strategic plan 2010-2015 - pragya.org

SS TRATEGIC TRATEGIC PP LANLAN

20102010 -- 201201 55

Pragya Strategy (2010-2015)

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1.1. PP RAGYA RAGYA GG ENESIS ENESIS && HH ISTORYISTORY

Pragya works for the appropriate development of vulnerable communities and sensitive ecosystems of the world. The organization was set up with a concern for last-mile communities neglected and marginalized in the development process, and unique ecosystems (frequently the two converge) that suffer the destruction brought about by overuse of resources and inappropriate development. For the first decade (1995-2005) our grassroots work was focused on the high altitude belt of the Himalayan region in India. Today we have reached out to remote regions and isolated communities in other countries and continents in our drive to address the development needs of all such areas and peoples in the world. Currently our work is aimed at communities in India, Nepal and Bhutan in South Asia, and in Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania in East Africa. Organisat ion’s growth over t ime : Pragya’s early work (1995-2000) was focused on environment conservation and livelihoods development in the Indian Himalayas. The year 2000 saw us winning our first major accolade: the Whitley Award for International Nature Conservation. Our success on the ground drew major multilateral donors to support us, such as the European Commission and IUCN. Communities too recognized our work and came to us with other needs that spurred us onto other sectors: renewable energy, water management, gender, education, health, etc. We established strong partnerships in Europe (Whitley Fund for Nature, Plantlife, Botanic Gardens Conservation International, Karuna Trust, are some), which in turn helped us access support from DFID and several other foundations, like the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts, and thereby expand our coverage and thematic spread. At the same time, we felt the need to touch the international community in a bigger way, and Pragya-UK was set up to mobilize the support of people in Europe for underserved communities in the global South. Pragya-UK was successful in accessing resources from large donors such as Comic Relief and Big Lottery Fund, as well as several smaller trusts and foundations, and helped grow the organisation’s reach even further, while also beginning its influence on the international community. In 2006 Pragya moved to implement projects in remote regions and for underserved communities in other parts of the world. Pragya-Nepal began with grassroots projects in the most remote parts of the country, working on issues of health & sanitation, education and livelihoods development. Documentation and research, and development advice & services, were also developed as a key area in Pragya, with the purpose of sharing lessons learnt, disseminating information, shaping appropriate programming, and advocating for policies. Pragya today implements projects in some of the most remote and difficult regions of the world, conserving the natural and cultural heritage, developing rural livelihood options and enhancing incomes, and building capacity in the indigenous communities. Capacities are being built in indigenous communities and some internationally recognised success stories have been created. Strategic partnerships have been established with indigenous institutions as well as international foundations, and international awards have been won. Apart from the Whitley Award for Nature Conservation in the year 2000, we have also won the Energy Globe Award (2005) for our work on renewable energy, and the STARS Impact Award (2010) for our work on education. Organisat ion s tructure :


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Pragya was first set up in the global South, with the aim of furthering the cause of appropriate development of marginalised communities and fragile ecosystems in the South. The organisation is a federation of independent entities with autonomous Boards in 2 countries. As much as 98.69% of the organisation’s annual budget is expended in the Southern countries; all funds raised by Pragya in developed countries have been for interventions in the South, and advocacy carried out has been wholly South-focussed. These strong roots in the South, bring with it, strong involvement of its members, partners and target groups in the South into its policy, planning and implementation. The India office works to design and implement grassroots projects in the Himalayan region spanning India and Nepal, while also carrying out local, national and regional advocacy for appropriate policy action for the issues it addresses. The UK office works to raise awareness on and generate funding and other forms of support for the problems of the Himalayan region and communities. It also aims to carry out international advocacy within Europe. Key deve lopments : Pragya-Africa is in the process of being set up next for development action. Pragya-US too is on the anvil, to carry out activities similar to those carried out by Pragya-UK.


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2.2. OO RGANISATIONAL RGANISATIONAL PP URPOSE AND URPOSE AND OO BJECTIVESBJECTIVES We work in the most remote and underserved areas in the developing world that are characterised by especially vulnerable ecosystems and neglected communities that are deprived of research and development attention, where the minimum requirements for supporting development do not exist. Through our work, we reach the benefits of development to these least developed regions, delivering an array of development services to isolated and underserved communities, and building their capacity to help themselves. We take to these areas the technologies that facilitate endogenous & appropriate development, and empower the marginalised groups for development action. We also research for reform of programs and policies, and advise and train development actors, in order to spur development action in these regions. Through our work across the regions and the developing and developed worlds, we seek to influence at national & international levels for catalysing supportive action for equitable, inclusive and appropriate development, overcoming the conditions of structural poverty. 2.1 MISSION & OBJECTIVES

The Pragya mission is: ‘To shape & enable holistic, sustainable development with a focus on vulnerable and neglected communities and ecosystems.’

The objectives of the organisation are: i. to facilitate appropriate development of marginalised regions and communities, and

catalyse and empower stakeholders to enable change, through implementation of grassroots projects.

ii. to undertake research & development, based on identified needs in keeping with the organisational mission, and contribute to development science and the understanding of development issues.

iii. to disseminate development information to promote supportive policies and interventions, and carry out active policy advocacy at national, regional and international levels.

iv. to create and facilitate improved practice and policy in the development sector, and catalyse capacity and institution building.

v. to develop, produce and deliver solutions for sustainable development, including products, technologies, information, and services, to communities in need, as well as other state and non-state actors.

vi. to facilitate other state and non-state actors in planning and evaluation, project implementation, service delivery, and advocacy actions, and catalyse networking and collaboration.

vii. to engender wider development awareness and promote participation in development and dialogue and advocacy for appropriate policies.

viii. to mobilise resources, including funds and in-kind support, and facilitate image-building, to enable all the above to be carried out by Pragya, and its offices worldwide.

2.2 ORGANISATIONAL PRINCIPLES


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Two fundamentals guide all Pragya work: Development without destruction ~ Pragya believes that the development of a region needs to be closely attuned to its unique ecology and cultures. Interventions are designed combining development and conservation activities, addressing people’s core needs while also helping to preserve the rich heritage of the region. Appropriate technologies are infused, blending them with the traditional knowledge of the communities.

Empowerment for enabling choices ~ All Pragya projects are anchored strongly with local communities. Pragya emphasises that local people should participate in their development and take responsibility for project activities. Interventions build capacities of local people so that they can manage their cultural & natural heritage and address their development goals. Endogenous systems & organisations are also created that help address people’s needs with minimal dependence on external support.


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3.3. OO UR UR MM ULTIULTI-- AA NNUAL NNUAL SS TRATEGIC TRATEGIC PP LANNING LANNING (MAS(MAS P)P)

3.1 MASP PROCESS

Pragya has a Multi-Annual Strategic Planning (MASP) process. A thorough context analysis is conducted every 5 years, and a mid-term rapid context review is conducted after 3 years of this period. While the former shapes the Strategic Plan of the organisation, the mid-term review enables shifts/correctives as may be required. The 5-year Strategic Planning incorporates stakeholder-based need assessment and sharing, and the process is the responsibility of the Management Committee of the organisation. i. It begins with a comprehensive, need assessment study. A Task Force constituted with

members of the Research and M&E teams in Pragya carry out the tasks below: • PRAs/meetings with target groups: PRAs are conducted with various sub-groups of the

target communities and other stakeholders at the grassroots level to identify needs. Field offices also conduct meetings with CBOs and beneficiary groups constituted by Pragya comprising members of the target groups. These processes elicit grassroots perspectives on the changing context, needs- met and unmet, and prioritise issues based on criticality and scale of impact. The four thematic areas of work of Pragya (Social Development, Appropriate Technology, Natural Resource Management, and Livelihoods & Enterprise) are considered in the assessment.

• Meetings with national/thematic stakeholders: For each thematic area, a selection of key stakeholders at the national level in each country of operation, are interviewed for their opinions and feedback on the context and pressures with reference to that particular thematic area, and the needs (for research, grassroots action, and policy advocacy).

• Discussions with partners: Discussions with long-term partners (donors, collaborators) elicit their inputs on the specific thematic/geographic areas of joint work, identifying the desired changes, both for the organisation as well as for the target groups.

ii. At a national meet in each country of Pragya’s operation, the findings of the above exercise

are shared and discussed and a SWOT analysis carried out. Staff teams are involved in exploring strategic options for the organisation for the forthcoming 5-year period.

iii. The body of material thus generated is deliberated on in the Management Committee and a draft Strategic Plan crystallised. This is shared with key partners and CBOs, for their comments/feedback.

iv. The draft Strategic Plan is presented to the Pragya Board, along with all research and feedback/comments. The Board deliberates on and modifies the document as may be required.

v. The finalised document is shared with the rest of the organisation and its key stakeholders. 3.2 MASP 2010-2015


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A thorough context analysis in 2006-2007 led to the MASP being cast for 2007-2012. However, the major shifts in the world scenario and dynamics, made us undertake a rapid context review in 2010, and recasting the MASP for the 2010-2015 period, in the light of these global shifts. The rapid context review conducted in 2010 has brought out the needs at the grassroots level in the countries we work in, as well as worldwide changes, particularly to do with the economic, security, and climate domains, and the pressures thereof for the communities we support. The rapid context review exercise has involved key members of Stakeholder Project Planning & Monitoring Groups (SPPMG), M&E staff of Pragya, and major partner organisations, along with two external consultants with extensive knowledge of the sector and target countries. Thus, as may be seen from the process outlined above, strategic planning in Pragya is an inclusive, shared process, and involves target groups, long-term partners and staff from the countries in the global South in which activities are carried out. In the MASP mentioned, the following were involved in the same process: • stakeholders (community, officials) in 12 target districts in India, key CSOs, long-term

partners, and the staff teams in Pragya-India • stakeholders in 3 target districts in Nepal and key CSOs and SWC (national government body:

Social Welfare Council), and the staff teams in Pragya-Nepal • stakeholders in 3 target districts in Kenya, 2 in Tanzania and 2 in Ethiopia, key CSOs and

NGO Coordination Board, Kenya (national government body), and the staff teams in Pragya-Kenya.


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44 .. KK EY EY PP RAGYA RAGYA CC HOICES HOICES (2010(2010 -- 20152015 ))

i. Spread to other remote and difficult areas: Pragya’s experience and expertise of delivering services in the

remote and difficult, high altitude Himalayas, will be utilised and extended to serve and help develop other remote and difficult areas in the developing world. There will be two levels of expansion- a) into Sub-Saharan Africa, a culturally and geographically different region, and b) into Central Asia, an enhanced coverage of the extended Himalayan region.

ii. A multi-dimensional portfolio: Pragya’s areas of action is multidimensional and holistic, its work

contributes to making indigenous communities in remote areas a happy group of people, economically and culturally satisfied, secure and in harmony with its natural environment, while also enjoying all the benefits of modern technologies and ways of life that they choose to, integrated with and having a position of respect amongst the larger, mainstream communities they live amidst.

iii. Straddling research, development and advocacy: Pragya will enhance its reputation as a reference

organization for remote worlds in developing regions, creating a niche all its own, that blends all three arms of development - application research & education, development action, and policy advocacy.

iv. Multi-sectoral, holistic projects: Pragya will not have any sectoral leaning, but will encompass in its

portfolio all aspects of development- technologies for managing natural resources, providing facilities & infrastructure, improving economic & social returns, and creating indigenous community structures for self-determination & management.

v. Focus on especially marginalised: While addressing whole communities in the remote, unaddressed

hinterlands, Pragya will focus its work on particularly disadvantaged people in its target areas, including women, nomadic pastoralists, migrant workers. Efforts will be made to include and mainstream these marginalised groups and remove the barriers, prejudices and other structural issues that contribute to their situation.


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55 .. TT HE HE CC HANGING HANGING CC ANVASANVAS:: AA NALYSIS OF NALYSIS OF DD EVELOPMENT EVELOPMENT NN EEDS EEDS &&

CC HALLENGESHALLENGES 5.1 MAJOR GLOBAL TRENDS AND ISSUES

Our analysis identified three critical global trends, which are changing what we need to do and how we do it. The trends are described briefly below. It must be noted however, that there are significant inter-relationships among the three, where each is often a causal factor for another, or the result of another.

Financial and economic crisis and developmental impacts

Escalating conflicts and disasters and their toll Climate change and associated issues

i . Financial and economic cr i s i s and deve lopmental impacts : The global financial and

economic crisis has affected the livelihoods of all in increasingly inter-connected world, and had serious adverse effects on development, and this is likely to deepen. Economies of most developing countries have experienced a significant slowdown, caused by falls in trade, commodity prices, investment and remittances sent by migrant workers. There are a few developing countries whose growth appear to have been unaffected by the meltdown, and this along with the lesser effect on the growth rates of the developing countries, has led to a change in global economic equations and the creation of ‘a multi-polar world’ with many developing countries replacing advanced economics and leading global economic growth1.

The knock-on effects from financial instability in developed nations are having a compounding effect in developing countries. The attitudes of developed world economies, affected as they are by a liquidity crunch, cutbacks on public services/social spending, and unemployment and associated suffering, has resulted in them becoming inwardly focused, responding internally to the shocks of the financial crisis, and reducing aid flows for the developing world.2 The credit crunch has rippled through the entire global economy and has led to a stalling or reversal of development processes by governments in developing countries. As a result of rise in food prices, high fuel costs and commodity prices, millions more are sliding into poverty3.

i i . Escalat ing conf l i c t s and disasters and the ir to l l : Sudden, extreme events that result in

high death toll, destruction of property and infrastructure, fracture lives and livelihoods and create an atmosphere of insecurity with associated psychological debility, are on the rise. These are of two kinds: conflicts and disasters.

Conflicts: Access to (and control over) resources that are increasingly affected by climate change is swiftly shaping as a key factor in conflicts, as are ideological movements resulting

1 Advanced economies accounted for 23% of incremental global GDP, while developing economies accounted for 77% of it, from 2007-2009 (IMF) 2 The OECD warned that a comprehensive survey of donors' future spending plans pointed to slower aid growth ahead. Development assistance is planned to grow by an inflation-adjusted 2% per year between 2011 and 2013 compared with 8% on average over the past three years. 3 According to the UNDESA's World Economic Situation and Prospects 2010, 47 million more people globally became poor or remained in poverty in 2009 than would have been the case at 2008 growth rates, and 84 million more than would have poor at 2004-7 growth rates.


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from inequities and disparities between people. Social unrest springing from these factors are leading to conflicts, accompanied by protracted violence and human rights abuses; these are most often visible in poor-performing states with weak autocratic governance, and impaired economic and social development. The costs of conflict are very high: apart from the destruction and setbacks to development processes, conflict-displaced populations carry with them the scars of the conflicts and seeds of more, and relief & rehabilitation strain the resources for development. Further, while their roots are in regions that are deprived socially and/or economically, violence in failed/failing states is spreading to neighbouring states as well, and destabilising entire regions.

Disasters: The last few years have also seen an extraordinary rise in disasters. The number of weather-related natural catastrophes have increased dramatically, and their intensity have increased manifold during the last decades. In an increasingly connected world, pandemics or widespread contamination, are becoming more frequent. There is a clear trend of increasing numbers of people affected and steep rise in the value of damage caused due to disasters, and of greater impacts in the future. Growth in population and vulnerability in zones of high hazard are key contributors. As with conflicts, disaster-preparedness is low in developing regions and hence impacts high, and their costs are heavy and development-impairing.

i i i . Climate change and assoc iated i ssues : While the world’s resources and their inappropriate

use have been a growing concern for a few decades now, and have led to the conservation movement, climate change is a newer threat that has achieved crisis status, even while its effects and remedial actions with potential continue to be debated. Its effects are wide-ranging – on food and water, health and safety, livelihoods, biodiversity, and many others, with the exact nature and proportions of the threat yet emerging.

The poor and disempowered are the hardest hit by the impacts of climate change. Global warming is increasing aridity, drying up water resources, and laying barren the agricultural lands and pasturelands. The numbers of climate refugees are on the rise, as those rendered landless and livelihood-less flock to urban slums and increase the ranks of the urban poor. Shifting weather patterns have meant declining yields of food crops and increase in food prices as a result, and the already malnourished poor are forced to starvation, with women and children being worst sufferers. Diminishing water resources have spawned water wars in areas, and weather-based natural disasters are on the rise. Ecosystems are severely affected with glaciers receding, downstream flooding, desertification, and the associated biodiversity is at the risk of extinction.

5.2 GEO-TRENDS WITH A FOCUS ON SA AND SSA

In the two geographic regions that we aim to serve, the recent past has thrown up the following key trends that are likely to continue to shape the future and the lives of the poor in these regions. South Asia Sub-Saharan Afri ca Knock-on effects of recession Knock-on effects of recession Huge gaps and inequalities in development Severe poverty along with droughts, famine Highest no. of poor, malnourished, illiterate The HIV crisis and off-track MDGs Very poor performance on select MDGs Canvas of conflict and human rights abuses Governmental dysfunctionalities & instability Adverse political climate and poor governance


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5.2.1 South Asia

i . Knock-on e f f e c t s o f recess ion : In spite of domestic economic growth that convey an

impression that Asia is sufficiently decoupled from the Western economies to escape the financial crisis, the knock-on effect of the financial crisis has been felt. Growth in South Asia decelerated, and the food and fuel price shocks led to a cumulative income loss ranging from 34% of 2002 GDP for Maldives to 8% for Bangladesh. India's GDP growth rate declined by 2.1%, but incidence of poverty increased by 2.8%, resulting in 33.6 million higher numbers of poor in 2009 than would have been the case if the growth rates of the years from 2004 to 2007 had been maintained (UNDESA). This may be attributed to job losses, reduced household incomes and food inflation; since social protection is poor, poverty levels will further rise with increasing economic setbacks. Nepal has been benefitting from higher inflows of remittances, as well as a coupling with the Indian economy; reducing foreign aid and deepening of the crisis will however see impacts in this Himalayan country.

i i . Huge gaps and inequal i t i es in deve lopment : The South-Asian region is one of incredible

diversity and also of severe inequalities in almost all sectors, as revealed by the high Gini coefficient for most countries in the region. Both India and Pakistan, for instance, have significant inequalities in health status, landholdings, educational attainment, incomes, with rural and low-income households having a disproportionate number of malnourished, illiterate, landless. A majority of developing Asian countries have seen increases in inequality over the last decade. Growth has been uneven across rural and urban sectors & locations, as well as across sectors of production. Further, growth appears to have bypassed certain population groups and sub-national regions, such as tribal communities, mountains and forested belts. Policy/structural factors are key to this inequity and include stagnation in agriculture; lack of infrastructure & services, and market-oriented reforms, for specific, less-developed locations; impacts of globalisation and technology; lack of skill-development. Intra-state conflict in the region is likely to be exacerbated as a result of these inequities, which might also further aggravate the perpetual on-the-brink regional geo-politics.

i i i . Highest numbers o f chronical ly poor , malnourished, i l l i t erate : As the most populous

continent comprising several developing economies and fragile states, Asia also has the highest numbers of people below poverty line. South Asia has an estimated 135 to 190 million people who are chronically poor, of whom 110–160 million are Indians, with Bangladesh and Pakistan accounting for the majority of the remainder.4 Internationally, South Asia has the worst levels of malnutrition, child and maternal mortality, and female illiteracy; also associated and at similarly nadir-levels are hunger5 and ill-health. There is significant overlap between chronic poverty and HDI levels, as well as remoteness of locations, agro-ecological disadvantage (drylands, hilly & forested regions), and exclusion & marginalisation of populations. Almost half the rural poor are chronically poor, and the rate is the highest (2/3rds of the population) among tribal communities who inhabit

4 42% of the population of India, 55% in Nepal, 23% in Pakistan and 50% in Bangladesh lives below the international US$1.25/day poverty line. In Bhutan and Afghanistan, where data is unavailable, the proportion of people living on US$1.25/day is likely comparable and much higher, respectively. (UNICEF 2009) 5 Despite India’s position as a net food exporter, 230 million people are still undernourished in India, which is 21% of the national population (FAO 2009).


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remote areas of the region. Women and girls also tend to be particularly vulnerable to chronic poverty on all dimensions of the multi-dimensional poverty index.

iv . Very poor per formance on se l e c t MDGs and deve lopment indices : Most countries in

South Asia will fall short on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and the region shows up extremely poorly on specific MDGs; analysis reveals poor performance on indicators relating to vulnerable groups and influenced by a feudal and gender-biased society and poor delivery of state welfare. The region has severe levels of child malnutrition: 2/5ths of the region’s children are underweight and child malnutrition rate in India is double the African average. Since, the risk of malnutrition increases with high food prices, the region would in all likelihood be unable to close the gap and achieve the MDG. Maternal mortality is likewise very high in this region- one-third of maternal deaths worldwide are in South Asia, and the percentage of births attended by skilled personnel is very low (41%). South Asia is also off track for reaching the MDG child mortality target. Most countries in South Asia are off track to meet the primary education target. The gender gap in primary enrollment rates persists, and prospects for achieving gender parity in tertiary education are low. South Asia is also off track on the goal of improved sanitation and clean energy6.

v. Governmental dys funct ional i t i es and pol i t i ca l instabi l i ty : A weak and autocratic state

sector characterises most South Asian countries. Many of the countries in the region are experiencing political instability and civil war in parts, as well as terrorism and communal conflicts. Governments in power are characterised by apathy and corruption and misuse of public funds; closely linked to these is a wider set of concerns including the operation of the judicial system, the stability of property rights, and the functioning of democracy. At the grassroots, the delivery of state services is inadequate and ineffectual, and the government’s creation & maintenance of necessary public infrastructure is far below requirement, leaving large majority of the citizens without basic minimum services/facilities. On the other hand, while governance is poor, the private sector is shackled and controlled.

5.2.2 Sub-Saharan Africa

i . Knock-on e f f e c t s o f recess ion : As in South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa appeared to have

missed the impact of the financial crisis in the developed world. The knock-on effect did lead to a plummeting of the GDP growth rate from 2007 to 2009, caused by the slump in commodity prices and the credit squeeze, but this reversed up in 2010.7 The crisis had an adverse effect on the inflow of capital as well as remittances, and aid to sub-Saharan Africa has also decreased89. More importantly, the number of people living below $1.25 a day increased significantly. There is rising unemployment (10%+ in 2009), and an extra 50mn

6 The region accounts for 37% of the global burden of disease caused by indoor air pollution (from burning biomass fuels). 7 GDP growth rate in Sub-Saharan Africa declined from 6.1 percent in 2007 to 4.9 percent in 2008, and then dipped to 1.6 percent in 2009, rebounded to 5.0 percent in 2010. 8 The financial crisis is expected to have caused a decrease of $22 billion in ODA flows in 2009. Commitment made at the 2005 Gleneagles summit to provide an extra $25bn (£17bn) a year for Africa as part of a $50bn increase in financial assistance. The OECD said donors had increased aid by $30bn since 2005 – but had fallen $19bn short of the target for 2010 set at Gleneagles. Aid to Africa was projected to increase by 1% a year in real terms compared with 13% a year in the three years to 2010. 9 Although donor countries have recognized the need to increase aid, especially to Africa, total aid remains well below the UN target of 0.7% of donor country gross national income.


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people trapped in absolute poverty and 75mn suffering from hunger; these are expected to rise steeply in the future. 30,000 to 50,000 additional infant deaths are estimated to result from decrease in income per capita and consequent decline in provisions, and lack of necessary nutrition.

i i . Severe pover ty and hunger along with impacts o f c l imate change , droughts , famine : The

largest number of low-income countries in the world lie in this region, and more than 50% of its population lives on less than US $1.25 per day; the number of poor individuals has also increased substantially over time. Poverty in the region has proved to be much more intractable than had been assumed, pointing to structural poverty elements. There is a serious hunger challenge as well, with 11.2 million people malnourished and 1.8 million children chronically undernourished, in Kenya alone; Ethiopia has the highest malnutrition rates in SSA with 38% children U5 underweight and >12 million people suffering from food insecurity. The region is characterised by periodic environmental shocks (droughts and floods), and this is being aggravated by climate change. The increasing shocks are weakening the environmental and human coping capacity, and reducing farm productivity and contributing to frequent outbreaks of famine and severe water scarcity. The region’s dependence on food imports is steadily increasing, and millions require food assistance. The humanitarian impact on communities is taking crisis proportions, with epidemic breakouts, outmigration, losses in livelihoods, and conflicts. Resource wars and climate refugees are becoming common as resources shrink due to impacts of climate change.

i i i . The HIV cr is i s , and of f - t rack MDGs : With 14.5% of the world's population, Africa was

home to 69% of all people living with HIV and to 72% of all AIDS deaths in 2009. However, only 1/3rd of the HIV-positive Africans can access ARV treatment, and the SSA accounts for only 1% of global health expenditure and 2% of the global health workforce. Apart from this, the MDG achievement gap remains relatively large. Incidence of poverty is 35.8%, and short of the target of 28.8%. The proportion of hungry people, driven down over a 14-year period, increased as a result of the recent food crisis. The region has the highest child mortality10 and pace of reduction is woefully slow11. Although enrolment in schools has increased, the numbers of out-of-school children are dropping far too slowly, and almost half of the 72mn children out of school worldwide live in sub-Saharan Africa. Maternal mortality also remains critically high and half of the world’s maternal deaths occur in this region; assistance of trained personnel is available for less than 50% of all births and less than half of pregnant women receive proper prenatal care.

iv . Canvas o f conf l i c t and human r ights abuses : Post-independence Africa has been marked

by conflicts, violence, and civil wars leading to a displacement of civilian populations and numerous humanitarian crises. Some argue that armed conflicts have been the single most important determinant of poverty and human misery in Sub-Saharan Africa, affecting a majority of the countries in the region. Fifteen of the 35 countries that were affected by protracted armed conflict from 1999 to 2008, are in sub-Saharan Africa. Apart from fatalities, human rights abuses are common: use of child soldiers is reported; rape and other sexual violence are widely used as a war tactic. Conflict-affected areas and the millions of internally displaced people created by conflicts, besides show highest poverty, lowest education levels, lowest gender development, highest food insecurity, severe disease and

10 in 2007, close to one in seven children died before their fifth birthday. 11 the target is to reach 61 deaths per 1,000 by 2015, but at the end of 2009, the number was still at 129 per 1,000


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malnutrition, and experience highest levels of civil insecurity. Marginalized and vulnerable households have lost livelihoods, and child labour has increased. A vicious cycle is created as with decreasing livelihood potential due to climate change, protracted conflict, proliferation of small arms, and lack of development services, the youth take to armed conflict, which helps perpetuate it.

v. Adverse pol i t i ca l c l imate and poor governance : A key causal factor of the protracted

conflict and poor achievement of MDGs is poor leadership and governance which is feeding the political instability that characterises the region and leading to neglect of development and critical infrastructure; they also run risk of exacerbation by increasing levels of poverty. Dictatorial leaders, governance structures that are autocratic and oppressive, high levels of corruption and constant struggles for political power, along with the plunder of natural resources by an international community whose geo-security and resource interests seem to benefit from the status quo in Africa, are combining to maintain the politics of exclusion and deprivation that dominates the public sphere. In turn it is undermining the institutions of the state, legislative systems and democratic processes, aided by manipulative tendencies of the local elite, and contributing to unequal development, poverty and disease, and exacerbating resources wars, ethnic rivalry, and electoral violence.

5.3 DEVELOPMENT NEEDS & CHALLENGES

Our analysis has revealed the specific needs that we should address for our target communities in each of two regions, while keeping in mind broader global trends and the emerging challenges thereof. 5.3.1 Critical Needs of Target Communities

i . Relie f f rom chronic poverty and resource insecuri ty : Our target groups in the difficult and

remote regions in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa constitute the chronically poor and hungry in these regions. We would need to create suitable livelihoods for these communities, and adopting a multi-dimensional understanding of poverty, address the structural poverty elements that create marginality, maintain vulnerability and undermine agency, at the same time. The latter would involve interventions to address the depth of deprivation of key economic resources, which would include access to productive resources, human resource capacity (education and skills), sustained employment opportunities, and access to infrastructure and the formal economy. In particular, efforts would need to focus on development of/access to resources that would allow effective household-level food production. Further, since much of chronic hunger and poverty is linked to resource security and vulnerability to environmental shocks, it would be necessary improve ecological well-being and security of natural resources, reduce levels of risk and increase the capacity to recover from shocks.

i i . Improved wel fare o f chi ldren and women : The Pragya target groups are the most deprived

and neglected, with severe shortfalls in availability of basic welfare services, and the impacts of this is disproportionately felt by the most vulnerable groups, within these communities, in particular women and children. Our efforts therefore need to ensure that the whole range of basic welfare services of acceptable quality – healthcare, education, nutrition,


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water & sanitation – reach these groups. Emphasis is needed on efforts to ameliorate the core causes of death, disease and wasting of women and children. Specifically, in health, focus is needed on maternal and child health to reduce mortality levels, as well as on reducing critical ailments/health issues that plague the regions (HIV in SSA; TB in SA; anaemia, malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies). In education, the quality and relevance of education needs focus, as does girls’ education. Women’s empowerment and en-gendering development in all its aspects is a critical need from the point of view of its impacts on women, and also as a key contributor to sustainable development.

i i i . Inc lus ion and a more equitable and democrat i c soc ia l s tructure : Inequalities, exclusion

and lack of access to rights for the indigenous communities that inhabit our target areas need to be dealt with. This is in recognition of the value of equity & inclusion for their absolute value in terms of justice and fair play, as well as their agency role in sustainable and inclusive development, addressing the root causes of insecurity and instability. Interventions may need to understand the precise root-cause of exclusion from the opportunity to play an active role in social and economic development (on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender and/or location) in specific groups, and adopt suitable methods of social change, working on the inequitable power/social structures; interventions would need to begin with the precise nature of disempowerment and ensure access to resources and self-organization. People’s social and economic rights must be promoted, while also supporting them the voices and participation of marginalised populations in the civil and political life of nations. Democratic processes must be propelled and institutions like the media and the rule of law that are instrumental in tackling exclusion and the denial of rights, must be fostered, while pushing for greater transparency and accountability of governments towards their citizens.

5.3.2 Emerging Challenges

i . Increas ing shortage o f food, water and energy :

• How would we deal with the effects on the poor of the global crisis of resources created by the twin pressures of increasing development demands and escalating impacts of climate change? • How would we ensure that they would have a secure and adequate access to the resources

that they need for their consumption (food and water), and retard the depletion of such resources? • How would we change the exploitative commercial actors and powerful socio-political

forces are increasingly usurping these resources that the poor have traditionally had access to and been stewards of? • What would we do to ensure that the poor and deprived have access to adequate energy

resources which are currently grossly insufficient for their aspirations, and are swiftly moving beyond their reach? • What pro-poor policies would we need to ensure that our target populations have access

to an adequate level of resources for their development?

i i . Extreme vulnerabi l i ty to conf l i c t s , d isasters and changes with adverse impacts : • How do we create a more secure environment for people affected by conflicts, ensure

that welfare, livelihoods and development of our target groups are not impeded or stalled due to conflict, and reduce conflict-associated damage?


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• How could we reduce the levels of exposure and vulnerability for our target groups and ensure that peace prevails, and what roles/response do we seek from stakeholders? • What measures do we adopt to ensure that our target groups are adequately prepared for

high-propensity disasters in our target areas, and that disaster-related damage is minimised? • By what modes and methods would we mitigate risks of disasters and assure timely and

adequate response to them, to reduce loss of life and livelihoods and associated stress and trauma? • How would we ensure that our target groups are able to adapt to the impacts of climate

change, and can mitigate the adverse impacts to the maximum?

i i i . Inadequate pol i cy support and lack of adequate resources for deve lopment : • How do we generate more awareness and understanding of the problems and constraints

faced by our target communities among those who can make a difference, including policymakers and donors? • How would we ensure that our target areas receive the attention and resources required

and the infrastructure and services improve? • How do we access adequate resources for the purpose of development services for our

target groups in the light of the diminishing foreign aid and cuts in social spending? • How can we propel policies that ensure equitable development of neglected regions and

deprived communities? • What measures could we take to ensure that policy and programming for our target areas

and communities are sustainable, suited to their specific characteristics, utilise their strengths and do not damage their particular ethos?


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66 .. OO RGANISATIRGANISATI ONAL ONAL CC APACITY AND APACITY AND PP OSITIONINGOSITIONING

6.1 SWOT ANALYSIS

Strengths • originating from the south • established partnerships for project

implementation • well-developed programmes & diversified

portfolio and competent technically qualified human resources

• niche and diversified target area • good track record of delivery and

accountability • international recognition and national repute • donor base of larger trusts and institutions • capacity in competitive institutional

fundraising • committed leadership with capacity in

advocacy

Weaknesses • high dependence on donor base • very limited unrestricted funding • inadequate competence in non-institutional

fundraising • inadequate promotion and public awareness • local partners are limited in number and

some lack capacity • time taken to develop capacity in partners

and target community (far below development threshold) very high

• target community isolated, neglected, unnoticed

Opportunit i es • untapped donors in the UK and Europe • MDGs support esp marginalised, last-mile

population (target groups) • institutional donors tending towards repeat

funding • growing reputation and institutional capacity

of Pragya • potential for local fundraising • establishment of US office and potential

donor base • high replication potential of projects and

technologies across remote regions in developing countries; high potential of applying Pragya skill-base across

Threats • inadequate staff time for fundraising • the global financial crisis • increasing competition for funds • inadequate awareness about disparities • changes in donor priorities, geographical

focus • climate change and its impacts • conflicts in target areas and their impacts

6.1.1 Strengths Originating from the South: This brings with it, strong linkages and relationships with southern

civil society, an in-depth and close understanding of issues and a real-time assessment of changes. The organisation and its programmes are well accepted in the beneficiary community and by other stakeholders, including the local government and civil society.

Established partnerships for project implementation: There are ongoing partnerships with proven effectiveness, with project implementing organisations in the South. This includes, but is not limited to, Pragya offices (in India and Nepal, and shortly in Kenya). There are well-developed systems of joint fundraising, project planning and review and regular communication and information flow among the Pragya offices.


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Well-developed programmes and diversified portfolio: Pragya programmes are holistic in design, innovative in terms of interventions, and inclusive in their processes and delivery mode. This has been recognised and appreciated by the project delivery chain, from donor to beneficiary. Pragya also has a wide and diversified project portfolio, comprising interventions in Natural Resource Management (Biodiversity, Agriculture, Water), Appropriate Technology (Renewable energy, Irrigation, Sanitation), Livelihoods & Enterprise (Vocational Skills, Value addition, Marketing, Cooperatives) and Social Development (Education, Health, Rights, Gender, Culture).

Niche and diversified target area: Pragya currently works for the sustainable development of areas and populations characterised by remoteness, difficult terrain, severe under-development and wide gaps in services. The organisation has a widely acknowledged expertise in undertaking development projects in such difficult regions, and is one of the very few agencies to have such a focus. With the proposed expansion into the most difficult terrains in Sub-Saharan Africa, to address remote and underserved populations there, Pragya would also achieve a diversified target area (across South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa), within the above niche. This is a significant advantage in that it enables accessing donors with different geographic priorities; focus on the margins and deprived populations imply access to a wider donor base as well.

Excellent track record of delivery and accountability: Pragya has an excellent track record and the confidence of existing and past donors in the efficiency of its project delivery and strong accountability principles with respect to both physical and financial parameters. Most past projects have been rated very highly by donors and frequent repeat funding is indicative of donor faith. The superior delivery systems and good track record are also a significant plus for institutional donors that tend to look for these qualities in their choice of recipients for the large grants they provide, as indicators of capacity to manage such grants.

International recognition and national repute: The organisation has been a recipient of international awards in recognition of its superior quality of projects, and these have received considerable publicity and media attention, in the UK and Indian press. The Chair has also received recognition for her contribution to the causes Pragya works for. These awards and recognition establish the credibility of the organisation.

Donor base of larger trusts and institutions: Pragya has an established donor base for its multiple projects in the Himalayas. This includes some large international trusts and foundations and state and multilateral organisations as well. This funding track record of the organisation is a confidence-builder within the organisation and for potential donors, as well.

Leadership with capacity in competitive institutional fundraising: The Pragya leadership are particularly skilled in writing the nature of proposals required for raising funds from institutional sources. It has successfully raised funds through competitive calls from large international trusts and foundations and state & multilateral institutions.

Committed leadership with capacity in advocacy: The Pragya leadership is deeply committed to the causes Pragya works for and to building the institution to better address these. The top management of the organisation also has capacity for communicating effectively, for advocating on causes that Pragya works for, at local, regional and international levels.

6.1.2 Weaknesses High dependence on donor base: The Pragya donor base comprises few large, institutional

donors, and a number of trusts and foundations. Various funding streams have not been


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tapped yet. This leaves it open to the risk of a significant shrinkage of funds and consequent impacts on interventions, in the eventuality of a withdrawal of a donor.

Very limited unrestricted funding: All Pragya funding is project focussed. A very limited amount of unrestricted funding is available, primarily through the personal contacts of the trustees. This, in turn, hampers the institutional growth of the organisation and the delivery of its advocacy related goals.

Inadequate competence in non-institutional fundraising: Pragya has raised most of its funds from large institutional donors. The fundraising competence available with the organisation is suited to proposals for such donors. The skills and resources for tapping alternate funding streams, such as individual donors, are not available in the organisation.

Isolated target community: Although Pragya's niche target area and population is in some ways a strength, it is also a disadvantage is certain ways. Several trusts and foundations do not focus on such remote areas, and are wary of funding such areas. These areas are not adequately documented and most are unaware of them. Since they are isolated region, they remain neglected and forgotten.

Local partners: The target areas have but a rudimentary civil society making it difficult to get partners to work with. CSOs that exist lack capacity and the gestation period for effective working is much longer than in other more-developed regions.

Inadequate promotion and public awareness: Pragya has tended to maintain a low profile, preferring to focus its energies on implementation of interventions and institutional fundraising alone. There have been no efforts made to promote and generate public awareness of its work that could in turn create public sympathy for and resource flows towards its causes. Publications/promotional products are few, although considerable research and many successful interventions have been carried out.

6.1.3 Opportunities Untapped donors in the UK and Europe: There is a large untapped donor base comprising state

and multilateral agencies, trusts and foundations, in the UK and Europe. While the donor base in UK has been tapped to an extent, the European donor base lies wholly untapped. The UK office provides Pragya with a strong base, geographically located right on the doorstep of Europe, enabling it to tap the UK and Europe donor base with relative ease.

MDGs support the especially marginalised such as the target population: The MDGs have provided a sense of direction to all stakeholders of international development, giving them the goals to aim for and a measuring rod to assess populations on, and helping them identify the most marginalised sections to focus on. The Himalayan communities, as well as the groups proposed to be addressed in Sub-Saharan Africa, are among these highly marginalised sections that comprise the 'last mile' populations with respect to the MDGs, and therefore constitute a global priority for development funds and support.

Institutional donors tending towards repeat funding: Most institutional donors prefer to fund organisations that they have established successful partnerships with and those that have proven their implementation capacity and their ability to work to the stringent systems of such donors. Pragya has an advantage in that it has an established track record of working successfully with institutional donors, making it a preferred candidate for institutional funding.

Growing reputation and institutional capacity: Pragya has also been consistently growing in stature and reputation, especially with respect to development projects in the Himalayan region. In India, its expertise on the region has made it a key contributor to national


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policies, as well as regional, cross-border deliberations. Its growing institutional capacity is also being recognised by institutional donors and state and multi-lateral agencies.

Potential for local fundraising: While parts of India improve economically, there is potential for developing local philanthropy. Pragya could play a key role in developing and directing resource flows at a national level to the target Himalayan region and communities.

Untapped donors in USA and establishment of the US office: Pragya has not tapped the funds available for international development in the USA. Much like Europe, the US donor base remains to be tapped for the causes that Pragya works for. Pragya has applied for a 501(c)(3) status from the IRS and is set to establish office in the US. The US presence can be leveraged for accessing development funds from the country.

High replication and application potential of Pragya strengths: Pragya has evolved well-tested techniques and solutions to problems and constraints of remote regions, and these can be applied to all such regions in the developing world. The organisation has also developed a competent staff in delivering development goods and services to such areas. This also makes us more effective and accepted with governments and policymakers with respect to advocacy for remote areas.

6.1.4 Threats Inadequate staff time for fundraising: As projects increase and the geographical area being

addressed by Pragya is enhanced, Pragya staff will be stretched to deliver on projects, leaving it with little time for fundraising and associated promotional work. Unless dedicated staff is allocated for fundraising, the opportunities mentioned earlier could not be capitalised on.

Fluctuations in the global economy: The current financial crisis is resulting in a serious squeeze on resource flows. Lesser funds are available and for a lesser duration. The first implies much more effort needed for fundraising, due to a lower success rate and reduced per application/donor funding. The shrink in the duration of grants particularly impacts work in our target areas, which require a much longer duration of support, given their current developmental status.

Increasing competition for funds: With the increasing buoyancy and capacity of the civil society, the competition for the limited available development funds, is increasing. Intermediary organisations that provide professional fundraising services for organisations that do not possess fundraising capacity, have also mushroomed.

Changes in donor priorities, geographical focus: Donor priorities in terms of sector, issues and geographical area are periodically changed. Existing donors to Pragya will likewise change their priorities from time to time, with the implication that Pragya will have to identify and develop new funders for its work.

6.2 THE PRAGYA USP

i. Exclusivity of Pragya's geographical area: Pragya is the only development organisation that has a focussed targeting of remote and difficult areas, and this is a unique positioning, especially since there are very few organisations that do so. At the same time, there are several individuals who feel very strongly about such areas and their marginalised populations.

ii. Founded in the global south: Pragya is among the handful of organisations founded in the

global south that has an operation in the developed north. This is also a significant positive


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in a world seeking equity and global citizenship. It indicates as well, an associated strong understanding of the area and people it works for.

iii. Indigenous community involvement at all stages and scales of operation: Pragya projects are deeply

community-centred, involving the indigenous peoples of the areas it works in at all stages of the project, from design to planning, implementation and monitoring. This ensures that the projects belong to the people, and are sustained by them, beyond the project term.

iv. Position to exert policy influence: Pragya has excellent connections with the national government

in the countries it works in and with regional networks and influencers of policy, and this enables it to input significantly into development policies. The offices in the global north are also positioned to input into global deliberations on key issues and ensure that the voices of the marginalised are heard.


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77 .. PP RAGYA RAGYA SS TRATEGY TRATEGY (’10(’10 -- ’15)’15)

7.1 AIMS 2010-2015

7.1.1 Outcomes

i. Reduced incidence of chronic poverty among communities inhabiting remote areas in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, and improved and secure access to food and water, as well as technologies that aid and an environment for enabling development.

ii. Increased security of natural resources and ecological and cultural well-being for indigenous communities, along with enhanced protection from and preparedness for climate change and associated environmental threats.

iii. Reach of the benefits of welfare services and infrastructure, including education, health, sanitation, to deprived target groups, with a thrust on women, children, and other vulnerable/deprived groups, such as migrants.

iv. Reduced exclusion and deprivation of target groups in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, with a particular focus on the most marginalised, specifically women and nomads, and an environment for peace and equity.

7.1.2 Results

i. Develop 3 niche sectors in each of SA and SSA, along with associated local skills, while enhancing access to economic enablers and formal markets, and thereby deliver enhanced incomes and employment opportunities, livelihood security and economic justice, for the impoverished and vulnerable communities in target areas.

ii. Create appropriate, sustainable, community initiatives in 25 districts/provinces to address natural resource management, food security, water management. Develop and increase the dissemination of appropriate technologies for energy, irrigation, safe water & sanitation, and agro-processing in target areas.

iii. Improve protection and conservation of natural and cultural resources of indigenous communities in target areas in SA and SSA, and retard the depletion levels and the unsustainable exploitation of such resources for extractive industries.

iv. Mitigate the impacts of climate change and associated environmental threats in target areas in SA and SSA, and reduce risk levels, while improving community adaptation and resilience to environmental shocks.

v. Improve health and associated aspects of nutrition, safe water & sanitation, with a particular focus on and benefits for 200,000 women and children, and ameliorate the incidence of HIV/TB/Malaria, through strengthening mainstream services and supplementary inputs in 25 remote districts/provinces in SA and SSA. Improve education and life skills of 200,000 girls and boys as well as youth in SA and SSA, enabling them to participate with equity and confidence in mainstream life.

vi. Empower 100,000 women socially and economically, in 25 districts/provinces across SA and SSA, with increased literacy and education, skill development and livelihood assistance, and reduce the physical drudgery and violence suffered by them.

vii. Reach 1,000,000 people in remote areas in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, empowering them with information and inclusion in mainstream socio-political life, and strengthen local democratic processes.


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viii. Elicit national government attention in 5 countries that we would operate in, on the impacts of climate change and conflicts, the economic divide, and cultural and socio-political exclusion, with respect to indigenous communities in isolated areas, and advocate for pro-poor policies and equitable & inclusive development. Strengthen the effectiveness of the institutional framework (state, media, law) in and for target regions/groups.

ix. Build capacity of 500 CBOs, NGOs and other civil society partners, enabling them to address target groups with improved programming and policy advocacy. Build the social capital of target communities by creating community institutions, clusters and networks, with a specific focus on vulnerable groups (women, migrants, nomads), and necessary activities (cultural, economic, rights, conservation), and provide necessary capacity building and empowering inputs.

x. Support protection of communities in 10 districts/provinces from conflicts and facilitate conflict transformation through peace processes, dialogues, and measures to address the root causes of conflict.

7.2 PRIORITIES & STRATEGIES 2010-2015

7.2.1 Development Action Priorities The priorities in each of our 4 thematic areas would be as follows:

i . Live l ihoods and Enterpr ise Deve lopment : i-a. In each of our target areas, we will create an environment to dispel the chronic poverty that

currently characterises them. We will deliver vocational training to develop local capacities, with a strong focus on youth, which would contribute to retarding outmigration and facilitate occupational diversification/supplementation and thereby livelihood security. We will help create clusters and value-chains, support them, directly and via collaborations with state programmes, with financial and infrastructural assistance. We will operate microenterprise facilitation services in target areas and set up linkages for a range of economic enablers.

i-b. In keeping with our tested strategy and learnings with economic programming in difficult areas, heritage-based and niche-sector livelihoods will be promoted in target areas. This will ensure an inherent competitive advantage for products and services generated by target groups. Both farm and non-farm livelihoods will be promoted with necessary capacity building, support for product development, and improved methods and technologies towards enhancing resource efficiency and productivity. Potential niche sector livelihoods include agriculture and horticulture, specifically of native cash crops, such as herbs and fruits, and their local-level processing, dairy/meat production, ecotourism and allied sectors such as local crafts and foods.

i-c. Women’s participation, capacity building, and agency will be a particular emphasis. Women in agriculture, women’s SHGs and cooperatives, women-owned microenterprises, will be some key themes. Women’s empowerment via economic capacity and associated skills will be the aim. Women-friendly economic systems and occupational technologies will be a focus area, and will be developed and implemented in conjunction with the Appropriate Technology and Gender thematic areas.

i-d. Fair trade and responsible production will be key principles of all our livelihoods related work. We will create community-based institutions to propel sustainable and equitable economic development, and this will include SHGs, cooperatives, federations, cluster


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associations, set up linkages with markets/buyers, ensure market information and support, and help to create responsible trade networks.

i i . Natural Resources Management : ii-a. We will continue and enhance our very successful grassroots work on biodiversity

conservation, ensuring the institutionalisation of ecological monitoring, protection and conservation actions with communities. Key components will include management of Common Property Resources, conservation of medicinal plants, wetlands, pasturelands, snow & water resources. There will be a particular focus on hotspots for particular species, buffer zones, and habitats for critically endangered species (snow leopard, black-necked cranes, wild yaks). The above work will be extended in the Himalayas and to newer areas in Africa and Central Asia (focusing on species such as: black rhinoceros, Hirola, Grevy’s zebra, wild ass, Bukhara deer).

ii-b. Our internationally recognised work on sustainable use of natural resources will be replicated in newer areas, with suitable local adaptations. This includes the cultivation of native species (medicinal plants) for farmer gains, soil and water conservation, wasteland development, biomass farming, and various other watershed development and anti-desertification actions.

ii-c. We will continue with our work on agriculture development and will enhance our focus on this with a range of newer activities, which would tie in with our work on adaptation to climate change and ensuring food security. We will set up Agri Clinics and create rural extension workers, facilitate improved agricultural inputs, and facilitate the adoption of precision farming for enhancing crop productivity, as well as organic farming methods. Food security initiatives will also involve soil enrichment, and facilitation of adoption of nutritive cropping and food storage systems.

ii-d. Pragya’s work on climate change will be developed further as a key thrust area for the organization, and will be a programme running across our 4 thematic areas. It will cover the gamut of climate associated measures, from mitigation to adaptation. This work will have a close connection with our work on farming adaptation, and will encompass issues of food security in changing climate regimes. It would focus on helping communities adapt to climate change and implement a process for collaborative management of droughts and the stressed resources, while also engaging young people in climate-compatible livelihoods and shaping alternate futures.

ii-e. We will initiate intensive work on disaster management as well. Our focus would be on implementing a comprehensive initiative for disaster risk reduction, including mitigation and preparedness actions by communities and all stakeholders associated with DRR. We will work on developing early warning and decision support systems, and explore the use of appropriate technologies, suited to the remoteness and weak infrastructure and support characterising our target areas in SA and SSA. The most vulnerable groups, women, children and small & marginal farmers will have a special focus. Suitable post-disaster responses in terms of relief and rehabilitation measures will also be undertaken, and disaster insurance/credit will be explored.

i i i . Appropriate Technologies : iii-a. Pragya’s work on CDMs will be enhanced, and expansion in newer areas, viz, Africa and

Central Asia, will be explored. Renewable energy technologies will be promoted, and this would comprise site-suitable use of water, wind and solar energy. Pragya’s globally-recognised innovation of hybrid systems for electrification of whole villages, and management of these systems by user groups, will be replicated; passive solar architecture


24

will also be promoted. Energy value-chains and rural energy markets will be developed and will include the development of rural technopreneurs, and rural tech shops.

iii-b. Our work on water management will be given a thrust, intensified, and grown significantly during the coming period; it will be spread to all parts of the Himalayas, and be the first phase work in Africa and Central Asia. Conservation of water resources and measures for water harvesting and efficient utilisation will be taken up together; we will also work on suitable irrigation technologies, and adaptation of technologies to varying socio-ecological conditions. Our work on safe water and sanitation for communities lacking access to these, have yielded suitable rural technologies for water filtration and community/school toilets, as well as improved water access (and reducing physical drudgery) for the Himalayan region; both stationary and portable solutions (for nomadic communities) have been devised, and these have been demonstrated in select districts. Uptake of best-fit technologies that have been identified by Pragya for the Himalayan region will be facilitated, and coverage will be significantly enhanced. In Africa and Central Asia, studies will identify best-fit solutions to water management needs and assist in their uptake via capacity building and demonstration projects. This initiative will work in tandem with our NRM and Health programmes.

iii-c. In conjunction with the Livelihoods & Enterprise Development programme, livelihood technologies will be developed for improving efficiencies, enabling value-addition, reducing environmental damage and physical drudgery. This would comprise technologies for agro-processing, for green tourism, for weaving. Technologies-in-use have been assessed, and our initiative to facilitate uptake of new technologies or adaptations of existing technologies will be continued with. Particular attention will be give to the development and uptake of women-friendly technologies.

iii-d. We will also contribute to food security via suitable technological measures. This would include improved methods for post-harvest processing and crop storage. While larger community-level measures have been developed through earlier Pragya efforts, smaller and lower-cost measures would be focussed on in the coming period. At the same time, rural technologies for food drying/dehydration, anchored with women, will be developed and promoted.

iv . Rights and Wel fare : iv-a. Pragya’s Gender initiative will be expanded, both in terms of thematic scope as well as

geographical coverage. Economic empowerment of women will be a key theme, and we will work to improve women’s income levels, their control over their incomes and livelihoods, and the associated vocational skills; women-friendly systems and technologies will be developed to help reduce their physical burden and make more professions open to them; women will also be supported with all economic enablers. Women’s leadership and sensitisation of stakeholders will seek to improve political inclusion of women and the exercise of women’s rights; we will also create local-level counselling and legal services for women. In the SSA in particular, gender based violence will be studied and interventions delivered to address it. Apart from the above women-centric interventions, in all other interventions as well, women would be a sub-group specifically addressed.

iv-b. Existing Pragya work in education will be continued with. The Pragya-evolved 3-tier system for quality education will be implemented in newer areas in the Himalayas, and would be included among the first phase projects taken up in areas of Pragya expansion as well in SSA and Central Asia. Alternative modes of education will be established to address lack of access to schools and early childhood education, and will deliver essential education to children. Resource Centres will be set up to provide advanced educational inputs


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(science education, vocational and life skills education, technical and computer education), and create an environment of continual learning. Pragya will also ensure holistic education for children in target areas, delivering education on aspects/issues such as environmental awareness, climate change, health & hygiene. Human resources for education will be developed, and there would be an emphasis on creating suitable curricula and improving educational performance, that would help retention in education. The most excluded groups (girls, migrant workers’ children, child workers, nomad children) will be supported through special measures, including mobile schools.

iv-c. Pragya’s health initiative will be developed further, and will incorporate interventions aimed at promotive, curative, and preventive health care. Human resources for health, formal and non-formal, will be developed, and health kiosks and camps established to reach services for reproductive & maternal and child health, and for addressing HIV/TB/Malaria, to remote and high-risk communities. Promotive/preventive healthcare will be facilitated via community-based, disease surveillance, and woman and child monitoring. Malnutrition and anaemia will be a key focus area and we will work to reduce current levels with initiatives aimed at improving diet & nutrition, safe water and hygiene, involving rural women strongly in these initiatives. Migrant workers who suffer the effects of their severe working conditions, will be supported through special measures, including mobile clinics and protective/safety gear.

iv-d. The promotion of the rights of indigenous people and their inclusion and equity in the mainstream political life in their nations, will be a major Pragya striving. Specific initiatives will be aimed at local governance and empowerment. The innovative Pragya initiative of Barefoot Monitoring will be spread in the entire Himalayan belt, and will be replicated in the SSA as well, and will help to monitor MDG status and facilitate access to government programmes. Rights education, development of citizen journalists and grassroots networks for advocacy, and the institutionalisation of people-state dialogues, will facilitate active democracy and civic participation in target areas. Inclusion will be aided through wider public awareness and engagement of decision-makers. The centrality of the indigenous culture and heritage will be recognised and Pragya activities will seek to revive, spread and valorise local cultural forms.

iv-e. Pragya will seek to institute community-based social protection to create a more secure environment for the people most vulnerable to conflict, reducing the incidence of atrocities and offering support & rehabilitation to victims of conflicts. We will set up socio-legal and counselling services, with a focus on vulnerable groups. Particularly in the SSA, Pragya will create improved security, nutrition and educational opportunities for people in areas ravaged by inter-ethnic and border conflicts. A long-term approach will be adopted to address the root causes of conflicts in the region and support sustainable peace and development. A process for conflict transformation will be created through the formation of local, community-based structures, and inter-ethnic dialogues.

7.2.2 Expansion

i . Other parts o f the Indian Himalayas : • Pragya will consolidate and maintain its work in the high altitude Himalayas, expand its

area of operation and enhance its sphere of influence to span the entire mountain regions of Asia. Existing and new initiatives will be spread into all existing areas of operation, and work would be initiated in adjoining parts of the Himalayas in India and Nepal. The office in Kathmandu will be strengthened and our presence in the high hills and mountains of Nepal enhanced.


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• Serious efforts to initiate activities in mountain regions in adjacent countries, such as Bhutan, will also be undertaken, through partnerships with local CSOs.

i i . Remote reg ions in Sub-Saharan Afri ca : • Pragya will initiate grassroots work in select countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Pragya will

establish its office in Nairobi (Kenya), and implement projects across a minimum of three selected countries in Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia, directly as well as in partnership with existing local NGOs.

• Our work will begin with research into specific issues, and pilot projects along with events that help to spread awareness and build credibility in the selected countries. This will be followed through with scaled-up, multi-year, multi-module projects.

i i i . Pre- intervent ion work in other mountain reg ions o f Asia : • There would be detailed recees in Central Asia & Mongolia. This will comprise research

projects and pilot activities culminating in workshops/seminars that spread awareness and build credibility in these areas.

7.2.3 Research & Advocacy

i . Sc ient i f i c and appl i cat ion research : • Pragya’s research programme will be developed further with the specific Considerable

research activities will be carried out during the next 5 years. Some of these will be on existing projects, for taking them beyond their current scope, while others will help us step into newer areas. An indicative list: o Livelihoods and Enterprise Development: economic studies and enabler development;

cluster and value-chain mapping; sustainable enterprise codes and SOP manuals. o Natural Resource Management: habitat mapping and conservation surveys; ethno-

geographic documentation; more cultivation/propagation research on medicinal plants; climate change monitoring and climate compatible development; food security and cropping studies; studies on climate risk management including adaptation research; hazard risk zoning and disaster management studies.

o Appropriate Technology: renewable energy applications and micro-grid models; irrigation technologies; site-specific water management studies.

o Rights and Welfare: cultural heritage research and documentation; MDG status of specific sub-groups.

• Pragya will deepen its participative R&D activities. Farmers, women, traditional healers, will be mobilised for participating in a range of research and experimentation. The newly designed ‘Citizen Science programme’ will be institutionalised and be used to empower and engage communities (with a focus on youth) in various areas: agriculture, NRM, welfare services, nutrition, gender issues, rights status, etc. A Grassroots Expertise & Innovation initiative will also be supported; this would include the development of Farmer Expert Groups and awards for local innovations, towards spurring endogenous and area-appropriate development.

i i . Disseminat ion and awareness bui lding : • The research undertaken by Pragya will be disseminated to all stakeholders of the specific

areas and issues, as well as the wider public. The research findings will be brought out in the form of audience-specific publications, which would include technical and scientific papers, simple guiding pamphlets and manuals for communities, presentations and policy


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briefs for policy and decision makers. Targeted dissemination efforts will involve presentations and workshops for communities, policymakers and interest groups.

• Multiple communication initiatives will be developed and undertaken, towards enhancing awareness regarding our target regions and their communities. AV documentation will be carried out for the purpose of awareness building among communities as well as the wider public. The Pragya website and the Himalayan Voices portal (and associated web-forums such as Himalayan Heritage), will be used for e-dissemination and visitor traffic to these increased via promotion; similar portals/sites will be developed for our target areas in the SSA as well.

• Pragya will develop its staffing and resources to position itself as a technology centre for area-specific technologies, methods and models, for the targeted difficult regions in SA and SSA. Complementary grassroots centres will be created which would include farmer field schools, agri-clinics/testing services, etc.

i i i . Pol i cy research and advocacy act ions : • Pragya will conduct research on policies and practices with relevance for remote regions in

SA and SSA. Towards this, national and international policies will be studies and gaps/weaknesses identified, in the context of our target areas and groups. We will seek to influence policies in the nations we are working in as well as international thinking. Regular meetings will be held with policymakers, decision makers and shapers, to provide them inputs and discuss potential policy shifts. Presentations and policy briefs will aim to share our research findings and perspectives with these key people.

• Pragya will use periodic conferences, at the national/regional/international level, and regular ‘face-to-face’s and dialogues with stakeholders of our target areas and policy/decision makers, for deliberating on specific needs and advocating for policy actions as well as programmes. Periodic e-discussions will be conducted to propel necessary contemplation and pressure group actions. Pragya will also influence international development thinking. It will have an established European and an American presence that would work on public awareness & resource mobilisation.

• Pragya will also support grassroots level policy research and advocacy as a measure towards community empowerment and inclusion in democratic and political life in the specific nations as well as at international level. Grassroots advocacy bodies will be created, trained and supported to dialogue with and advocate for suitable programming at local level, and for necessary policies at the national level; they will also be assisted to express their concerns and needs at international fora.

• Pragya will promote the pioneering new methods/ technologies developed/ implemented through its projects for improving lives in target areas.


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Pragya India, Kenya, Nepal, UK, USA

strategic plan 2010-2015 - pragya.org

Documents