkeys roam the rooftops searching for food, so food is purchased from the nearby markets or farms. Every little food scrap is kept to make compost or to feed the many animals who live at SEDS including 3 cows and 8 dogs…and so the cow manure is used for bio-gas that provides our meals. Everything is interconnected and nothing goes to waste.

SEDS fundamental aim is to empower the local communities to achieve sustainable livelihoods. SEDS provides a holistic approach to natural resource management that is based on the efficient use of limited land and water. Imagine the possibilities of what we could do in Australia if we applied this concept to every household and business!

Photo Courtesy: Natalie Owens

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Jasper Daniel: A lonely road

‘One who’s poised on the edge of a cliff is wise to define progress as a step backwards’. I spotted this wise saying on a signboard while holidaying in the hills of Mussoorie and Landour a few months ago. Its meaning hit me tenfold when I stood at the edge of a cliff and looked around. The wise, old mountains kept a silent watch over the trucks winding their way up and down. The floating mist was serenading the flirtatious green of the trees. Birds and monkeys were living the high-life like a bunch of billionaires, singing and swaying with no care in the world. Of course progress, as we know it, would be a blunder in this God ordained perfection. But unfortunately, progress has already begun.

Every day hundreds of trees are being sacrificed on the altars of progress in our country. Officials at the top, planning these development projects, fail to consider the impact of their myopic approach on the eco-system and the future. They are also blind to the years of hard work, planning and labour of those who planted these trees. One such project is threatening the future of hundreds of trees planted by SEDS twenty years ago.

The Madakasira main road that connects Penukonda town to the SEDS farm and central office is a lonely one. All you have for company is rows of trees, performing a welcome dance to the whistling melody of the winds as you drive through. Pongamia, Neem, Bougainvillea and a host of other trees line this 20 kilometer stretch. They provide natural protection against pests for the farms on the sides of the road, and bring great relief from the scorching heat on summer days. Thanks to the new road widening project, these trees are on the verge of getting destroyed.

We all love tree-lined roads. But most of us are not aware of what it takes and how much they cost. The cost of a tree sapling today is Rs. 75. It take over 5000 saplings to cover a ten kilometer stretch. The cost of labour is Rs.100 per sapling. Add watering and maintenance and the rough estimate comes to around 35 Lakh Rupees. Driving down a tree-lined, shaded road is a pleasant and enjoyable experience. But pleasant and enjoyable experiences don’t come cheap.

It’s absolutely important for all of us to understand that it takes a lot and costs a lot to grow trees. Even with all the money pumped in, there is no guarantee for the trees to grow as desired. Natural conditions play a huge role. Drought can stunt growth. Cattle can graze away the saplings. The next time you see a tree on the side of the road or take shelter under one, say a silent thank you to those who made this miracle happen.

The trees of Madakasira are under threat. Twenty years of hard work is going down the drain right in front of our eyes. It is a tragedy. But we at SEDS believe that this is not the end. It’s a tragedy only if we give up. Only if we stop doing our duty.

Development and progress are inevitable. It is up to us to find a way to balance development and conservation. It is up to us to keep planting more trees. And for that we need your help. Can you help in some way? Can you donate the cost of one sapling (Rs.75)? Or the cost of labour per sapling (Rs. 100)? Can you share your ideas and suggestions? Can you spare some time to join us in the plantation drive? Can you spread the word about this project? It’s a lonely road that leads to change. We need you to walk this road with us, to create a change, to put back the trees on the lonely Madakasira road again.

Photo Courtesy: Jasper Daniel and Disha Kathuria

SEDS: Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Project

A Zen temple located in northwest Kyoto, Japan is known for a rock garden of fifteen boulders, placed so that, when looking at the garden from any angle, only fourteen of the boulders are visible at one time. According to the locals, only the truly enlightened are able to view the fifteenth boulder. Thousands of kilometers westwards, amidst the baking boulders of Anantapur, fifteen SEDS staff members watch a group of masons put the finishing touches on an igloo made of bricks. An enlightened effort was required to see a possible connection that would benefit all those involved.

In 1997, the Kyoto Protocol was drafted to help reduce the effect of greenhouse emissions. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), defined in Article 12 of the Protocol, allows a country with an emission-reduction commitment under the Protocol to implement an emission-reduction project in developing countries. SEDS is the link between such international treaties and local development on the ground through its Biogas CDM Project. The project activity is to set up 5000 biogas plants (digesters) of 2m³ capacity each for single households in the 5 divisions of Anantapur District in which SEDS operates, and in this way replace Non-Renewable Biomass with biogas for cooking and hot water heating. SEDS links carbon credits traded in the Euro zone to non-polluting cooking fuel for villages, benefiting all those involved in the project.

A truly creditable venture.

[The article originally written by Amit Manikoth, for SEDS's 30 years celebration. This is simply a reproduction.]

SEDS: It's only right to stand up for your rights

1984. A young Rajen Joshua crouched behind a tree, lying in wait for the landlords who beat him up the previous week.

Rajen had come to the wilderness that was the Anantapur of the 70s as a part of the Young India initiative. He had been encouraging the villagers to stand up to the local landlords and claim what was rightfully theirs from the land that they worked on. This didn't go down well with the local landlords who had the authority in the region for decades.

The story of SEDS is often the story of opposition. Opposition to outsiders, to a different way of development, to a different way of thinking. Over the years, Rajen and Manil have had to deal with hostile farmers, corrupt bureaucrats, an apathetic officialdom, false police cases, thieving employees, naxal threats, and even short spells in jail. SEDS is certainly the only NGO that has even run on the proceeds from motorbike rallying, thanks to Rajen's race wins during times of fund shortages.

The success and development that you see around you came about not only with hard work, but with several hard knocks. Looking at the results, we must not forget that the journey has been far from easy and far from complete.  

Rajen never got to confront the people he was waiting for on that evening in '84. Someone had warned them to avoid that route and a few days later, the village brokered a compromise. 

[The article originally written by Amit Manikoth, for SEDS's 30 years celebration. This is simply a reproduction.]