RIGHT SHARING OF WORLD RESOURCES (RSWR)
As a development organisation we would be striving hard to meet both the ends. Its a challenging effort in addressing the objectives, the intervention activities and budget requirements. When seeking grants, we need to draft our proposal in align our program/project with that of the donor agency. It is important to have an overall direction for our projects and then match it with that of the donor.
The objective of RSWR are specific and their grant making process is straight."Income Generation for Livelihood" is their priority. How do we align this with our programs and objectives? Let's see an illustration. The NGO Climate Resilience and Sustainability Initiatives (CRSI) primarily aims at tackling climate change and sustainability related issues. Will it be eligible to apply for RSWR grants? Let's examine.
Purpose of RSWR Grants
Income Generation Program (IGP ) - for meeting the livelihood requirements.
Seed Grants - to be used and reused ie the grant must not reduce but can grow
Revolving Funds - to design the financial support to the beneficiaries as loans and some parts for training and administrative costs.
Marginalized Women - to identify women who are in need and has limitations to access the mainstream finance due to various reasons
Skills and Capacity building - to enable and elevate the beneficiary with knowledge, skills and capacities at individual and collective level.
Given the above requirements let's match it with the objectives of CRSI. Will this NGO stand eligible for this grants? Or will it be a deviating step for this NGO to apply for RSWR?
Purpose of CRSI
Ecosystem Restoration - to restore the resilience capacity of the ecosystem
Greening and Carbon Fixing - to plant trees and promote C4 crops for fixing carbon
Resilience of Soil Health - to stop soil erosion and stabilize soil by way of soil and Moisture Conservation (S&MC) interventions.
Controlled Grazing - to regulate grazing and to ensure access to common property resources to the grazing community
These are some of the objectives of CRSI.
Alignment of Purposes
I suggest an alignment of purpose and strategy to in order not to compromise both the donor and the NGO. Here is a way CRSI can proceed.
Say for example we take and list few specific activities of CRSI.
Community Seed Bank & Community Nursery (Tree Plantation)
Cultivation of C4 Crops (Carbon Fixation)
Vetiver and other grasses for Soil Bunds (Control of Soil Erosion)
Mulching of Farm Land (Soil and Moisture Conservation)
When we look at these activities don't we get a clue?
Let's now align.
Agricultural Women Labourers (AWL) and Livestock Women Tenderers (LWT) can be orgainsed to achieve the objectives of both the donor and the NGO. How can this be achieved?
Agricultural Women Labourers (AWL) can be trained on the key components of 'Restoration of Ecosystem Resilience' by adopting entrepreneurship strategy. Some of the entrepreneurial opportunities are:
Community Seed Bank: This ensures Collection, Conservation and Exchange of Quality Seeds among Farmers as well sell the excess to others who are in need. Hence it turns out to be an Income Generation Program (IGP). Similarly the the Community Nursery.
Millet Value Addition: Foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) is a C4 plant that can convert CO2 into carbohydrate with photosynthetic efficiency. This could be cultivated to achieve Restoration of Ecosystem Resilience as well as Value Added to make RTE food products, a food based enterprise for AWL.
Livestock Women Tenderers (LWT) can be trained on the key components of 'Restoration of Ecosystem Resilience' by adopting entrepreneurship strategy. Some of the entrepreneurial opportunities are:
Community Herbal Collectives: This ensures Collection, Conservation and Preparation of Ethno-veterinary Preparations for their livestocks as well sell the excess to others who are in need. Herbal products can be made and sold. Hence it turns out to be an Income Generation Program (IGP).
Animal Dung Manure: Droppings of the livestock are good natural manure that help replenish the soil nutrients. Organised enterprises keeping in mind the throughput and scales of economies, micro, small and medium enterprises can be started. Compost, Vermicompost, Biogas and Compressed Biogas (CBG) can be produced which help achieve Nutrient Recycling, Restoration of Soil Nutrition, Renewable and Sustainable Energy supporting the Restoration of Ecological Resilience.
Assessment
Now from the above illustration, can we make out the alignment of purposes? Will this project achieve the purposes of the DONOR as well as the NGO? Will it not open-up enterprises and create income generation opportunities? Can the livelihood of the beneficiaries ensured?
Comments
Please feel free to comment, clarify or discuss. For developing projects and proposals you may reach us at the address below:
InnoDev Consultants LLP
(A Government registered NGO consulting company)
Mobile: 8123048910
e-mail: idcllpindia@gmail.com
