ACT Appeal India: Assistance to Drought Affected - ASIN42

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Appeal Target: US$ 949,279
Geneva, 27 May 2004

Dear Colleagues,

In spite of a fairly good monsoon in most parts of the country in 2003, large tracts of the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra did not receive adequate rainfall. For some of the areas 2003 was the fourth consecutive year of drought.

The failure of crops has seriously affected the household economy in these rural areas, greatly increasing the incidence of indebtedness. Large scale migrations are taking place due to shortage of drinking water, scarcity of food, lack of employment and lack of fodder for livestock. In some places cattle camps have been set up and the fodder supply is organised through assistance from the government and from philanthropic organisations. Almost every water source is dry due to the third year of insufficient monsoon rains. Women in particular find life harder than usual having to wake up earlier for a long trek to get water for the family.

The Dalits and marginal farmers who, even in "good times", have to take out loans to cultivate the lands leased to them by landowners, are falling deeper into debt due to the consecutive crop failures. Possessions of value are being sold off to provide basic necessities. Pressure and exploitation by unscrupulous money lenders on the Dalit and marginal farmers to repay loans with interest further aggravates conditions.

ACT member Church's Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA) is proposing to assist the most vulnerable of the affected population with: Food for Work (rice / wheat); potable water, drilling of tube wells and fodder for livestock

This appeal may be revised to include a proposal from the United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India.

ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide.

The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.

Project Completion Date: 31 December 2004

Summary of Appeal Targets, Pledges/Contributions Received and Balance Requested

Please kindly send your contributions to the following ACT bank account:

Account Number - 240-432629.60A (USD)
Account Name: ACT - Action by Churches Together
UBS AG
8, rue du Rhône
P.O. Box 2600
1211 Geneva 4
SWITZERLAND
Swift address: UBSW CHZH12A

Please also inform the Finance Officer Jessie Kgoroeadira (direct tel. +4122/791.60.38, e-mail address jkg@act-intl.org) of all pledges/contributions and transfers, including funds sent direct to the implementers, now that the Pledge Form is no longer attached to the Appeal.

We would appreciate being informed of any intent to submit applications for EU, USAID and/or other back donor funding and the subsequent results. We thank you in advance for your kind cooperation.

For further information please contact:

ACT Director, Thor-Arne Prois (phone +41 22 791 6033 or mobile phone + 41 79 203 6055)

or

ACT Appeals Officer, Mieke Weeda (phone +41 22 791 6035 or mobile phone +41 79 285 2916)

ACT Web Site address: http://www.act-intl.org

Thor-Arne Prois
Director, ACT Co-ordinating Office

I. REQUESTING ACT MEMBER INFORMATION

Church's Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA)

II. IMPLEMENTING ACT MEMBER & PARTNER INFORMATION

CASA is registered as a Society under the Societies' Registration Act XXI of 1860. Its members consist of 24 Protestant and Orthodox Churches in India and CASA functions as the outreach arm of these Churches. As the Related Agency of the National Council of Churches in India, CASA is mandated to do relief work on behalf of all the Protestant Churches in India.

CASA has a history of responding to emergencies and disasters since 1947 and is mandated to work in a purely secular manner in all spheres of its programme activities including humanitarian assistance programmes. CASA's response is regardless of caste, creed, language, ethnic origin or political affiliation. Priority is given to families belonging to scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, female headed households, the elderly and infirm and other vulnerable people. Operating on an all-India basis, CASA responds to 60-70 emergencies - both natural and man-made - per year.

CASA has a decentralised disaster preparedness plan. This system has been created through the establishment of a wider and more effective infrastructure network and capacity building programme for CASA staff, representatives of churches, and identified partner organisations, both at the disaster management and grassroots level, who can respond to a call for assistance at short notice. This network is backed by relief materials purchased and pre-stocked at CASA's warehouses at strategic locations throughout the country.

MAHARASHTRA

CASA and its partners will work in 15 blocks of 6 drought affected districts in Maharashtra namely Ahmednagar, Sangli, Satara, Solapur, Latur and Aurangabad.

Comprehensive Rural Health Project (CRHP) - is a pioneering organisation which has been working in the field of comprehensive health care for the rural people for many years. It has also, in association with CASA, been implementing Food for Work Programmes for small and marginalised farmers for the last 29 years. CRHP will carry out drought relief work in Ahmednagar district under this proposal.

Social Centre - works towards alleviating the poverty and hardships of the small and marginal farmers through development of water resources and increased agricultural productivity. The Centre has striven for integration of the community as a whole into the socio-economic, political and cultural life of the village. This organisation will carry out drought relief work in Ahmednagar district under this proposal.

Samajik Nyai Pratishthan (SNP) - works for the development and empowerment of the Dalit community and women. SNP focuses on agricultural development as well as building awareness of the importance of health and education etc. It has carried out various advocacy activities during the drought such as campaigning for the Government to control the commercialisation of crops and to provide water tankers. SNP will implement drought relief work in Satara district under this proposal.

Institute of Self Development and Social Action (ISSA) Most of its board members work in Miraj Hospital and reside in Miraj slum areas. The institute was created by the hospital workers with the aim of assisting the development of slum dwellers. CASA has been associated with this organisation since the 1980s and has initiated various FFCD programmes both in slums and villages of Sangli district through them. ISSA will implement drought relief work in Sangli district under this proposal.

Hindustani Covenant Church (HCC) - HCC aims "to actively support and work towards a just and sustainable society by creating conditions for meaningful and disciplined involvement of all people in the development process which is based on macro approach and to facilitate networking of their organisations at various appropriate level." CASA has worked with HCC in various socio-economic and disaster response programmes. This organisation will implement drought relief work in Solapur district under this proposal.

Christa Seva Mandir works for the empowerment of the poor and marginalised, particularly the women, in Osmanabad and Solapur districts. They have been working in development for more than 30 years and have worked with CASA and other donors in implementing various development programmes. They will be one of the implementing partners in Solapur District.

Marathwada Samajik Unnati Mandal (MSUM) was founded in 1992 to take up the issues of the Dalits and issues of land and agricultural development in Deoni Taluka, District Latur. The organisation has been associated with CASA for the past 4 years and is one of the members of Marathwada NGO Forum. MSUM will carry out activities related to conserving soil and water and also developing barren land for agricultural purposes in affected villages in Latur district.

Human Resource Development Centre (HRDC) - their vision is to create a sustainable rural society, where there is equal respect, equal rights and privileges for women, where there is peace and justice and gender equality and where everyone shares the resources of the place without exploitation and oppression of the weak and downtrodden. They work in 10 villages of Gangapur and Vaijapur Talukas, and will provide work through FFCD and implement projects such as farm ponds, recharging of wells and checking of dams. They will be implementing in Aurangabad District.

Drought relief activities under this programme will also be taken up in CASA's Core Programme areas under its resource centres in Ahmednagar and Aurangabad districts.

TAMIL NADU

CASA and its partners will work in 22 drought affected districts in Tamil Nadu namely Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Perambalur, Puddukkottai, Tanjore, Nagai, Dindgul, Virudhunagar, Theni, Madurai, Sivagangai, Erode, Karur, Ramnad, Vellore, Villupuram, Chennai, Chidambaram, Trichy, Tiruvannamalai, Coimbatore and Kanyakumari. The details are as follows:

CSI Madurai & Ramnad Diocese has a separate department with sufficient staff for planning, monitoring and implementation of socio-economic development projects and relief and rehabilitation projects. CASA has been implementing development and relief programmes through this diocese for more than 50 years. They will be one of the implementing partners in their operational areas in Ramnad, Virudhunagar, Madurai, Dindigul, Sivagangai Districts.

CSI Vellore Diocese - CASA has been associated with this Church for more than 30 years. They are currently participating in CASA core programmes through Social Action Cells. They will be one of the implementing partners in their working areas in Vellore, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai Districts. Since certain parts of the diocese also cover the adjacent state of Andhra Pradesh, CSIVD will also work in Chittoor district of that state.

Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church (TELC) has a Socio Economic Development Board (SEDB) with sufficient staff for planning, monitoring and implementation of socio-economic development projects and relief and rehabilitation projects. CASA has implemented various development activities and relief programmes through this diocese over the years. They will be one of the implementing partners in their working areas in Chennai, Chidambaram, Nagai, Tanjore, Perambalur, Trichy, Puddukottai, Ramnad, Virudhunagar, Madurai, Coimbatore and Theni Districts.

Centre for Development & Education (CDE) works to improve the socio-economic conditions of the rural poor through activities such as skills training, micro-enterprise, community health, education and capacity building amongst others. They will be one of the implementing partners in their working areas in Kanyakumari District.

Drought relief activities under this programme will also be taken up in CASA's Core Programme areas under its resource centres in Tirunelveli, Trichy, Madurai and Erode districts.

ANDHRA PRADESH

CASA and its partners will work in 5 drought affected districts in Andhra Pradesh namely Chitoor, Cuddapah, Khammam, Nellore and Guntur.

Integrated Rural & Tribal Development Society (IRTDS) has been associated with CASA since 1986. It is involved in agricultural land development for small and marginal farmers, training programmes and workshops/seminars for the rural poor in the rural areas of Prakasam and Guntur Districts of Andhra Pradesh. They will be one of the implementing partners in their working areas in Guntur District.

All Christian Evangelical & Social Service Fellowship has been associated with CASA since 1991. Their activities include community development, child care projects, counselling services, Leprosy rehabilitation as well as running a centre for street children. They will be one of the implementing partners in their working areas in Chittoor District.

Tamilnad Christian Council, Chennai is a regional council of the National Council of Churches in India. The Economic Life Committee implements rural and urban development programmes for the weaker sections of the community. CASA has been associated with this organisation for 35 years through FFCD and emergency relief programmes. They will be implementing in their working areas in Chittoor District.

Drought relief activities under this programme will also be taken up in CASA's Core Programme areas under its resource centres in Chittoor, Cuddapah, Kurnool, Khammam and Nellore districts.

KERALA

CASA and its partners will work in drought affected districts in Kerala namely, Wayanad and Idukki.

Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church has for the last 5 years been actively involved in implementing CASA's disaster intervention activities in northern parts of Kerala state, particularly in Wayanad district. They will be one of the implementing partners in their working areas in Wayanad District.

Arshabharath is a voluntary development organisation established in 1985. It has implemented a wide range of initiatives and programmes, including education, skills training, women's self-help groups, environmental protection, health and sanitation, income generation, counselling and advocacy. In 2001 CASA implemented a Food For Community Development Programme through Arshabharath. They will be implementing in their working areas in Wayanad District.

Drought relief activities under this programme will also be taken up in CASA's Core Programme areas under its resource centres in Idukki and Wayanad districts.

KARNATAKA

CASA and its partners will work in drought affected districts in Karnataka namely, Bellary, Haveri, Bagalkot, Chamraj Nagar and Bidar.

CSI Karnataka Southern Diocese (CSI KSD) has undertaken many project activities under CASA FFW programmes as well as flood and drought relief activities. They will be one of the implementing partners in their working areas in Chamraj Nagar District.

CSI Karnataka Northern Diocese (CSIKND) works in the areas of agricultural skills development, health education/care and family welfare programmes. It also runs boarding homes and hostels for orphans, the destitute and handicapped children. CSI KND has been associated with CASA for over 40 years and has carried out community development projects under FFCD. They will be one of the implementing partners in their working areas in Bellary, Haveri and Bagalkot Districts.

Drought relief activities under this programme will also be taken up in CASA's Core Programme areas under its resource centre in Bidar district.

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