Core Committee of Gorai interacts with Researcher on "Tourism"

The Core Committee from Gorai engaged in a thought provoking discussion with Ms. Mrina Mayi Mandal from Equation Foundation, Bangalore; on the topic of "Tourism" as part of a Research Study on the 31st August, 2015 from 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm. 
  

Ms. Mrina Mayi introduced the topic of discussion by sharing about the concerns of her Research on Tourism in the context of the MMRDA Plan being implemented by the Government in Gorai. She quizzed the Core Committee on various aspects of the impacts being felt of tourism on the people. She engaged with the team quite in depth as she delved into the fears that this entails and what were the people's plans for the future. 

"It was indeed refreshing to see a young person so dynamic and actively pursuing this topic in the hope of unravelling the truth". This view was shared by one of the active members of the Gorai Gaon Panchayat who is also the member of the Core Committee of the Gorai Project. This has set a lot of people thinking and perhaps may trigger people to understand deeper designs of the government planners. 

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Young Children grow in awareness of Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis Awareness Programme was held on the 28th August, 2015 from 11.00 am to 12.30 pm for around 170 students from the 8th Std. The resource persons were doctors and nurses from the Bombay Municipal Corporation, TB Health Department. The resource persons explained how TB spreads and what are the precaution we could take to ensure that it does not spread. They also went on to explain the causes and effects of TB. They actively engaged with the children showing them video clippings and answering all their questions. 

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Food Security - Existing Situation and Application of Government Law - A training!

Food Security – Questions raised by Women on real life problems faced with the Government run Public Distribution Systems

Topic: Rationing and Food Security

Day/ Date:  26^th Aug. 2015 (Wednesday)

Target Group: Women

Total participants: 35

Venue: Uttan (Church Hall)

Time: 2 – 5 pm

Name of the Resource Person: Ms. Mishal Dabre

Uttan CCO had organised an interactive session for the Women from the Community on Rationing and Food security Issues that they faced. Ms. Mishal Dabre from CSA was the resource person. The session was very interactive and since women knew the resource person very well they felt very free to ask various context related questions.

Ms. Mishel explained to them about the various types of Ratio cards issued by the Government, and how much of ration each person from the family is entitled to obtain and the amount of money that needs to be paid fixed by the Government authorities. If in case any woman faced any problems they should write a complaint in the book which the shop keeper has to maintain in the shop. She also gave them the toll free no i.e. 1800224950 and ration office no. i.e. 28192703 which they can call up and request them to address the problems faced by them at their local level.

 

Rationing is a major problem the face on a daily basis, especially in terms of getting their quota as per their Ration Card. The women raised many questions related to the topic which were answered by the Resource Person as per the existing law and its applications.

Observations:

v  The session was interesting and informative.

v  It was explained in simple and easy way.

v  There was a good response from the participants.

By Sr. Martha Manorkar   (CSA Uttan), Sanjina and Velenciya (Uttan CCO)

Morning Star Mahila Mandal Women from Gorai undertake an Innovative Initiative.

Women from the Morning Star Mahila Mandal in Gorai took a bold initiative and approached the Member of Parliament (MP), Mr. Gopal Shetty with a petition to undertake the running of the Gorai Jetty Fish Market. This would mean that the women would have to look after the maintenance of the market from the income they earned from charging the women who sit in the market. 

The women invited the MP, Mr. Gopal Shetty for a discussion on the proposal at Gorai Church Hall on the 24th August, 2015. The meeting was a long one that started at 2pm and ended only at 5.30pm. The women openly shared their views on how they could undertake this venture and make it sustainable. He gave his permission and a final decision was taken in the meeting itself, to hand over this responsibility to the Morning Star Mahila Mandal. 

The women have now organized themselves well with responsibilities shared and they themselves arrange to collect the required charge from the women who sit in the market and accounts are now maintained and shared with all duly.


Looking at this enterprising spirit, the women have expressed their hope that they will go miles in increasing their financial options and also share access to common resources without being overcharged and harassed by middlemen and other unscrupulous elements. 

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Financial Literacy Trainings at Gorai – Do I need to Save?

Financial Literacy Trainings in Gorai CCO Resource Persons: Sr. Christle, Ms. Nasim & Ms. Natal (CCO Staff)
 

Date	Venue	Target Group	Participants
16th Aug	Church Hall	Asha Deep Widows	25
17th Aug	Lower Koliwada	3 SHG Groups	24
18th Aug	Church Hall	Vincent De Paul	13
24th Aug	Church Hall	Morning Star Mahila Mandal	150

The CCO Staff introduced the topics by first posing a question to the participants on the need to save. To this the participants responded by sharing on their need to save namely for – survival, sickness, education, building a boat, house repairs, wedding expenses etc. Adding to these reasons the staff went on to share on the need to save for a host of other reasons like in the case of an accident or other calamities faced.

The resource persons then went on to explain how they can save, i.e. the different sources from where money could be obtained for saving. Examples were shared from the participants lives like having breakfast instead of going to a hotel, avoiding constantly eating from outside vendors or the market, buying only requirements during occasions like weddings like gold, food, liquor etc., thus they can save a lot of money. She then went on to explain the importance of saving money which could be used profitably for the future and which can extend life with a sense of security.

The women were shown a powerpoint to demonstrate what was shared with pictures. The women expressed their gratitude on the insights shared and suggested that these same points could be shared with the youth and men folk of the community as they too needed to understand the importance of savings.

Report by Ms. Nasim Kasughar

Financial Literacy Trainings at Uttan - Realizations on the Need & Utility of Savings

Financial Literacy Trainings On 'Saving & Budgeting' 

in Uttan

Date	Module	Target Group	Resource Person	Total No.
18/08/2015	I	Kishorie - Adolescent Girls	Ms Velenciya (CCO Uttan)	73
19/08/2015	I	Women (Subhechya SHG,Mhotagoan)	Ms Velenciya (CCO Uttan)	09
21/08/2015	I	Women (Deydhan SHG, Devtalav)	Ms Velenciya (CCO Uttan)	07
18/08/2015	II	Kishorie - Adolescent Girls	Ms. Sanjina (CCO Uttan)	77

The Uttan CCO Staff planned and worked out the Financial Literacy Modules I (Basic concept of saving and Importance) and II (Importance of Budgeting) for the women and the Kishories (adolescent girls) of four communities in Uttan.

The following topics were covered with groups:

v  Why Saving – Importance of Saving (Slides 1-4)

v  Why Budget:

·         Identified current spending habits

·         Analysed daily expenditure

·         Explained the difference between needs and wants

·         Relation between Budget and Saving.

There was good response from the both the target groups for both financial literacy modules. The sessions were interactive and interesting. The groups expressed their difficulties in saving money and how they utilize their finances, often wasting it with frivolous expenditure which actually can be saved away for a rainy day. Many of the women have decided that they will try to save their money and utilize it more productively as they realised the need and the importance of it.

By Sr. Martha CSA, Ms. Velenciya and Ms. Sanjina from Uttan CCO