Chintalapudi Project

FollowUp Site Visit Report

Site visit requested by Ramana Divakaruni & Murthy Divakaruni

Site visit conducted by N.Raj Jeba Durai, Mrs Dhanalakshmi

Chintalapudi, Duggirala, Tenali District, Andhra Pradesh

On Dec 8th , 2005

N.Raj Jeba Durai holds an MA in public administration from Madras University and has been a volunteer of Asha in Chennai, India for almost four years. He is coordinating the Asha Honor focus group in India, deeply involved in over 20 diverse Asha projects.

Dhanalakshmi is a fully committed and experienced grass roots volunteer who is engaged in several Asha projects. She is the steward for Project Build which is empowering children of brick kiln laborers in the outskirts of Chennai. .

*UQE (Universal Quality Education)

Contents

I. Chintalapudi ChallengeII. Getting to ChintalapudiIII. Getting StartedIV. About ChintalapudiV. Subadhra – Needs Assessment & Development PlanVI. Team ChintalapudiVII. Village Development – Starting PlanVIII. Next StepsIX. Site visit expensesX.Feed Back

I. Chintalapudi ChallengeTo be a model village in India within 4 years addressing nutrition, healthcare, basic education, income generation, governance. To gradually include neighboring villages in the development work and serve as a beacon of wisdom in the region.

II. Getting to ChintalapudiOn Dec 8th, 2005, Thursday, at 06.30 Am, we boarded the janmaboomi express at Anaakapalle Station, Andra . Reached Tenali at 1:30 AM, Dec 8th, Thursday. We took a auto and after a 45 minute ride, reached Chintalapudi/Duggirala village.

III. Getting StartedWe met with Subadhra Divakaruni first. Then we met Sowjanya’s parents.Established base camp at Sowjanya’s place – a very nice, and spacious village home with green environment. We met the village president T. Ramalakshmi and her brother Koteswaran couple of times and got to know the top issues of the village.

IV. About ChintalapudiThere are 350 – 400 families living here with a total population of around 1500. The farm land is one of the most fertile in the region. There appears to be no water shortage here. 10 persons with disabilities live here. It is common to see girls drop out of school to get married at 14 – 17 years and have children immediately after marriage. Such girls have expressed a deep desire to learn skills such as stitching, embroidery and fashion design.

V. Subadhra Divakaruni – Needs Assessment & Development Plan

We need to work on the assessment on subadhra and she asked for some kind of help in monthly basis.

VI. Team ChintalapudiChintalapudi, Andhra PradeshName Role ResponsibilitySubadhra Project Steward (India) Eat, breathe, drink, sleep this projectSowjanya Scholarship Coordinator Coordinate Scholarship pgm for 1 yrT. Ramalakshmi Village President Infrastructure (roads/drainage/toilets)Koteswar President’s team Wheelchair for SowbhagyalakshmiVenkatamma School development Improve School infrastructureNagavalli Jobs for girls Stitching, embroideryVenkatash Rao Computer traineer To develop a web page for Chintalapudi

Chennai, Tamilnadu TeamName Role ResponsibilityDhanalakshmi Facilitator Proposal & monthly monitoring JebaDurai Facilitator Monthly progress report

Vermont, USADP Facilitator Monthly telecon, best practices

Detroit, USARamana Project Steward (USA) Vision, Strategy, Fundraising

VII. Village Development Starting Plan:

We reached on Dec 8th afternoon directly went to Sowjayanas house and had a cup of coffee later met the village President Mrs. Rajalakshmi in her house had a small meeting with the village women’s more than10 members were participated discussed about the development of the the village. And they asked us what happened you are coming exactly after one year. We explained that we were working for you, and suddenly there was a Tsunami hit, so we have been working very hard for the affected people and also after that there was a heavy rain and flood so we were unable to come here. But always we were working for you in meantime. Definitely we all join altogether make this village as a model village. And all the village people are happy to have us again and they told proudly Asha will help this village and Ramana will always be there to help this. We all had a good time in the village, the meeting gone on for more than one and half hours. The President Mrs. Ramalakshmi gave us a good coffee. And she asked us to make a call to Kotteswaran, the village leader and Ramalakshmi Brother. So as soon as the call Mr. Kotteswaran came to President place and we had a talk and told our plan about to start the tailoring unit.

So with the warm welcome and with prayers of the village people, we went to buy a tailoring machine at Tennali. Jeba Durai, dhanalakshmi, Sridhar (village Youth) and Kooteswaran, Village leader went to buy the tailoring machine at 06.30 P.M. We reached tennali at 7.00P.M. to the USHA Sewing Machine authorized dealer spoke to him that we are coming from chennai plan to develop a model village. Plan to start a tailoring unit, and he is very happy to welcome us with full of smile. We told kotteswaran to decide what machine they need in their village and he himself decide to buy one ordinary machine and one embroidery machine and at last we bought the tailoring machine, scissors, threads and some sample new cloth for the village people to be get trained in the embroidery machine.

We plan to get a wooden stool but there is no time and it was too late. Then bought a two plastic chairs, and also we went to the whole sale dealer and bought the two pockets of thread with various colors and all this items was decided by the village people because they know what they need. And we fixed the entire machine and searching for the auto to take this machine to the village. And at last Kotteswaran took an auto and the auto came in and we loaded the two machines and all the items moved to the village chintalapudi. When we reached the village chintalapudi, the time was around 9.00P.M. But still there were youth girls, small children and the village president and some women were standing near the temple and waited for us. When we reached the place all are very happy and the children shouted that we got a new machine to our village and one girl said I can stitch my clothes from this machine and this made me happy because we gave a starting point for the village people. And after that we had a small meeting to decide how and where to keep this machine, and there were so many ideas and suggestion. All the

ideas are told by the village youth girls and we are very happy seeing that. And also we came to the decision to keep the machine in the panchayat office room and one girl, Sowjanya told that the panchayat office is little fartherand also it is not much safer for the girls to go and practice there. So the village leader Kotteswaran decided to keep the machine in the anganvadi which is opposite to president place. So all the girls and the women are agreed on that and we have kept the machine in the anganvadi. On the next day that is 09.12.05 we told the village girls that we are going to inaugurate the tailoring centre and informed them that we will be there at 10.00am. So next day when we go there all the girls and the president all were present there and inaugurated the tailoring centre with the village girls and all were happy and the work started and we bought them a notebook and a pen to write the daily activities and we nominated Sowjanya for the oversee the machines and all were happy that the village Chintalapudi will be the model village very soon and they gave a vote of thanks for all of us and they told to convey a hearty thanks to Mr.Ramana, Mr.D.P.Prakash and all Asha for Education Group to make this happen.

The Taiolring Unit Consists of

1. Ordinary Tailoring Machine2. Embriodery Machine3. Two Boxes of Thread4. Two Brass Scissors5. Two Stools,6. Two meter sample clothes7. Two plastic boxes to keep the thread8. A screw driver and oil for the machine9. A seprate plate for embroidery machine10. And some stationery items.

After the inauguration of the tailoring unit we had a talk to the village people for their next priority and told us they need a Computer and they want to improve the Anganvadi with some postures and toys. We told them that next visit will be on March second week and will decide upon the items and let you know. And they happily said ok and also they told me that please come offen. But I told them you have to promise me that this tailoring centre should run in good manner and there shouldn’t be any problems. When we come next time, we should see the dresses which have stiched by you because the money comes to this project are not easy because each paise has own value and the people works out a lot to make this happen and all the village girls told us yes and we will run this tailoring unit in good manner and they promised me.

Tailoring Unit girls background with photographs

Chintalapudi Tailoring Girls Unit.

Name: Komala Yarram Satti

Address: Y.Srinivas Rao, Chinthalapudi, Nondivalugu Post, Guntur Dist

School/College: Z.P.G.H School, Duggirala

Class: X passed

Family Background: Father is a farmer. They have their own house

Name: Amuloth Nagavalli

Address: A. Apparao, Chinthalapudi, Nondivalugu Post, Guntur Dist

School/College: Z.P.G.H School, Duggirala

Class: X passed

Family Background: Father earning Rs.3000 per month. They have their own house

Name: Vineela Pothana

Address: P.Koteswa Rao, Chinthalapudi, Nondivalugu Post, Guntur Dist

School/College: Victoriya Public School, Nondivalugu

Class: IX passed

Family Background: Father is a farmer. They have their own house and 60 cents of land.

Name: Dharmapalana Lakshmi Durga

Address: Jnaneswari, Chinthalapudi, Nondivalugu Post, Guntur Dist-522306

School/College: V.S.R and N.V.R College, Tenali

Class: BSc completed and M.Sc discontinued

Family Background: Father is a painter. They have no own house and land

Name: Nalla nukala thirumala

Address: Chinthalapudi, Duggirala, Guntur Dist

School/College: Z.P.G.H School, Duggirala

Class: XII passed

Family Background: Father is a farmer. They have their own house and land

Name: Divakaruni Sowjanya

Address: D.Sita Rama Sastry, Chinthalapudi, Nondivalugu Post, Guntur Dist

School/College: Z.P.G.H School, Duggirala

Class: XI passed

Family Background: Father is a farmer. They have their own house and land.

Name: Dhanaboyna Anitha

Address: D.Shiva Ramaya, Chinthalapudi, Nondivalugu Post, Guntur Dist

School/College: Z.P.G.H School, Duggirala

Class: X passed

Family Background: Father is a farmer. They have their own house

Name: Subhashini Bonthagorla

Address: D.Venkateswa Rao, Chinthalapudi, Nondivalugu Post, Guntur Dist

School/College: Z.P.G.H School, Duggirala

Class: IX passed

Family Background: Husband is a college teacher earning Rs5500. They have their own house.

Name: Malleswari Tadi Bonaina

Address: T.Venkateswara Rao, Chinthalapudi, Nondivalugu Post, Guntur Dist

School/College: Z.P.G.H School, Duggirala

Class: X passed

Family Background: Father is a farmer. They have their own house and 50cents of land

Name: Thadibaina Venkata Ramana

Address: T.Dharmarao, Chinthalapudi, Nondivalugu Post, Guntur Dist

School/College: Z.P.G.H School, Duggirala

Class: VI passed

Family Background: Father is a farmer. They have their own house

Name: Kola Thrivani

Address: Kola Padma Rao, Chinthalapudi, Nondivalugu Post, Guntur Dist

School/College: Z.P.G.H School, Duggirala

Class: IX passed

Family Background: Father is a farmer. They have their own house and land

Name: Hemalatha

Address: Braimaya, Chinthalapudi, Nondivalugu Post, Guntur Dist

School/College: P.G.H School, Duggirala

Class: X passed

Family Background: Father is a farmer. They have their own house and land

VIII: Next Steps

The Next Priority for the Village:

The next Priority for the chintalapudi Village

1. Computer Machine with all the software with printer and UPS

2. Anganwadi: Postures and toys in Telugu

Cost Details:

Computer machine Rs.20, 000Toys and Posters for Anganvadi Rs.5, 000Travel for Jeba and Dhanalakshmi Rs.3, 000

Total: Rs.28, 000

Time frame: Second week of March 2006

IX. Site visit expenses: Received Rs.13000

Travel expenses (Train fare and local conveyance-to and fro) Rs.1592

Expenses to start the tailoring unit(one sewing and one embroidery machine and other requirements)

Rs.10222

Communication Rs.68

Food expenses Rs.550

Total Rs.12432

Balance Rs.568

Feed Back:

Really I saw the development of a village and how they are committed for the social change and also I am particularly happy that the young girls got an opportunity to develop their ideas and move forward.

N.Raj Jeba DuraiAsha Honor

I am happy to be the part of this development and I enjoyed each and every movement there.

Mrs.L.DhanalakshmiAsha Honor

Thanks to the Asha Volunteer Jeba and Dhanalakshmi for visiting this village and make this tailoring centre happen.

Mrs RajalakshmiVillage President

Thank you very much for helping us and also for starting the tailoring unit will be always with you in your development.

Mr.KotteswaranVillage Leader

We are very happy about the tailoring machine which was given by Asha and thanks to Ramana Uncle to make this happen I really don’t have word to say.

Miss. SowjanyaVillage Youth Girl

I am very happy to see this Tailoring unit, and thanks to Ramana.

Mrs SubadaraVillage Women.

Its really wonderful to see the Asha members to come a long way to make this village as a model one I wish them all the best in their future steps.

Mr VenkateshRao

Village Youth