KADAM. Year B, Syed Amir Ali Avenue, 1st Floor Kolkata

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1 Year B, Syed Amir Ali Avenue, 1st Floor Kolkata

2 ANNUAL REPORT OF for April 2006 Kadam registered itself as a Society under West Bengal Societies Act XXVI of Regd No: - S/1L/36404 of This is an NGO for the people of the villages of Rural India which comprise 69.9% of our country and 72% in West Bengal. Our work this year was primarily in West Bengal. "India needs production by the masses and not mass production said by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi appropriately speaks about the manner sustainable growth can be brought in our country. The paradigm tells us that it is important for strengthening the Rural Economy through Employment Opportunities to make India Self Dependent. Thus in the Gandhian concept the emphasis is on the human aspect and the dependence to contribute to social welfare is not on money or materials alone. Becoming sustainable in our personal lives and giving something back to the society will help make India a holistic and sustainable society according to the dream of Mahatma Gandhi.

3 OUR METHOD & AREA OF OPERATION- We devise methods suitable for each adopted area we work on individually. But on a broader perspective, we follow a certain method as below in norm with our mission which is- We at Kadam aim at tackling the problems of little or uneducated youth migration to urban cities which lead to the problems of Urban Slums, unemployment, rampant violence and street children being a direct fall-out of this migration. To tackle this at the grassroot level, we try to create viable employment opportunities at the village level for the youth and for children, good education conditions. To create employment opportunities, our volunteers and professionals work towards creating small/medium enterprises leading to greater utilization of local resources and to teach skilled artisan s basic professionalism concept of quality and commitment an essential requirement to sustain themselves economically well. Initially for setting an example of success, we take a smaller group with high efficiency, after training and helping sell their produce through marketers, roll back the profits from their produce back in their village for infrastructural development, creating a ripple effect. (Map of West Bengal) 1. East Midnapore 2. West Midnapore

4 CURRENT AREAS OF OPERATION- Out of our Country s 6.38 lakh villages, maximum villages have SC/ST population and tribals. The Handicraft sector is the largest decentralized and unorganized sector in the Indian Economy and forms the second largest employment sector in Rural India. 2% of West Bengal s population is combining approx 38 types of tribals. Going with the philosophy of - We adopt a craft cluster; nurture it with its needs/ requirements special to the region required for a wholistic development of the cluster to be ABLE TO MAKE A DISTINCTIVE IMPACT. We worked on and will be working on 2 clusters in this current year Block NarayanGarh ( Belda) (CRAFT ASHRAM SITE), 2 crafts initally West Midnapore 2. Block Nayagram,( near Kharagpur), West Midnapore 3. Block Kolaghat, Village Aror & KumarHat, East Midnapore We propose the projects for the current year as on page no: s

5 ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN IN Block Kolaghat, Village Aror & KumarHat, East Midnapore a) Bamboo Training Project b) Installation on Solar Hybrid Conventional Power plant a) Bamboo Training Project August-September 2013, Ms. Aleksandra Nowak a volunteer from Warssawskiego Poland her assignment was to do a research on Organic Dyes.In East and West Midnaport district of West Bengal. She first made a list of trees and flowers and found out the colours of the dyes of these trees and flowers. She also studied the market trend and demand for dyed products in India.

6 January - February 2014, Ms Manya Pandit a volunteer from IICD, had performed an experiment of natural and organic colour on bamboo and wood. This organic colour is basically the lacquer used in Etikopakka. The lacquer derived from different parts of various trees or plants which is purely organic. The wood which is used is very soft, and light in weight, locally it is known as Ankudu Karra wood. In lacquering toys in Andhra Pradesh. The Experiment was performed on our local wood and bamboo using our existing mchinery and was partially successful.

7 January 2014-April 2014, Ms. Manya Pandit had also trained artisans of Kolaghat to make new colorful trays and baskets. Ms Priyanka Agarwalla, a student of National Institute of Fashion Technology Kolkata has designed bamboo weaves by creating new techniques and seven new weave patterns. We shall release these experimented products into the market through market connectivity programs in order to see the demand of such commodities.

8 b) Installation on Solar Hybrid Conventional Power plant Kadam has installed 1 KW Hybrid Conventional Power plant at Kolaghat Block in Kumar Haat Village, West Medinipur. This area experiences severe power crises with shortfall in power generation capacity and poor reliability of supply. This will improve employment opportunities,and create a conducive environment for working.

9 2. Block Nayagram,( near Kharagpur), West Midnapore a) Sabaii Basketry Project and Sabaii Grass Training Project a) As a sequel to the dyeing training in Bamboo, Ms. Aleksandra Nowak research a dyeing workshop was also held for sabaii Grass dyeing and on the treatment of Sabaii.

10 Ms. Manya Pandit had trained artisans of Nayagram on sabaii new weaving techniques. The ladies from Nayagram block were brought to Kharagpur for the workshop

11 3. CRAFT ASHRAM (HASTA SHILPI GURUKUL), in West Bengal, West a) Craft Ashram Artisan Training Project b) Craft Ashram Machinery Project c) Craft Ashram Research Project a) Craft Ashram Artisan Training Project The Office, Training & guest block building is renovated & furniture for office & guestrooms has also been installed. In the Mud house which will be used as the dormitory, façade repair work is done. CRAFTS ASHRAM SITE AT A GLANCE ( during renovation)

12 We have planned to train artisans from Belda in Sabaii grass craft and Bamboo craft, We will appoint 1 trainer and 15 trainees to start with the trainings. The trainees should be semi-skilled in making handicrafts and between the age of 25 to 30 years (male and female). The duration of the training will be for 15 days. The training were scheduled to commence in February but due to some political reason the training program has been postponed to May Mud house dormitory and Office Building building after renovation

13 b. Craft Ashram Machinery Project Kadam had donated a pedel operated Sabaii Rope making machine with stand and tray and a Sabaii Rope Twister machine to the Craft Ashram.

14 The Sabaii Rope Twister donated by to the Craft Ashram. Technology Dissemination Workshop on Moulding of Leaf Plates and Bowls using Bio Mass Fueled SLPM Machine was held at Hastashilpi Gurukul premises at Belda during 10 th to 15 th February, Bio Mass Fueled SLPM Machine Sal brought to the Craft Ashram by INITIAVITE

15 c) Craft Ashram Research Project Hanna Tigges volunteer from Germany had worked with Kadam ( ) for Craft Ashram Research Project REPORT OF PROJECT CONSERVE. Hanna researched about the food growing in West Midnapur, the health problems of the villagers, nutritional values of the food products and how to improve the livelihood opportunities for the villagers by a healthy diet. As wants to improve the level of living of the villagers we are also keeping an eye on their nutrition. Not everybody knows what a balanced diet is and which foodstuffs have special nutritional benefits or medicinal properties. Besides an unbalanced diet there are problems that result out of the habit of chewing tobacco-preparations like Gutkha or Paan Masala. Many people do not know that tobacco products are cancerous, highly toxic and have an addictive effect. And even if they know it, some people take it because it is a stimulant that keeps them awake and combats hunger. One basic problem: Chewing tobacco is cheap. Cheaper than some meals. And that is why some people replace a meal with a package of tobacco. Step by step it is possible to enhance the living standard of the people by changing the eating habits and the way they prepare their food. The first step is nutritional education. Someone has to show them what has to be changed. After that they can try to put the instructions into practice and slowly break out of the comfortable routine to change their habits.

16 Extract from the research project: To start the fight against these problems follows this approach: Another desirable objective for the future would be that the women in the villages learn how to prepare healthy food products like for example pickles only with the food products that are naturally growing in their region.

17 4. MARKET CONNECTIVITY PROGRAMMES ( Showcasing the produce by the adopted craft clusters & connecting them to mainstream markets.) participated in various Market Connectivity programmes like developing marketing skills for the adopted village communities, taking them with their wares to various Government/ Non Government melas/ fetes for direct exposure to selling. -HAAT also sold these wares in various other exhibitions to enhance capacity building etc.. We had participated in Dastkari Haat Samiti, Dastkar, Craft Council Of Karnataka, West Bengal, Tamil Naidu, Aakarshan, Fair Trade Exhibition and other exhibition

18 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We would like to thank all working members and volunteers who take out time from their professions and busy lives and volunteer to work for the benefit of the part of our society who live below poverty line.. Thank you sponsors for your support to make these efforts realize into reality. Special Thanks to Our local Funders & Stall Sponsoring Agencies:- Maier+Vidorno Marketing & Sales Pvt Ltd, Gurgaon Maier+Vidorno Market development Services Pvt. Ltd, Gurgaon Vikas Chadha Starling Media VDMA India Engineering Federation Small Contributions from various Organizations

19 I, on behalf of TEAM thank all active members for their active participation and all other members for their support to achieve our goal of helping create SELF SUSTAINABLE villages in Rural India via Craft led livelihood solutions. Payal Nath (Secretary- ) 12 th August 2014