I am working as Communication Manager for BRAC Haiti in Port-au-Prince. BRAC in Haiti and BRAC in Bangladesh are quite different. In Bangladesh, BRAC is a gigantic organization with thousands of staff persons that reach millions of Bangladeshis through the most innovative, impressive and relevant programs. BRAC in Haiti is a start-up that is working to establish itself in a very competitive development market. Since the devastating earthquake that shook Haiti on January 12th of this year, an overwhelming amount of money has been pledged to Haiti (though not very much has actually reached, but that’s a whole other issue). Aid agencies flooded into the small country and a battle for resources has been underway since.  Within this climate, BRAC recognizes an opportunity to make substantial change to the poverty scenario in Haiti by mobilizing Haitians to help themselves. Thus far, we are working with rural farmers to implement agriculture programs, including tree nurseries in five different areas. We also have established a Limb and Brace Center for earthquake victims that lost their limbs, and a housing project for families whose shelters were destroyed. We have many other activities in the planning stages including other agriculture programs (homestead gardens, vegetable cultivation, poultry and livestock), education and adolescent girls’ development programs, watershed project, and support programs for small and medium enterprises.

On a personal level, I am very grateful that my husband is in Haiti with me. Fareed is working as Technology Coordinator at Union School Haiti, where he is making a tremendous contribution. Haiti is not an easy place to live and if he wasn’t here with me, I would be going crazy. Living in India and Bangladesh, I was used to being able to hop into a rickshaw or catch a bus to take me anywhere I needed to go. Or, I would simply walk. Port-au-Prince is nearly impossible to navigate without a car, and the local transportation is not very easy (or apparently safe) to use. So unless we are willing to spend around $100 per day to rent a car, we spend a lot of time at home.

We started out living in Tabarre in a rented apartment near BRAC Haiti’s Country Office. The apartment was beautiful, but the building was not set up to be rented. We went for over 10 days without power and water at one point, and that while paying nearly $1000 per month! Luckily, we have now shifted to Union School housing in Peguy-Ville. We no longer have to worry about having our basic needs met, and we live with the international teachers that Union School employs. All our neighbors are Canadian or American, and we have a built-in social life now. It’s a wonderful change compared to (nearly) complete isolation. Plus, now we have internet at home!

If you keep up with current events, you may agree with me that Haiti really is being picked on by Mother Nature. The fear the earthquake instilled in people is apparent, though the strength and bravery of the average Haitian is something that takes my breath away. Still, the damage caused makes some parts of cities like Port-au-Prince, Leogan and Jacmel look like settings from a post-apocalyptic film. Hurricane Tomas caused panic and fear, and now the cholera outbreak has turned into an epidemic that has claimed the lives of nearly 1500 people. On top of that, the elections scheduled for Sunday, November 28th have led to demonstrations, gang violence, and, predictably, more fear. 2010 has been rough, and I’m sure most Haitians are wishing for this year to end, and for 2011 to bring happier times.

Among my local colleagues, everyone I speak with has a different view on the elections. Some people say they will vote, while others feel that none of the candidates are worth putting their support behind. In the past, voters have been killed at polling stations and the fear of violence – or catching cholera from unassumingly infected voters – will likely lead to a dismal turnout on election day.

In my view, the only way the cholera epidemic can be brought under control if is an effective government were to build a proper sanitation system, and supply the population with clean water. For that to happen, people have to use their democratic right to vote in a head of state that they can hold accountable. It doesn’t seem likely for this – the third democratic election in a country over 200 years old.

It hasn’t been easy living in Haiti for these past three turbulent months, but it has caused me to have an even greater appreciation for my family, my country and my (actual) freedom. I was raised with hope, with belief in myself and the world, and with the tools available to me to make my life what I want it to be.

I am not American, but today is American Thanksgiving. If I was to continue the list of things I am thankful for in life, this blog entry would never end.

At this very moment, I am thankful to be sitting in Port-au-Prince, working with an organization that is succeeding – and will continue to succeed – with empowering impoverished Haitians with realizing their potential, and to be out of my comfort zone. If I was at home, the news headlines about Haiti would not affect me as much as they do now, and I am grateful to be growing through this experience.

I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

Click to view slideshow.

But I was stunned. I could not think of a way that the programme could get better, other than by securing more funding and growing so that BRAC could reach a greater number of ultra poor families. Regardless of the problems that arose with each of the women I visited, the attention and commitment of BRAC’s TUP staff helped the women deal with their issues and successfully graduate out of ultra poverty in approximately two years.  I specifically asked to see women that had different family situations, different ventures, and faced different challenges to help me understand what issues the women had to overcome. I requested to meet a woman who had not graduated from the programme, but the success rate is so high that this was not possible. I swallowed my disappointment very happily!

BRAC has a very active Research & Development department that is constantly monitoring, assessing and adapting BRAC’s programmes, particularly the TUP programme. This investment in learning and improving is the reason that I believe BRAC has been able to come up with a nearly flawless poverty alleviation model for the ultra poor. With secure funding, NGOs all over the developing world can replicate this programme and really take the battle against extreme poverty to another level.

I am including a case study I wrote on one of my favourite graduates from the programme in Rangpur below. She owns her life now and has such an incredible spirit. I was greatly inspired by her story:

Name: Lippi

Village: Sitolgari

Thane: Mithapukur

Joined TUP in: 2006

Family Status in 2006: Married to Shahanur Alam

Brief History:

Lippi’s parents and grandfather are all paid labourers. Her marriage was arranged to Shahanur Alam when she was around 16-years-old. She and her husband both belong to traditionally ultra poor families. Her husband has had a liver problem for many years. After their marriage, he earned only Tk. 50 per day as a wage labourer, which was insufficient income for the family, so Lippi started working outside of the home as a housemaid earning 1.5 kg of rice per day. Though the community spoke negatively of her working outside of the home as a housemaid, she had to continue with this work to ensure her family could eat one meal per day.

Involvement with BRAC:

Lippi was identified as a TUP member in 2006 by BRAC. Staff persons at BRAC organized a village meeting to complete a wealth ranking survey and the community identified Lippi’s family as ultra poor. Lippi then received two separate visits from BRAC programme officers (POs) with questionnaires that ensured she qualified for the program. Altogether, 11 women were selected as TUP from Sitolgari in 2006.

Before getting involved with BRAC, Lippi knew about BRAC as a credit agency. She had never tried to join a microfinance Village Organization (VO) because she needed money for consumption and knew she would not be able to repay a loan. Initially, she did not believe BRAC would give her any assets or training through the TUP programme, but she was hopeful.

Lippi was first given 3-days training at a BRAC Centre, including Tk. 10 per day for conveyance and one daily meal. After discussion with her POs, Lippi decided she wanted to try a horticulture venture. She received 8 decimals of land (leased land from BRAC at no charge to Lippi) and all equipment to set up her nursery one week after her training was completed. This included spades, shovels, seeds and fertilizers. Lippi also received one free goat from BRAC and was started on a Tk. 105 per week subsistence allowance that continued for one year.

Lippi started to grow mango, jackfruit, lychee, berry and timber seedlings. BRAC staff visited her once per week for a year to provide training and support. Her PO taught her how to write her name, provided technical assistance with the nursery, and offered information and education on 10 critical development issues including hygiene, education, and family planning. She also received a slab and drain from BRAC to build a latrine.

BRAC also helped establish a Village Poverty Alleviation Committee (GDBC) with representation of Sitolgari’s population, including elites and school teachers. This Committee helped build awareness about BRAC to counter initial fears that BRAC would try to convert Lippi’s religion, and to help support the ultra poor financially. The Committee donated a fence for Lippi’s latrine, and provided bamboo for construction of her house. They also provided a platform for her tube well, helped arrange money for her husband’s medical treatment, and provided food in emergencies.

As her husband was unwell, Lippi benefited tremendously from BRAC’s health programmes for the ultra poor. Her whole family was able to visit the panel doctor and received free medicines for one year.

Current Situation:

Lippi’s venture was very successful and she earned Tk. 8000 after her first year, Tk. 11000 after her second year, Tk. 21000 after her third year, and Tk. 22000 after her fourth year.

From the savings she accrued from her nursery, Lippi bought ducks and laying birds, purchased 2.5 decimals of homestead land, 8 decimals of agricultural land on lease from BRAC, 33 decimals of land on mortgage, built a tin-roof house, paid for her husband’s medical treatment, and purchased clothing and furniture for her family. Thus far, Lippi has sold 3 goats and owns 2 goats.

Lippi is now a Dabi (microfinance programme) member and has taken 2 loans from BRAC so far. She first borrowed Tk. 4000 for cattle feed, and later Tk. 5000 to acquire agricultural land on mortgage. She was able to repay the loans easily through the sale of plant seedlings and milk. At present, she has saved around Tk. 5000.

Lippi’s husband works in their fields and supports her with the nursery. They keep very busy with work and are pleased with their current situation. Lippi now owns 4 cows, 2 goats, 5 chickens and 3 ducks.

Future Plans:

In the future, Lippi wants to buy more agricultural land and educate her children well. While she has three daughters, Lippi and her husband said they are satisfied and do not want to have more children.

Lippi in her Nursery

Many people believe that living on less than US $1 per day (the international poverty line) is a horrendous, unimaginable thought. In reality, the people living on or near the poverty line are the (comparatively) lucky ones. The bottom 20% of Bangladesh’s population lives far enough below the poverty line that they are excluded from microfinance programmes altogether – either because of self-exclusion caused by lack of confidence in their own abilities or fear of loans, or because of peer exclusion caused by community discrimination against people who are just that poor. While microfinance is theoretically supposed to target the poorest of the poor, the actual hardcore poor have historically been left out of the microfinance scene causing the gap between the ultra poor and the less poor to widen more and more.

Recognizing this fact many years ago, BRAC decided to try to address it by establishing the TUP programme in 2002. The ultra poor usually have no skill set and are in desperate need for money to be used for consumption – considering investment loans is far beyond their scope. These are often female-headed households. They require immediate financial support for basic needs including food, shelter, clothing, education for their children, health expenditures, as well as weddings, funerals and dowry costs.

The BRAC TUP programme identifies the ultra poor through participatory rural appraisals and with some involvement from village leaders. Once selected through a rigorous process, the ultra poor are provided with grants, training and support. This could mean that the ultra poor are given a cow and a few goats, seeds and land for farming, goats and chickens, etc. The selected ultra poor women also participate in training seminars held at regional BRAC centers to help them build confidence, increase knowledge on how to succeed with their ventures, and improve their communication skills. The TUP programme lasts an average of 2-years with BRAC staff visiting each woman approximately once per week.

My assignment is to conduct in-depth impact assessment interviews with five graduates of the TUP programme in Rangpur district. I have requested to meet with women who have succeeded with the programme, and also those who have struggled. I would like to better understand the benefits and potential drawbacks of the TUP programme, and make recommendations on how the programme can be improved.

It will be great to get back into the field. Stay tuned for updates once I return next weekend!

Here are some photos of the newly identified TUP programme participants that have just been identified by BRAC:

Newly identified TUP programme participants

And some women that are 5-6 months from graduation:

Lovely woman, approaching graduation from the TUP programme

She will be graduating in 5 months - she received her cattle free from BRAC

Development-wise, Bangladesh and Rajasthan are poles apart. While Rajasthan is physically two times larger than Bangladesh with an approximate population of 56 million, Bangladesh has a population of over 162 million. Bangladesh, in fact, has one of the highest population densities of any country in the world. The differences in population make development vastly different in both places.

Rajasthan is India’s desert state, and water issues pose the most crucial challenge to development. In Bangladesh, water is aplenty and it seems local NGOs have been able to make major strides with building awareness among rural populations about irrigation, hygiene and sanitation, and livelihood enhancement (including livestock and farming) – all linked to water quality and access.

Moreover, in Rajasthan, the purdah (veil) system is still quite prevalent in rural areas, while purdah has become a part of rural Bangladesh’s history. It simply no longer exists in Bangladesh’s villages, and women are much less restricted in terms of their mobility than they were in the past. The NGO sector is quite advanced in Bangladesh, with major organizations including BRAC, Grameen Bank and Asa, extending their reach to nearly every village in the country over that past 40 years. The active NGO sector, particularly focusing on delivery of microfinance services, may be one of the reasons that purdah has been eliminated in Bangladesh.

This has not been possible, as yet, in Rajasthan for many reasons. One could be the caste system, which still strongly dictates how women should behave according to their position on the social scale. Moreover, Rajasthan’s villages are spread out and difficult to access – often cut off from any roads by acres of sandy desert. This has made it challenging for NGOs to provide their services to village residents across the state. In this way, the lack of extreme population density may have actually made development more difficult in Rajasthan as compared to Bangladesh! People are harder to reach and NGO staff persons have to travel for hours just to reach their target populations, let alone start building relationships. Finally, as mentioned with the lack of water, livelihood options are more limited and many women have no reason to break away from the system without a viable benefit.

I am trying to make sense of what I am seeing, and understand why development seems to work better in some places than others. The key differences seem to be:

- access (or limited access) to water

- the presence (or lack) of a few far-reaching NGOs

- size and density of a target area

These are basically guesses I am making based on my observations. I will not have the opportunity now, but a comparative study between the two regions would be extremely fascinating and likely provide some insight to the development sector as a whole. Any potential sponsors reading?

When I applied for the Fellowship in Microfinance and Microenterprise from AKFC last year, I was hoping for a placement in Bangladesh. There were no positions in this country for 2009/10 and I received a Fellowship in International Development Management with ARAVALI in Jaipur, India instead. A dream that I didn’t know I had came to fruition, and I had the opportunity to build relationships that will last a lifetime, improve my Hindi language skills, learn of the crucial importance of water,  develop my skills in organizational development and organizational assessments, and fall deeper and deeper in love with India over the span of eight months.

But, seeing as the dream that I had identified had to do with microfinance in Bangladesh, I was not quite satisfied. One of the facilitators of the AKFC management seminar I attended in Ottawa last May/June was Ian Smillie. Mr. Smillie recently wrote a book on BRAC called “Freedom from Want” and my interaction with him inspired me greatly. When he signed my copy of “Freedom from Want” as his book launch in Ottawa, he wrote “I hope you get to see BRAC in action someday” and it got me thinking. I will be in North India, just a short flight from Dhaka. So close, so close…

So, I decided to try to make it happen. I contacted BRAC, the world’s largest development agency, and applied for a microfinance internship. Kismat was on my side and I was accepted – now here I am on a six-week placement!

BRAC is a monster organization. Absolutely massive, with programs reaching 75% of Bangladesh’s population. It is a completely different level of development than I experienced when assessing small, grassroots NGOs in the Hadoti-Daang region of Rajasthan. But, as with those NGOs, BRAC began with the idea of one man – Mr. Fazle Hasan Abed – and it makes me wonder what heights each of those small NGOs could reach given the right support and opportunity.

I spent the last five days in Rangpur district of Bangladesh:

See Rangpur in the NW

In Rangpur, I had exposure to many of BRAC’s programs including:

- BRAC (one-room) primary schools

- a Dabi (small loans) microfinance programme Village Organization (VO) meeting

- a Employment and Livelihood for Adolescents (ELA) microfinance programme village organization meeting

- a Human Rights and Legal Education class

- chilling plant for milk and milk collection points for farmers

- meetings with Progoti (larger loans) microfinance programme clients

- a microfinance programme specifically for farmers

- a monthly community health forum

- an adolescent library (after-school) programme

- a village poverty alleviation committee members meeting

- meeting with panel doctor

- Targeting the Ultra Poor (TUP) programme activities

It was an extremely intense few days in the field, and there was a lot of information to absorb. The depth and breadth of BRAC’s outreach is phenomenal – the organization seems to have a department that addresses every major development issue and BRAC continues to try new, innovative methods to alleviate poverty. Its creativity and ability to experiment effectively is like nothing I have ever seen before!

The Head Office in Dhaka is spectacular – a 20-story tower with air conditioning, a restaurant, a hotel on one floor, and full amenities. Very different from the way I described the ARAVALI office, let alone the small organizations I spent so much time with in rural Rajasthan. I guess you could say that I experienced some culture shock during my first few days at BRAC!

BRAC is quite exceptional in that it is 75% self-funded through its microfinance programs and various other profit-making ventures including fair trade stores, BRAC Dairy and Food projects, BRAC Bank, and the BRAC University in Dhaka. There is too much that BRAC is involved with for me to continue. For more information, please visit: www.brac.net.

One thing is certain, I am thrilled to be experiencing BRAC in action!!

Anyhow, my last few months in Jaipur were intense, overwhelming, confusing, and provided me with the best learning about international development I could have asked for.

My project changed time and time again since I joined ARAVALI, but in the end, I completed organizational assessments on five small, grassroots NGOs in the Hadoti-Daang region of Rajasthan. I spent 3-7 days with each organization, learning about the history and journey of the NGO, the vision of the founder, the programs, monitoring and evaluation, systems and procedures, governance, human resources, effectiveness, relevance for target communities, external pressures, and overall operations. I interviewed the Secretary of each organization, spent time discussing relevant topics with staff, visited project sites, and spoke with beneficiaries. The five assessments I completed took around three months and allowed me to develop an understanding of the critical issues facing NGOs in the region. ARAVALI has used the reports I wrote to develop Support Action Plans with each of the five organizations to work on capacity enhancement, and improve outreach and effectiveness for target communities.

This whole internship experience has allowed me to realize how much I truly love field work. It was a challenging eight months – especially the six-weeks I spent immobilized with a cast on my foot – but has been a time of tremendous learning for me. I know development better. I know Rajasthan better. And most importantly, I know myself better.

I am thankful to ARAVALI for allowing me the responsibility of going out on my own to work with small NGOs in rural Rajasthan. The personal and professional lessons I have learned will stay with me always, and for that I am grateful.

Here is a glimpse of the five NGOs I assessed, and some of the projects they work on:

Heena Welfare Society - Baby receiving vaccination shot at NGO dispensary

Girijan Swaichik Sansthan - Water Literacy projects to address lack of quality water, as displayed by this dry baori

Gyanoday Gramin Vikas Avam Shikshon Prashikshan Sansthan - one creche centre child feeding another in Borda, Sawai Madhopur

Indira Gandhi Mahila Bal Vikas Seva Sansthan - Children at the NGO primary school

Daang Vikas Sansthan - Dr. Bhardwaj with Self-Help Group members

One term that serves as a good example is “juggad”.

A juggad is literally a makeshift vehicle made of an engine and frame. It is low cost and used by many villagers that cannot afford trucks or cars. A unique way to deal with lack of resources and yet stay mobile.

The term “juggad” is also used by people in many parts of India to mean “innovative solution” or “special arrangement” – inspired by the vehicle. For example, if someone is looking for a way to book a ticket on a sold out train, they might say “kuch juggad karo” (make some arrangement) or something to that effect.

From my experience, it seems that there usually is a way around any situation in India. People think creatively and figure out a way to get you what you need, often at a cost. But nevertheless, anything and everything seems possible here.

It is not actually magic, but sometimes it certainly seems that way!

So, I had very little to blog about. There was minimal activity on my site, and the server I was using deleted my blog without warning. I am lucky that I had the entries saved elsewhere, so have reposted all of my old entries on this server, but without the pictures and videos.

I am back to work and there is a lot for me to do to complete my project. I am seeing and experiencing a great deal, and my blog posts will be regular again from now on.

Please do check back soon!!

As difficult as it was to have a broken bone, it was an extra challenge to go through it without any family around to support me – and that too in a foregin (sort of) country. But I made the most of the situation and feel that I have come out of it stronger and more confident. I also now know that I can survive on my own in India, which was a great learning in itself.

My work got a bit derailed for 6 weeks since I was unable to do field visits, but luckily, I am back in Karauli now and it feels incredible to be meeting with rural NGO staff, Self-Help Group members, ultra poor families, and learning about development issues in the region. I will blog in more detail about the learnings I have had this week soon.

My project is now further narrowed so that I am able to do justice to it in the 3.5 months that I have left with ARAVALI. I will be doing in depth organizational assessments of 4 NGOs – 2 in Karauli district and 2 in Sawai Madhopur. The NGOs I will be looking focus on a range of development issues, so I am looking forward to the exposure to different projects.

More details to come soon!

The occasion today was rain. Not the monsoon type of rain, but a light drizzle, a cold breeze, and an overcast sky. The entire mood at the office has been transformed with the change in weather today. No one feels motivated to work, and people can speak of nothing other than the thand and shardi outside. Each and every person I work with has been craving something hot to indulge in, whether it be kachoris, garam-a-garam non-veg, or a steaming cup of chai.

I remember thinking on my birthday last week that it did not feel like my birthday at all, partly because the sun was shining and it was warm. Perhaps the weather Gods were listening to my thoughts because today really feels like a November day in Vancouver.

I should be careful what I wish for, or my coworkers may disown me!