Location: Gasuapara Block
Project Implementing Agency: A·chik Welfare Society (AWS)
Though the concept of building community institution was not alien to these villages, hardly any effective institution existed in these villages before the intervention of this program. While almost in all the villages, VDC existed even before the Project intervention, it was but almost non-functional and could never effectively mobilize the communities for any community based activities. During the first phase of the project intervention, these villages have experienced the emergence of various community based
institutions through reformation of VDCs, which is acting in close consultation with the Self Help Groups formed in the village. Some of the visible changes that have taken place are as follows:
· Unity among the fellow villagers is becoming stronger.
· Decision-making is no longer confined to the village headman but the whole village participates in the process of intervention.
· These institutions are bestowed with the responsibility of planning and implementation of various
developmental activities as well as judicious management of available resources.
· Operating with Bank Account and handling of cash/finance has given them a new experience, particularly with the values of thrift and savings for their own prosperity.
· Accountability and transparency have been strengthened through proper management of records and regular meetings.
· The participation of women in decision-making has increased but remained minimally visible and still needs to be encouraged.
Case Study : Transforming Institutional Paradigm
The communities prior to the project interventions were not aware about the group formations and assistance provided by the government and other financial institutions for any developmental activities. The people live with their belonging natures and incessant involvement in household activities and jhum operations. They have no concern over the activities being implemented by various governmental departments in the community with limited responsibilities for their livelihood concerns and opportunities. Perhaps, almost in all the villages, some developmental activities were hardly carried out by the informal village development councils (VDCs) with inactive participations of the communities. There were no proper rules and regulations or records maintained by the informal community institutions existed before. Thus, most of the schemes or developmental activities likely to be enhanced in the villages remain unreached.
The implementation of LIPH in these villages brings certain changes in the community institutions laying the opportunities to unveil the discretion of the issues and challenges. The principles, ideology and philosophy of LIPH effectively changed their mindset to mobilized group formation and reconstitution of traditional institutions with a view to shifting the paradigm nature of traditional institutions. The SHGs were started to form with the aim to actively participate as well as carry out the developmental processes in the villages. Effective interactions during interface at the reconstitutionalized VDCs forum gave them an opportunity to initiate well organized institutions in the communities with the effort to minimize the bottlenecks of developmental activities. With the onset of implementing the project, PRA exercises were conducted in all the project villages with active participation of communities to identify the social institutions and developmental activities of the villages and framed a practical vision for the effort of community development. Thus, informal VDCs were recostitutionalized and SHGs were well strengthened with the idea of accuracy, transparency and accountability through holistic approach. Barring a few exceptions, the idea and principles of peoples’ participation being offered in the project villages enhanced improve institutional governance.