CLCP – An Effective Approach

[CHIKKALA PADMA RANI]

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Nari Saksham is a federation of 10 Sex worker CBOs in Andhra Pradesh supported by CARE India.  I am the project coordinator of Community Life competence project with Nari Saksham. India competence is facilitating this process.  I am posting the story shared by Sathyavathi a community facilitator which I have translated from Telugu to English and hoping that this story of Sathyavathi would inspire other’s to attain their dreams in a positive way.

 

In the process of my SALT visits I happened to meet the group of Female Sex Workers(FSW) at Kothakonagudem of Korukonda mandalam during a dream building session. Previously 2 such visits were already completed there and the teams were enthusiastic to learn further from this visit.

 

Three Community Facilitators named Ch Baby, K Sathyavathi, and A Nagamani stimulated the group of 8 FSWs to share their dreams. The team of FSW’s shared their joint hopes, concerns and experiences. They shared that most of them are staying on the banks of a canal in huts, non-permanent houses which may collapse any time due to heavy rains or floods and also they had threats from the house owners very regularly asking them to vacate the premises. So each of the community member in that area had a single common dream of possessing an own house site. In this regard, they had approached the local village Panchayathi President(vilalge head) individually many times for a site.

 

They were in the thought to approach the local NGO, with whom they have previously worked for support. But 2-3 SALT visits have changed their ways of thinking and working. After discussing with the group, the SALT members could compose the FSWs to arrive at a common statement that they only have to find the solution as the problem is theirs. The Community Life Community Process

 

So the  SALT members guided them the procedures(as they were not following any proper procedures) on to how to approach by requesting them to submit  an application letter on behalf of the number of community who require own house site along with the copies of the required documents. At the same time they asked them all to be united and meet the Panchayathi president as a group. Also to have continuous follow up of the process till their dream is fulfilled.

 

Today they are very close to their dream,  as they have submitted all the relevant documents and details required for possessing a own house site to the Panchayat President and he has promised to sanction them the land for house sites after SANKRANTHI (Harvest festival in Andhra Pradesh) in the month of January 2011.

 

During my recent SALT visit, the FSW’s from Kothagonugudem shared their joy and happiness with lot of gratitude to the Community Facilitators as the Community life competence approach transformed their lives.

[Phil]

Padma, do you know if they got their house. It would be a fine end to your story. 

Phil

[Gaston]

Great to see this unfolding. I remember I contributed to this proposal initially. It's wonderful to see these results. Jayakar's notice about the 'baseline' in terms of knowledge and other indicators is a good one. We can even better show the impact of the approach if we do this rigorously. 

 

I can't wait to come to India again and learn from the great facilitation team there...

[Jayakar]

Dear Padma,

Greetings:

 

For this story, I really congrats to you, you have tasted SALT. I am very much appreciating other Facilitators. Make some simple documentation and achievement records, and try for knowledge assessment before SALT- SA approach.

 

 

Warm Regards,

 

Jayakar Kotte.

Hyderabad.

[YERUVA ANTHONY REDDY]

Dear Padma,

Good to listen to nice story of a CBO (?) of Kothagudem approaching the President of Panchayat for housing sites. May the new year bring cheer to the members of CBO with their dream fulfilled and then build on their dream to get their house as well. 

Padma you have imbibed the community life competence process. Your story speaks about that. Continue to do the good work with Nari Saksham. Congrats to the facilitators Baby, sathyavathi and Nagamani..

[Rituu B. Nanda]

Hey Padma, my friend. Thanks for this inspiring story. I am sure this success will further spur them to take handle of their other issues in life. You may like to arrange the visit of this community to another community to share this experience and transfer the approach. Warmest regards to the facilitators - Ch Baby, K Sathyavathi, and A Nagamani.