MGVSNEWS

Newsletter - November, 2011 - Part 1

2011-12-05T16:38:00.003-05:00

Dear Friends,

Greetings from MGVS!

It is a joy, as it is always, to write to you and share news of progress here at MGVS. Your continued support has changed the lives of so many more marginalized families living in remote communities of Garhwal, this year, and we have included a few of the highlights in this newsletter for you.

This past year we suffered the loss of our mentor, MGVS Founder, Rev. R. C. Alter, when he passed away on the 19th of June. The foundation Rev. Alter laid for helping people with respect and understanding has shaped our work as well as our lives. We are so blessed to have been part of the vision and life of such a wonderful man and friend. We will always miss him. The honor of upholding Rev. Alter’s sincere aim to uplift those in need, in these parts of the Himalayas, together with all of you, is one that I find difficult to put into words.

If you are interested in learning more about our sustainable development program, please don’t hesitate to contact us. It will be our pleasure to send you a copy of our Annual Report and answer any questions. Please take note of our new address, as the MGVS Office has also moved this year, (after seventeen years!):
    Mussoorie Gramin Vikas Samiti,
    Springview, Landour,
    Mussoorie - 248179,
    Uttarakhand, India.

Our phone number and e-mail address remain the same:
    Ph: 0135-263-1437
    e-mail: mgvs1@vsnl.com

The MGVS Team joins me in wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

With kind regards,

Surender Singh
Coordinator, MGVS

UNDERSTANDING DISABILITY - A BEGINNING

Pravesh (l) and Beemal (r) of Suwakholi
at Kaplani School - Oct/11

On April 21st, 2010, Beemal Gaud of Village Suwakholi joined Kaplani School, along with his friend and interpreter, Pravesh Negi. Pravesh has been in school with Bimal since Kindergarten, making it possible for Beemal to study in seventh grade this year through the use of a sign language the two boys created in early childhood. By November 2010, Kaplani School staff arranged visits to three government disability camps and the Doon Hospital for Beemal, so that his family is now receiving a government pension of Rs. 300/- per month. Beemal’s academic performance is average, but he is able to read and write in both English and Hindi.

MGVS efforts to understand and improve the quality of life of disabled persons are also underway in the Naugun Patti area. Beginning in April, 2010, a total of sixty-six families with disabled persons, across fourteen villages, were interviewed at least twice. In December, 2010, MGVS Community Organizer, Dhirendra Rawat, and MGVS Health Staff, Raj Kumar, attended a workshop on Disability, organized by the Community Health Global Network - Himalayan Cluster, in Dehradun, where they had an opportunity to meet and share ideas and information with 40 other NGOs of Uttarakhand. Following the workshop, Dhirendra and Raj shared what they had learned about disability, govt. and non-govt. schemes with the rest of the MGVS team. From February to September of this year, the MGVS Staff then shared, and explained the contents of, a copy of a small information booklet (in Hindi), which MGVS had obtained from the Latika Roy Foundation, Dehradun, with each of these sixty-six families, so that they are now aware of national as well as local government and some non-government schemes/services available to them. Follow-ups with each family are ongoing.

SMALL SCALE POULTRY BUSINESSES MAKE CHANGE

Village Gaer: Salochna Devi feeds her chickens - May/11

There are four people in the Das family: Chaepku Das and his wife Kanta Devi live together in Village Bayaar with their younger son who is in school; their elder son has left the valley in search of work. The Das family lives in a two room house with electricity, but no running water. MGVS had been working with Chaepku Das’ family to ensure that their documents are in order so that the family may access relevant govt. benefits for poor families, but this is not enough keep the family out of debt. So, Chaepku Das decided to start a poultry unit with MGVS assistance in July, 2010 after he had attended an MGVS training, along with nine other poor farmers, on how to run a small scale poultry business in June 2010. Chaepku and Kanta started out with 22 chicks. Four chicks died, but from the eighteen that survived, the family was able to sell 9 chickens and earn Rs. 1800/-. Chaepku and his wife then decided to put their earnings into three goats at Rs. 5500/-, and with Rs. 1000/- as a down payment they were able to arrange the purchase. Today the family is raising 9 chickens and their goats have multiplied to eight!

Bhim Das and Salochna Devi have four small children, and they too live in a two room house, in Village Gaer. They decided to start a poultry unit with MGVS assistance in July, 2010, with 27 chicks. Seven chicks died, and from the twenty that survived, the family sold 11 chickens and earned Rs. 3025/-. Bhim Das was encouraged by the success of the business and so on November 2nd, 2010, he purchased 29 more chicks through a government scheme, at Rs. 15/- each. He adjusted space for the new chicks in the poultry house MGVS had helped him build, by fitting in wooden planksto make another storey: the chicks were placed above. In July, 2011 the business earned Rs. 6,200/-. Currently, Bhim Das is working on building another chicken house, and his family is eating the eggs laid by four hens. Salochna and Bhim have opened savings accounts for each of their children and they are depositing what they can each month. MGVS has also ensured that Mr. Bhim Das is accessing his right to 100 days employment through the MANREGA scheme. The poultry business is ideal for their family, says Salochna, who needs to stay close to home with the children when her husband is away at work.

MEMORIAL TRIBUTE TO REV. ROBERT C. ALTER

1926-2011

Rev. Robert C. Alter

On Sunday morning, June 19th, 2011, MGVS Founder, Rev. Robert Alter, passed away in his sleep. Please join us in prayer for his wife, Mrs. Ellen Alter, and his children and grandchildren who have lost their loved one. A memorial service was held at St. Paul’s Church, Landour Cantt., in Mussoorie on 1st August 2011.

MGVS is grateful for the moments we have had with Rev. Alter. He truly lived a full life, a life of meaning and giving, humility and such positive upliftment of the people around him. Villagers living in and around Mussoorie still remember Rev. Alter as “Paani Sahib” (Water Sahib) for the first MGVS project - the 3.5 km Patrani-Donk drinking water pipeline, completed under Rev. Alter’s leadership. The pipeline was laid with low-cost PVC pipes for 14 families at a time when the government refused to acknowledge that these families needed water because their homes were so out of the way, until MGVS showed that it was possible to bring water to the area, in 1985. The pipeline has been repaired with GI pipes in many places since that time, and it continues to be functional today, with some of the original PVC piping intact.

During Rev. Alter’s fourteen years of leadership as Coordinator, he also implemented a holistic approach to development issues, including health, women self-help groups and women empowerment melas (fairs), organic (sustainable) farming and income generation and appropriate technology. He approached village problems, with the villagers, and the MGVS team, bringing about ever-innovative and effective results.

Rev. Alter is sure to live on in the family folklore of the rural people of this area, for many generations to come. The foundation he laid for helping people with respect and understanding has shaped our work and our lives. MGVS has been so blessed these past thirty years, to have been part of the life of such a wonderful man and friend. We will always miss him.

Rev. Alter’s Life and Achievements

1981 - MGVS is born: Rev. Robert Alter and CRSC friends
camp out together with villagers of
Chamasari to learn about village needs.

Rev. Alter was the youngest of four brothers. He was born in Srinagar, Kashmir in 1926 to American missionary parents, and he started living in a different part of the Himalayas, in Mussoorie, at age five. He graduated from Woodstock School in Mussoorie, in November, 1943, at the height of WWII. Rev. Alter managed to get passage on an American troop ship headed for the US and his studies continued at Westminster College in new Wilmington, Pennsylvania in July of 1944.

In 1948 Rev. Alter returned to Mussoorie where he married Mrs. Ellen Alter, who was teaching English at Woodstock School at the time, and they both stayed on to teach at the school until 1951. Rev. and Mrs. Alter then went to America for higher studies in 1952, where Rev. Alter attended Yale Divinity School, and was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1955. From 1956-1965, Rev. and Mrs. Alter served in central Uttar Pradesh, where Rev. Alter started an economic development programme for village Christians. During this period, he also completed an M.A. in Rural Sociology from Cornell University in 1962.

Rev. Alter's book - "Water for Pabolee."
Cover shows Patrani-Donk pipeline
where it connects between the two villages.

Then, in 1966, Rev. Alter returned to Mussoorie once again when he was asked to be Business Manager at Woodstock School for one year. From 1968-1978, he also served the school as principal. Under his leadership, schooling Indian students was introduced.

In the Spring of 1981, Rev. and Mrs. Alter started working on an action outreach programme of the Christian Retreat and Study Centre, Rajpur Dehradun, which evolved into MGVS – Mussoorie Gramin Vikas Samiti (Mussoorie Village Development Society). Rev. Alter served MGVS as Coordinator for 14 years until 1995, when he retired to Wooster, Ohio, in the US. After his retirement he assisted MGVS with reporting, funding issues and visitor groups from time to time. In 2001, he completed Water for Pabolee, a book about his life and work with MGVS. He dedicated the book to the people of Chamasari and Kanda-Jhak; Chamasari was the first area in which MGVS worked.

Rev. Alter continued to visit MGVS and his home: Oakville, in Mussoorie, each year, up until a few months before his death. On April 26th, 2011, during his final visit, the City Board of Mussoorie honored Rev. Alter at his home in Mussoorie with an award for lifetime achievement. The citation included described the award as “honoring him for a life led with great dignity and selflessness, a life rich with God's grace and the blessings of nature - a life which has touched so many other lives, regardless of all man-made barriers of religion and caste and creed and [nationality] - truly. Bob Alter is a man of his time, a man of Mussoorie, a man of the universe.”


1985 - MGVS staff and villagers witness the fruit of the first MGVS endeavor: water in Patrani Village. Rev. Alter explains the next developments of the Patrani-Donk drinking water pipeline to the pradham (local village council chief) of the area.

Newsletter - November, 2010 - Part 2

2011-04-15T11:30:00.001-04:00

SAKLANA VALLEY COMMUNITY VALUES GENDER
AND HIV/AIDS AWARENESS

MGVS has worked for many years with the people of Saklana Patti, with the women and the men, as well as teenage girls and boys, to raise awareness regarding Gender issues and HIV/AIDS. And as MGVS prepared a phase-out of our activities from the valley in 2009, both the people of the valley and the MGVS team were concerned that awareness activities should be able to continue in spite of MGVS. Therefore, MGVS assisted the community in setting up set up a Gender- HIV/AIDS Forum on September 8th, 2009, as a joint effort of the two High Schools and one Inter College of the valley. A government women’s organization, Mahila Samakhya, which has taken an interest in promoting Gender awareness and trainings in the area, was also invited to join the Forum as a participating member. Mahila Samakhya provided Gender Sensitization training in the schools, this year, as MGVS prepared to phase-out of the area, in the place of the MGVS Gender program, and Mahila Samakhya has plans to continue doing so in the future. They have also agreed to fund the costs of prizes etc. for awareness events in upcoming years. The Forum has plans in place to hold awareness events each year. The Forum organized Gender & HIV/AIDS awareness events in 2009, and MGVS guided the Forum through the process, encouraging confidence.

Jaanki Rana is awarded second prize at the Gender Debate, Nov/09

BOY SPEAKS OUT FOR GIRLS’ RIGHTS

On November 25, 2009 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women), the Gender/HIV AIDS Forum organized a Gender Debate at Satyon Inter-College, in Satyon. A total of 423 children attended the event: eleven students presented speeches on Gender Issues. First place went to Ankur Thakur, 10th Grade student of Satyon Inter-College. He argued that there is an unjust difference between boys and girls, that a girl cannot go to “check-out” a possible groom for herself. Boys go, however, to “check out” a possible bride, and if they do not like what they see, the father of the girl walks with his head lowered in his own village. He pointed out that former Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, was a girl, that Bacchinderi Pal, who has climbed Mount Everest, is also a girl. Then he sang a song for the audience: “I swear by the river, I swear by the fun, and the joy we feel, that the binding of women, like the weaving of the carpets and the shawls, the binding will stop… Women, change, you stand up and change and the times will surely change.” Jaanki Rana, 10th Grade student of Marora high school, spoke about the disappointment in the voices of parents when they announce they have had a baby girl. The debate was a positive activity and the newly-formed Gender HIV/AIDS Forum of the area was really encouraged by its success. ABOVE: Satyon Inter College Grade 10 student, Ankur Thakur, addresses judges and fellow students of the Saklana Valley on the differences in their community between boys and girls, Nov/09

Sayton Inter College Grade 10 Student, Ankur Thakur, addresses judges and fellow students of the Saklana Valley on the differences in their community between boys and girls

HIV/AIDS AWARENESS CONTEST

On December 1, 2009 (World AIDS Day), an HIV/AIDS Painting & Essay Contest was held at Marora High School, also organized by the newly established Gender/HIV-AIDS Forum of Saklana Valley. All three high schools of the valley participated. Children took part by making posters and writing essays during the event, showing how HIV/AIDS is spread and how it is not spread. First, second and third prizes were awarded: Rajat Negi (9th Class) won first prize for the poster competition and Ankur Thakur (9th class) won first prize for the essay competition. The other contestants were awarded participatory prizes. Prizes were handed out by Chief Guests, Mr. Dinesh Rawat of Rani Chori University, and Mr. Harshdev Unyal, Area Panchayat Head. The Principal of Marora High School, Mr. J. P. Gaud, was especially impressed with this programme, because he had never witnessed an activity of this sort in the school, where after training has been received, a public competition takes place, and the audience is also engaged in discovering who has understood the most on the subject, as opposed to the usual formal testing/examination method of assessing knowledge.

Poster prepared by Satyon Inter College Grade 10 student, Rajat Negi, Dec/09

EDUCATION STANDARDS IMPROVE FOR RURAL CHILDREN
AT KAPLANI SCHOOL

This past year marks the ninth year that MGVS Kaplani School has been providing an education past the Primary School level to the children of villages in the mountainous areas surrounding Kaplani Village, on the outskirts of Mussoorie. Today, a total of 30 students (17 boys and 13 girls) have acquired matriculation certificates (Grade 10), including nine more students who passed their final 10th Class Board examinations this year in March 2010. All nine students have gone on to further studies (Grade Eleven) at Inter-Colleges in Mussoorie, showing a shift in the value that the larger Kaplani community is now placing on education. One of the nine Kaplani School graduates for 2010, Lokendra Thapa, made his school proud this year, when he scored the highest marks in the Mathematics paper of the final Board examination, for the whole of the Mussoorie area: 82% - Ist Division.

Lokendra Thapa lives in Village Bata Gaon, on the outskirts of Mussoorie

Fifty-nine students are currently attending Kaplani High School: thirty-two girls and twenty-seven boys. On April 6th, 2010, at the start of the new school year, Kaplani High School welcomed Miss. Neetu Singh as a Science Teacher. MGVS is hopeful educational standards will improve for Kaplani School students now that each of the five Grade levels in the school has one teacher each.

The MGVS Kaplani School HEIDI PARKER MEMORIAL BUILDING
is Now Open!

On April 26th, 2010, the new Heidi Parker Memorial Building was opened formally. This marks the end of a construction project, very generously funded by Mr. Robin Parker (Woodstock School alumnus ’48), which was started five years ago. It has been a real treat for the students of Kaplani School to sit through classes during the monsoon rains this year, with dry books and dry feet! The new building has made all kinds of other changes possible for the students of Kaplani School as well – a Science lab, individual desks for each student, computers etc. The Kaplani School has received many blessings through the special joint efforts and continued support of many friends that have left the MGVS Team and Kaplani School Staff and students without words and truly grateful.

Mr. Robin Parker opens the Heidi Parker Memorial Building to the community on 26th April, 2010

KAPLANI SCHOOL STUDENTS & IRISH STUDENTS LEARN TOGETHER

Kaplaini School students share cultural activities with students from Ireland

From July 12th - July 18th, 2010, and from July 26th – July 29th, 2010, two groups of approximately 18 high school students and three teachers each, visited from Northern Ireland and spent time teaching Kaplani students some Science, English vocabulary and grammar, crafts etc. Saphara of Nothern Ireland arranged their visit. Both sets of students also participated in many cultural exchange activities including singing and dancing and Hindi speaking. After four days of teaching at Kaplani School, each group of Irish students then trekked down to Donk Village to work with Donk Primary School for a day. The Irish students prepared their lessons for the classes they taught at each of the MGVS Schools, which really helped make the experience an especially intense opportunity for the Irish students themselves as well as the Kaplani High School and Donk Primary School students. Kaplani School staff also had an opportunity to discuss different teaching methods with the teachers from Ireland. A highlight of the two visits was a Science exchange, which took place in the new Science Lab, generously set up by Saphara themselves for the students of Kaplani School, in the recently completed Heidi Parker Memorial Building.

Neelam Rawat of Millage Masrana analyzes a soaked raisin as part of a Science exchange program with Irish High School students

The group leader was Dr. Christine Burnett, Director and Founder of Saphara. Saphara is a non-government charitable organization that has been working in partnership with MVS since 2008.

Director of Saphara, Dr. Christine Burnett, trekking up from MGVS to Donk Primary School, July/09

MGVS FOUNDER VISITS MGVS KAPLANI SCHOOL

In the last week of November 2009, MGVS founder, Rev. Robert Alter, Mrs. Ellen Alter and MGVS Founding Member, Mrs. Saroj Kapadia, visited Kaplani School. Their visit was a moment grace for the students and the teachers.

Newsletter - November, 2010, Part 1

2010-11-13T11:09:00.003-05:00

Dear Friends,

Greetings from MGVS!

This is the time when we would like to share the progress of MGVS work, with all of our friends and well-wishers, as all of you have been a part of a journey to promote sustainable development in the remote areas of the Himalayas. We are currently engaged in sustainable development activities, according to a plan which was developed with the people of fourteen villages of the Naugun Valley. Priorities of the plan include building confidence of the community through organizational efforts, upliftment of people with disabilities, women, widows, children and poorest families, and improving the health status of the area. The Naugun Valley is located in an interior part of Tehri Garhwal, near the Tehri Dam, in this part of North India.

The phase-out process MGVS was engaged in, has now been completed in the Saklana Valley area, and responsibility for ongoing development activities has been handed over to the actual stakeholders of the community. Our team continues to make visits every three months to monitor progress and help the community with their questions and hurdles.

We would also like to share the exciting news with you, that MGVS has recently finished a construction project for the Kaplani High School, and the new building, called the Heidi Parker Memorial Building, has been inaugurated and it is now officially open for use.

On behalf of the MGVS team, please accept our deep gratitude for your long-standing encouragement and continued help. Without your compassionate support, we would not be in a position to help brighten the lives of the marginalized living in remote areas of Garhwal. Thank you so much for your on-going support and your prayers.

The MGVS team joins me in sending our best wishes to all of you for Christmas and the New Year!

Sincere regards,

Surender Singh
MGVS, Coordinator

MGVS ADDRESSES SOME IMMEDIATE NEEDS IN NAUGUN PATTI

MGVS has identified approximately seventy-three extremely poor families who are living within seven Gram Panchayats of Naugun Patti, through village meetings and home visits. We have made efforts to address some of the immediate needs among these families, through Income Generation Projects (IGP) for the extremely poor and destitute, with a focus on widows and the disabled. Eleven families were assisted in starting up goatries in February and March 2010 with four goats each (3 female and 1 male). IGP training on running a successful, and environmentally friendly, goatry business was given to each family before and after the goatries were started up.

Poultry IGP Unit set up in Ghiyakoti Village

On July 14th, 2010, ten other families started poultry income generation projects with twenty-five one month-old chickens each. At present MGVS is working with the local government veterinarian, who has finally started to visit the area and we are encouraging the villagers and their local pradhans to apply for available poultry govt. schemes. MGVS is also assisting in the planting of fruit trees as a part of income generation efforts.

Parvati Devi of Village Lalori plants a mango tree

From December 2009 to February 2010, detailed personal interviews with 30 poorest families were completed. Documents were checked and information regarding govt. schemes being accessed, or not being accessed, was obtained and each family was informed of available govt. schemes they were not already accessing. By the end of March, 2010, we had introduced 21 of these poorest families to their ward members and the pradhans (chiefs) of their Panchayat, in order to regularize documents needed to access govt. schemes. Progress is steady and rewarding: in February and March 2010, seven of these families began the process of obtaining Job Cards, needed to access the 100 Days Guaranteed Employment scheme, and one family acquired their pension documents.

EIGHT SELF-HELP GROUPS START SAVING FUNDS

MGVS has successfully encouraged the activation and proper formation of eight Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in the Naugun Patti area. Some of these groups had already “formed” previously, but only existed on paper at the Block office in Thauldhar. MGVS started out by identifying, and meeting with, the members of the existing Women’s SHGs and the Men’s SHGs of the area. None of these groups were active at that time: meetings were not being held, and some of the “registered” womens’ groups were being controlled by the interests of men. In one case, MGVS found that some money that a women’s SHG had managed to save, was spent on temple repairs. The decision to spend the money was made by men in the village, and the women were not consulted. MGVS encouraged men’s and women’s groups to start internal credit/loaning activities, of which each of these groups was previously unaware. And then in February and March 2010, SHG meetings actually started to take place for four women’s SHGs and four men’s SHGs in villages: Jamni, Kyarda, Vikol and Ghiyakoti. With a focus on empowering both the women’s and the men’s SHGs, MGVS is working with these groups, helping them to understand how they can make positive changes for their villages and community as a whole. We are also organizing and providing various trainings on gender, income generation, government schemes etc. MGVS continues to encourage other groups to form and begin group activities.

MGVS Community Organizer, Mrs. Rama Senwal, facilitates a focus group discussion with the women of Village Jamni

EXPOSURE VISITS ON SHG ACTIVITIES AND ORGANIC FARMING

MGVS organized two exposure visits for the officers of the self-help groups as well as the pradhans (Village Council Chiefs) and panchayat representatives of the area, with other SHGs already making change, including farmers’ cooperatives that had grown from SHG activities. MGVS arranged the visits with NGO Bhuwneshwari Mahila Ashram, in Anjani Sen, Tehri Garwal in March 2010, and the Rural Women Farmers Organic Cooperative and the Semwalgaon II Women’s SHG in Saklana Patti (the previous MGVS working area), in April 2010. These visits really encouraged some of the inactive groups to form properly and to engage in group activities, and sparked an interest in organic farming workshops.

Leek Nursery Bed Preparation Demonstration in Naugun Patti, Lalori Village: ladies to the left inspect a photo of organic farming produce in the fields of Saklana Patti, May/10

The women of Kyarda Village encouraged their fellow village women to form a Self-Help Group, shortly after the first exposure visit, independent of help from men in the village, and they put funds together for loaning/savings activities. The women of this group planted Malta fruit trees together, and they are thinking about how to make and possibly sell Rhododendron juice next spring and they have participated in food processing training organized by MGVS.

The Ghiyakoti Village women’s SHG attended their first real meeting and organized funds to open a bank account within a week of the exposure visit to Saklana Patti. These women were also keen to start leek and gobo nurseries. So on April 21, 2010, MGVS assisted in setting up a vegetable nursery, including leeks, through demonstration in Ghiyakoti Village: 8 women from the women’s SHG participated. The Vikol Village women’s SHG followed on April 22, 2010. MGVS assisted in setting up Vegetable Nursery through demonstration and here also, 8 women participated. Since then, other villages have become interested to learn about organic farming and MGVS has provided many nursery demonstrations in the valley. MGVS is also conducting workshops with the women’s groups of the valley on the formation of a farmers’ cooperative.

THE WOMEN FARMERS ORGANIC COOPERATIVE MAINTAINS ITS STANDARDS AND IMPROVES THEIR MARKETING SKILLS

To maintain soil standards, the Cooperative encouraged their members to have their soil tested. On May 8, 2009, twenty-one Co-op/Sub-Co-op members (9 men and 12 women farmers) provided samples from 1-3 fields each for testing. Sub-Co-op member, Mr. Bachan Singh of Matiyangaon, conducted the testing for his fellow Co-op/Sub-Co-op members together with MGVS. Mr. Singh had taken an interest in learning how to test soil after he had participated in an exposure visit to other Cooperatives outside the valley, arranged by MGVS previously. The results of the soil tests were shared with farmers. Generally the samples were on the low side for nitrogen, phosphorous as well as potash levels, which helped Co-op and Sub-Co-op farmers understand the need for making more of an effort to produce, and use, natural fertilizers. Soil testing results revealed no chemical residues.

Dr. Muira provides marketing training to Cooperative officers, Oct/09

The Cooperative has become an important source of information to other farmers in the valley, regarding sustainable farming methods. The Cooperative has also recently received groups from other areas as part of an Exposure Visit, to share their experience with farmers outside their valley. The Cooperative has been selling their leeks weekly to wholesalers in Delhi for over a year now, but MGVS has focused on encouraging the Cooperative to take on more responsibility for marketing their grains and produce. MGVS arranged two evaluations of Cooperative activities in October and November of 2009 and we also invited Dr. Miura, Dean of the Agricultural Institute in Allahabad, to visit the Cooperative on October 9, 2009, to offer training on marketing. Dr. Miura explained how to improve profits, encouraging an increased understanding of three concepts: Quality, Quantity and Regularity. As a result of the evaluations and training, the Cooperative increased their rates and handled the sales and shipping to various wholesalers by truck, train and XPS Courier, themselves from December 2009 to April 2010, to cities: Gurgaon, New Delhi, Allahabad. MGVS continues to assist with ensuring payments are made to the Co-operative by e-mail follow-up, and by encouraging consumers and wholesalers to contact the Cooperative directly.

AMERICAN STUDENTS SERVICE PROJECT
IMPROVES STUDENT LIFE AT DONK PRIMARY SCHOOL

From March 15th – March 20th, 2010, a group of students and staff from Greenough & Nobles School, Massachussetts, USA, visited MGVS once again this year. This group hiked down to Donk Primary School every day of the week. Some of the group also spent time at Kaplani School. They learned about the school and the lives of Kaplani School students. Cultural exchange activities involved sharing US/Indian colloquial expressions, games and dance instruction. Down in Donk Village, the group was involved in a service project which involved making repairs to the Donk Primary School, constructing a second toilet for the school, so that there is now a toilet for both boys and girls, as well as repairing the Patrani-Donk pipeline. Finally, a dental program including screening, treatments and a hospital visit was completed by a Dr. Wendy Cheney and hygienist, Ms. Joanne Wastrom, who joined the Nobles group for this service project. On Saturday, after all the work was done, the group walked to Donk again to celebrate with the villagers, with dancing, drumming and a community lunch.

Dentistry at Donk Primary School, Mar/10

Nobles School students and staff repair pipeline that feeds Donk Primary School.

Newsletter - December, 2009 - Part 2

2010-04-17T12:31:00.001-04:00

Patrani-Donk Drinking Water Pipeline Repairs

Meeting with Villagers of Patrani and Donk

Water testing had shown there was some fecal coliform in the water at its source, and so the MGVS technical team ensured a water filter was distributed to each family. Training was given on how to use and maintain the filters in early March 2009. HAVE Canada who had funded this pipeline 24 years ago, as well as the first set of repairs in 1999, kindly agreed to help with repairs a second time, and to bear the cost of a water filter for each of the 20 families who depend on the Patrani-Donk pipeline.

Patrani-Donk Villagers Carrying New Pipes for Repairs

New Leaders in Women Farmers Organic Cooperative

This year the Women Farmers Organic Cooperative addressed the issue of democratic governance, as they grow in power and numbers. Since the Women Cooperative is a registered body, they are required to hold elections once they have officially completed three years of registration. Elections took place in the month of October in a General Meeting. The concept of electing new officers was new to Cooperative members, and a challenging learning experience for all. MGVS Staff emphasized the importance of fairness and democratic governance, at this meeting and provided training on the benefits of the election process. The election was successful in eliminating the monopoly of certain officers and gave an opportunity to some of the poorest members to have their voices heard. Through this election exercise, it became clear to all that accountability of the officers is set by the members and that all members in a Cooperative have equal rights.

Newly elected officers are as follows: President Mrs. Sushil Kandari; Vice President Mrs Mamta Devi; Treasurer Rukma devi; Marketing Officer Bhagchand Ramola; Secretary Deepika Kandari

Saklana Women meet an Influential Woman Pradhan

From July 25th - 27th, 2009, MGVS arranged an exposure visit for ten newly elected women Panchayati representatives from the Saklana Patti. They visited Bhuvneshvari Mahila Ashram in Anjani Sen, where the woman Village Council Chief – pradhan, of Anjani Sen (Distt. Tehri, Uttarakhand State), Mrs. Neelam Rana, spoke. Mrs. Rana had won her seat in her village, Barkot, 5 years ago, and she was recently re-elected as pradhan even though the seat was a “General” seat this time, not a “Reservation” seat. (There is currently a 50% reservation for women in the Panchayats in the State of Uttarakhand.) Mrs. Rana explained different government schemes and programs she has helped bring to her panchayat: ie. Widow, disabled & old age pensions, funds for development through approaching higher level members of parliament under “Vidayak Nidi”. She also explained that she met personally with the people of her panchayat and understood their pain, and that she did not pay attention to comments about she was going to meetings alone etc. – and that in the end she was able to win the faith of her people without being known as a “Pati Pradhan” (Husband’s Pradhan). This exposure visit went a long way in complimenting pre- and post-election trainings MGVS has provided to the women of Saklana Patti.

Community Goatry

On February 26th, 2009, MGVS organized a joint meeting of a group of 14 Irish ladies, brought to MGVS through the Irish NGO, and Friend, Saphara, the largest women’s Self-help Group (43 members) in Semwalgaon Walla of the Saklana Valley. The MGVS team also attended the meeting and facilitated with translation. Each group shared the realities of their lives and discussed their fears and dreams. The cultural exchange was a special experience for both groups.

The Women group of Semwalgaon also expressed their keen interest to do some income generating project collectively. After much discussion the women group agreed to start community Goatry with 10 female, and 2 male goats. The Irish Ladies group happily agreed to bear the cost of the 12 goats. It was understood that Semwal Gaon group have experience in raising goats, also it is a good business in the area.

The Semwalgaon Walla Women's Self-Help Group receive their goats for a Community Goatry

MGVS is Evaluated

From February 5-10th, 2009, MGVS underwent a 3-year evaluation of our work in Saklana Patti, sponsored by TEAR Australia. The Evaluation was conducted by Dr. Srivastava, a medical doctor, an advisor on community health issues, and a well-known Gender Training resource person who is presently Director of SAMGRA in Harbertpur. The Evaluation was a great learning/training experience for the MGVS team. He conducted the evaluation in a participatory style, through meetings with the MGVS team, meetings with Self-Help Groups, Cooperative officers, Income generating program beneficiaries, scho0l teachers, panchayat members and pradhans, and Village Health Workers etc.

In his Evaluation report, Dr. Srivastava appreciated a number of sustainable changes that had come about in Saklana Patti as a result of MGVS efforts. In his recommendations, he suggested this would be the right time to begin a Phase-out of the Saklana Patti area, and hand over 100% responsibility to the people of the valley. The Women Farmers Cooperative was an exception, however, for which he suggested some further MGVS guidance from time to time, would be beneficial, after a Phase-Out of the area is complete. He also gave MGVS some very useful tips on starting work in a new area

Evaluator, Dr. Srivastava, meets with Mens Farmers Group in Hatwalgaon of Saklana Patti - February 2009

2010-04-17T12:09:00.003-04:00

Patrani-Donk Drinking Water Pipeline Repairs

The 3.5 km. long, 24 year old drinking water pipeline that MGVS laid down in Patrani Donk villages as our very first project in development, was repaired for the second time by March 2009. The villagers of Patrani and Donk approached MGVS regarding their pipeline, with an application for urgent repairs. MGVS helped the communities of both villages organize collective meetings through the MGVS Donk Primary School Head Teacher and other MGVS staff. At the meetings, the villagers decided who would volunteer to work on which part of the repairs, and how the pipeline’s maintenance would continue after the repairs were complete: ie. which tools were lacking and who would be responsible for them. MGVS Staff then worked together with the villagers through the winter to repair the line as quickly as possible.

Water testing had shown there was some fecal coliform in the water at its source, and so the MGVS technical team ensured a water filter was distributed to each family. Training was given on how to use and maintain the filters in early March 2009. HAVE Canada who had funded this pipeline 24 years ago, as well as the first set of repairs in 1999, kindly agreed to help with repairs a second time, and to bear the cost of a water filter for each of the 20 families who depend on the Patrani-Donk pipeline.

New Leaders in Women Farmers Organic Cooperative

This year the Women Farmers Organic Cooperative addressed the issue of democratic governance, as they grow in power and numbers. Since the Women Cooperative is a registered body, they are required to hold elections once they have officially completed three years of registration. Elections took place in the month of October in a General Meeting. The concept of electing new officers was new to Cooperative members, and a challenging learning experience for all. MGVS Staff emphasized the importance of fairness and democratic governance, at this meeting and provided training on the benefits of the election process. The election was successful in eliminating the monopoly of certain officers and gave an opportunity to some of the poorest members to have their voices heard. Through this election exercise, it became clear to all that accountability of the officers is set by the members and that all members in a Cooperative have equal rights.

Saklana Women meet an Influential Woman Pradhan

From July 25th - 27th, 2009, MGVS arranged an exposure visit for ten newly elected women Panchayati representatives from the Saklana Patti. They visited Bhuvneshvari Mahila Ashram in Anjani Sen, where the woman Village Council Chief – pradhan, of Anjani Sen (Distt. Tehri, Uttarakhand State), Mrs. Neelam Rana, spoke. Mrs. Rana had won her seat in her village, Barkot, 5 years ago, and she was recently re-elected as pradhan even though the seat was a “General” seat this time, not a “Reservation” seat. (There is currently a 50% reservation for women in the Panchayats in the State of Uttarakhand.) Mrs. Rana explained different government schemes and programs she has helped bring to her panchayat: ie. Widow, disabled & old age pensions, funds for development through approaching higher level members of parliament under “Vidayak Nidi”. She also explained that she met personally with the people of her panchayat and understood their pain, and that she did not pay attention to comments about she was going to meetings alone etc. – and that in the end she was able to win the faith of her people without being known as a “Pati Pradhan” (Husband’s Pradhan). This exposure visit went a long way in complimenting pre- and post-election trainings MGVS has provided to the women of Saklana Patti.

Community Goatry

On February 26th, 2009, MGVS organized a joint meeting of a group of 14 Irish ladies, brought to MGVS through the Irish NGO, and Friend, Saphara, the largest women’s Self-help Group (43 members) in Semwalgaon Walla of the Saklana Valley. The MGVS team also attended the meeting and facilitated with translation. Each group shared the realities of their lives and discussed their fears and dreams. The cultural exchange was a special experience for both groups.

The Women group of Semwalgaon also expressed their keen interest to do some income generating project collectively. After much discussion the women group agreed to start community Goatry with 10 female, and 2 male goats. The Irish Ladies group happily agreed to bear the cost of the 12 goats. It was understood that Semwal Gaon group have experience in raising goats, also it is a good business in the area.

MGVS is Evaluated

From February 5-10th, 2009, MGVS underwent a 3-year evaluation of our work in Saklana Patti, sponsored by TEAR Australia. The Evaluation was conducted by Dr. Srivastava, a medical doctor, an advisor on community health issues, and a well-known Gender Training resource person who is presently Director of SAMGRA in Harbertpur. The Evaluation was a great learning/training experience for the MGVS team. He conducted the evaluation in a participatory style, through meetings with the MGVS team, meetings with Self-Help Groups, Cooperative officers, Income generating program beneficiaries, scho0l teachers, panchayat members and pradhans, and Village Health Workers etc.

In his Evaluation report, Dr. Srivastava appreciated a number of sustainable changes that had come about in Saklana Patti as a result of MGVS efforts. In his recommendations, he suggested this would be the right time to begin a Phase-out of the Saklana Patti area, and hand over 100% responsibility to the people of the valley. The Women Farmers Cooperative was an exception, however, for which he suggested some further MGVS guidance from time to time, would be beneficial, after a Phase-Out of the area is complete. He also gave MGVS some very useful tips on starting work in a new area.

Newsletter - DECEMBER 2009 - Part 1

2009-12-11T08:52:00.003-05:00

Dear Friends,

Greetings from MGVS!

We are happy to tell you the work our team has put into the Saklana Valley, Tehri Garhwal, over the last 8 years, has brought about some positive changes. Organizations, such as the Self-Help Groups, the Panchayat Health, Education and Water Committees, the Women Farmers Cooperative, the Schools, are all working together today, to provide a healthy, clean and productive environment across the valley – taking responsibility for their people’s needs, including their women, widows, children and disabled community members, is now becoming a way of life for the villagers of Saklana. Women are taking an active part in their political roles in the Panchayats. This community organization has recently attracted other organizations, and an increased number of government programs to their area. A horticultural centre and an animal husbandry office have also opened up, providing valuable services.

An evaluation of MGVS activities in the Saklana Valley was conducted earlier this year, indicating that sustainable changes made in this area, were at the stage where MGVS could now spend more of our time in a further isolated area of Garhwal. We have located such an area near the Tehri Dam, called Naugun Patti (Valley), where the people are experiencing an intense need for development. They have not been assisted by NGOs in the past, and the government has not offered this community much more. Presently, we are preparing a development plan together with the village councils of seven Gram Panchayats - 700+ families, and we are completing a selection of the poorest who require immediate assistance.

On behalf of the MGVS team, I would like to tell you how much we appreciate your continued support, without which MGVS would not have not succeeded in its mission to serve underprivileged people of Garhwal in North India for the last 28 years. We feel we are truly blessed by your invaluable help and look forward to your continued support as we work to uplift those in need in Naugun Patti. Thank you for your prayers and your hope.

Sincere regards,

Surender Singh
MGVS, Coordinator

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SPREAD HIV AIDS AWARENESS

"AIDS ka gyan - bechayae jaan!"
("Know about AIDS - save lives")

On World AIDS Day – December 1, 2008, the Saklana Patti community held a 5 km rally that passed through 10 villages. Over 1000 villagers participated in the rally, including school teachers and students from the three high schools, as a result of HIV/AIDS/STD training provided by MGVS at these schools over the past 5 years. The students’ parents, newly elected panchayat representatives, previous Village Council chiefs, Govt. Health Workers as well as Village Health Workers, Veterinary Dept. Staff, and Panchayati Health Committee members from 6 Gram Panchayats also participated. The rally was divided into 3 sections. One group started out in Satyon, the marketplace, a second started out in remote Hatwalgaon, and a third started out in Village Silvani. Different smaller groups joined the rally as it passed through their village, and all three groups ended up in central BeerNagar.

MGVS supported the event, organized by the Health Committees and the high schools of the area. This hit event brought the people across the valley together on a health awareness issue in a large way, showing a new importance placed on health and a great ability to work together.

MGVS invited “TV Channel 100”, who interviewed the school children, school teachers and MGVS Staff and broadcast the rally on TV over the next 2 days. The rally was also reported on in the local newspapers, in the Dehradun “Dainik Jaagran” and in the Dehradun/ Mussoorie “Amar Ujala” the next day.

MGVS TEAM IDENTIFIES VILLAGE NEEDS
AT PARTICIPATORY MEETINGS

Naugun Patti Pradhan Makes a Map
of his Panchayat Area

In May 3rd, 2009, the MGVS team held a meeting with 10 Village Council Chiefs – pradhans, of the Naugun Patti area. At this meeting, the pradhans participated in a mapping exercise. Using the maps, pradhans pointed out existing resources and facilities. Afterwards, they discussed their concerns with MGVS. These included a lack of health facilities and drinking water, little forest/jungle fodder, lack of agricultural knowledge, non-irrigated land, low-quality seed, and middlemen who take unfair profits, through the sale of seed. The pradhans complained as well, about illiteracy, government schemes not reaching their people, and problems with migration, due to unemployment, whereby the elderly, women and children, are left behind with poor services.

One of the poorest families in Ghiyakoti Village
within the Naugun Valley

A number of participatory rural assessments (PRA), focus group discussions and individual interviews have also taken place in 14 villages. Together with MGVS Staff, villagers developed a list of their problems, and then categorized and prioritized their needs, in order to develop a focused strategy for making change. During these PRA meetings, our team came to learn that Health and Hygiene is in fact, a serious issue in most villages. Lack of water: skin rashes, diarrhoea and lice are prevalent, especially among children and immunization is not reaching this area: the Infant Mortality Rate is at 20%. Traditional Birth Attendants “DAIs”, available in some villages, are not trained, and in one case a 72 year old man is performing deliveries: the nearest PHC is 22km away by foot + 17km by road.

Before MGVS initiates any community organization activities to encourage the villagers to work towards their community needs, MGVS feels that two areas need to be addressed immediately: community health (immunization and ANC/PNC) and Income Generating Programs for the poorest families. The MGVS team is working on these issues.

TOILETS CONSTRUCTED BY NOBLES STUDENTS
AND PATRANI-DONK VILLAGERS

In March 2009, Mr. Ben and Mrs. Sarah Snyder of Nobles & Greenough School, Massachusetts, USA, visited MGVS for one week, with a group of 15 students from their school to participate in a low cost toilet construction project designed by MGVS for the villagers of Patrani and Donk, where MGVS runs a Primary School. The students worked very hard, completing 11 toilets in 4 days, in spite of the long hike up and down to the villages. In most cases, the villagers prepared the soak pits for their toilets and collected the necessary stones as they could not contribute financially.

Nobles Students Dig a Soak Pit

Nobles Students Constructing a Toilet

One toilet, however, was built entirely by the students, for the Widow, Jona Devi, sister-in-law of Dil Das, a legendary hunter of the area. At the end of the week, the Nobles group, MGVS Staff and the villagers celebrated together in the village of Donk with food, dance and song.

Since then, Nobles students, Julia Hermon and Julia Downs, have started up an MGVS club at the Nobles School, which has written letters with pictures for the Donk Primary School students. Recently, the letters were happily received by Donk students and they have written back. MGVS provided translations.

Nobles Students Celebrate with MGVS
and Patrani-Donk Villagers

Note: Part 2 will be posted in a couple of months.

Newsletter - DECEMBER 2008 - Part 2

2009-04-27T06:15:00.006-04:00

CLEAN WATER

FOR THE SCHOOL CHILDREN OF SAKLANA

As part of the MGVS School Health Program, MGVS had trained Village Health Workers to give health & hygiene talks, once a month, in the 20 schools of the Saklana Valley starting 3 years ago. However, talking about washing one’s hands soon seemed futile without running water available. Therefore, ten schools were identified in 2007 and HAVE Canada very generously made pipelines to these schools possible, along with water filters, in September of that same year. MGVS completed the project in March 2008. Water filters have since been distributed to the remaining ten schools in the Saklana Valley, as well, in November 2008 through support kindly offered by TEAR Australia. The pipelines and filters are being properly maintained by each school.

To compliment the pipelines, MGVS has been systematically constructing toilets in schools where there wasn’t one. Presently, MGVS is working on ensuring each school has 2 toilets, one for boys and a separate one for girls, in an effort to improve hygiene, as girls tend to avoid toilets used by boys because they feel shy. Students are now washing their hands habitually before the midday meal and a reduction of droppings around the schools has been noticed by villagers. A number of parents have started to put money into the purchase of water filters for their homes, and school teachers have mentioned they feel this is related to filters now being available in the schools.

EDUCATION APPLAUDED

MGVS runs two schools: the Donk Primary School (since 1994) and the Kalpani High School (since 2001) as part of our Literacy and Schools program. Kaplani School started out with just a single teacher, through support offered by the Winterline Foundation. The 11 students attending, at that time, had the option of studying in either 6th or 7th grade. With the addition of the 8th, 9th, and 10th standards, over the last 7 years much has changed.

Today, 54 rural children (26 girls and 28 boys) attend and in April of this year, the school’s first class graduated: 13 Class 10 students passed their final (external) examinations. This is an important milestone: a Tenth Grade Certificate (Pass) is a basic requirement for most jobs and skilled trainings in India today. Previously, these students would have either discontinued their studies at the 7th standard, or moved far away from home in order to complete the 10th standard (not a possibility for girls).

Contruction of Kaplani High School finally begins

MGVS is happy to announce that after a long struggle to gain permission, land registration papers for the new high school building were finally received in June of this year, and that construction has finally begun as of October 15th.

Kaplani villagers and guests from Woodstock School celebrated the new permission, together with us, at a groundbreaking ceremony on September 17th. MGVS is truly blessed and grateful for the great patience shown, and for the generous donation made, by Mr. Robin Parker, in memory of his daughter Heidi Parker, for the building project, including the purchase of land. Both Woodstock School and the Winterline Foundation have helped make this project possible.

A GENDER DEBATE

In the interest of building a strong community of equal members, MGVS has been encouraging youths from Classes 8-12 to gain a good understanding of the opposite sex through training provided as part of our Gender Sensitization & Awareness program, since June 2004. Together with 3 high schools of Saklana Patti, MGVS organized a debate on Gender Differences at Govt. Satyon Inter-College on November 25, 2008, in Satyon Village. The chief guest for the debate was Block Development Committee member, Mrs. Savitri Negi. Two representatives of the NGO Mahila Samakhya, dedicated to women’s issues, were invited to sit in on the debate as judges, and the principals and teachers from participating schools were also present.

Two girls and two boys from each high school were invited to speak, for 5-6 minutes each, on gender differences they experienced in their families and villages. The debate offered these students a platform to speak out about their frustrations and present suggestions. Some girls were quite bold and complained about the aborting of female fetuses, as compared to the celebrations that carry on when a boy is born. Receiving less food than their brothers was mentioned, and that it is unfair that girls, at age 16, are usually doing most of the housework, possibly earning, going to school, and yet girls are being treated like a burden because they aren’t married off yet. Brothers, on the other hand, who were not contributing to the family, and perhaps drinking, are seen as a bonus. Opposing points of view about girls not going out as boys do in their communities were also argued. In the end, however, everyone agreed that more equal treatment is needed.

First place went to Govt. Inter-College Satyon, Class 10 student, Haemlata Bhatt, 2nd place to Govt. Inter-College Satyon, Class 10 student, Unkur Thakur and 3rd place went to Marora High School, Class 9 student, Jaanki Rana. Shields were awarded to the schools and speakers were awarded cups, and/or “Satisfactory” certificates. The debate was a positive experience for all: over 500 youths attended the event and the students who spoke had an opportunity to develop their public speaking skills.

INCOME GENERATION
TRAINEE TURNED TRAINER
SELF-EMPLOYED WOMEN OF SAKLANA

Villager Kamli Devi started out a few years ago as a trainee in a Sewing & Knitting session arranged by MGVS in her village Marora. Soon afterwards, she bought herself a sewing machine through an MGVS trainees revolving loan fund (interest-free). Today, she trains young girls at the MGVS Marora Sewing Centre, runs her own tailoring shop in her village, has sold incense, purchased a carpet loom and makes carpets for sale as well. And now, as of November 15, 2008, Kamli Devi has been hired to teach Sewing, Knitting and Incense Stick-making to high school students (Classes 6-12) 10 days each month from 9:00 am to 10:00 am, at the Satyon Inter-College in Pujargaon, by the women’s organization, Mahila Samakhya: she is being paid Rs.1000/- per month for these classes.

Villager Kumari Nirmala has also opened up shop this year as a Beautician in the village of Lambkande; the Cottage Industries Dept. in Dehradun certified her upon completion of her training with MGVS just recently. Unlike Mrs. Devi, however, Kumari Nirmala is unmarried and her sister, Kumari Sonika, is hoping to her in business soon. Two others in the valley, Sarita Devi (married) and Kumari Reeta (unmarried) are also just starting up Beautician businesses through an interest-free revolving loan fund MGVS has set up for Beautician enterprises.

Gender follow-up sessions from July – September 2008, with 154 teenage girls at the 3 high schools of the valley revealed that alongside 62% who intend to complete the 12th standard and/or go on to further studies, 77.5% of these young girls see themselves doing some kind of service or becoming self-sufficient in the future. Aside from the MGVS Gender program, it seems that the examples of self-employed women of the valley including the now 28 women of Women’s Organic Farmers’ Cooperative are effecting changes in attitude about gender roles among the teenage girls of the valley.

VISITORS

In August 6th, 2008, a group of 6 SAGE educators, brought together by two other Woodstock graduates, Mr. Nathan Scott (’84), Executive Director of SAGE (Studies Abroad for Global Education), and Mr. John Alter (‘65), visited with MGVS. SAGE students have been coming out to India, and attending nearby Woodstock School for many years now, but this was the first time SAGE had sent educators out. Many ideas and experiences were exchanged with the MGVS team: it was a real delight to meet with such an inquisitive group. In March 2009, Mr. Ben Snyder plans to visit again, this time with a group of students from Noble & Greenough School, who are preparing to work alongside the MGVS team for a week.

On August 13th, 2008, Dr. Christine Burnett of an Ireland based organization called Saphara, made it out to the MGVS office in the pouring rain. Dr. Burnett and a group of 3 other ladies then returned on August 15th to celebrate Independence Day at the Kaplani School, when fortunately, it did not rain. MGVS really enjoyed their visit and we look forward to meeting with Dr. Burnett in February 2009 when she will be out to visit the project in Saklana and then again in July 2009, when she will be bringing a group of youths along.

Thank you for your continuing interest in Mussoorie Village Development Committee

Newsletter - DECEMBER, 2008 - Part 1

2008-12-11T10:02:00.009-05:00

November 28, 2008

Dear Friends,

Greetings from MGVS!

We, the MGVS team, would like to share some of the highlights of our activities of the past year with you. MGVS continues to strive to bring about sustainable changes that uplift the poorest of the poor and marginalized persons, including women and the disabled, living in the more remote Himalayan villages of Garhwal. And this year has been a busy year as always. But it has also been an especially rewarding one – the efforts we have been putting into 21 villages+ of 8 Gram Panchayats of the Saklana Valley, for almost 6 years now, have started to bear fruit as the people of the valley begin to take on their rural challenges independently.

On behalf of MGVS, I thank you all for your ongoing support, without which we would not be able to help those who are truly at a disadvantage, within this area of Garhwal. Please keep us in your prayers, and until we report to you again, the MGVS team join me for now, in wishing you every blessing for the New Year to come and a Merry Christmas!

Kind regards,

Surender Singh
Coordinator, MGVS

****************

MGVS AN EDUCATOR ON AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES

MGVS has become well-known in our community as an NGO with organic farming experience. Woodstock School approached MGVS Coordinator, Surender Singh, who was trained in organice/natural farming in Japan, to promote awareness about organic farming, to the students of Woodstock School. Since then, MGVS has been managing a pilot farm known as “Turner Organic Garden”, where students have the exciting opportunity of getting their hands into soil on a regular basis.

MGVS Coordinator, Surender Singh
and Woodstock School students in March, 2008

Students, Alumni, volunteers and local residents of Mussoorie have helped bring the garden from rocks to soil. Students reported on their findings as part of the Woodstock Environmental Science Program from March – to June, this year and organic vegetables from the garden are sold in Woodstock’s Quad area each Thursday afternoon to staff and students. True to their inclusive, multicultural student and staff body, the Woodstock garden has also produced Western and Asian foods this year: sweet corn, three varieties of lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, tomatoes, coriander, red radishes, Indian radishes (mooli), Chinese cabbage, celery, pumpkin, mustard (Garhwali spinach), bottle gourds, potatoes, chillies and peas. Woodstock also allows the HIM Organic Women’s Farmers Cooperative to share in the sales. MGVS brings the Co-op’s produce and foods to the sale each week: leeks, kiwis, rice, miso, ginger lemon squash & pickle, and tofu & soymilk.

Allahabad Agriculture Inst. students visit Woodstock Garden
and help Woodstock Alumni build a chicken house for manure.

THE ORGANIC COOPERATIVE GROWS
MEN HAVE JOINED THE WOMEN

On April 10th, 2008, 21 men farmers joined the HIM Organic Women’s Cooperative of Saklana, which has grown itself to include 28 women farmers this year, up from 14 members it started out with in 2005. The men have formed a sub-cooperative under the larger Co-operative, and women officers are training them in certification, govt. schemes, organic farming practices, including fertilizer preparations in their fields, and marketing.

Kiwi trees planted 3 years ago by women Co-op members
bearing healthy fruit in 2008

The Women’s Co-operative gave sub-cooperative members Japanese rice, leek, soybean and gobo seed to help them get started; the Women’s Co-op has established a specialized market of customers who are interested in Japanese foods and their Miso has become popular in many major cities all over India. The men farmers have agreed to farm solely organically as members of the sub-cooperative. They opened a joint bank account in October and they have just harvested their first crops, which they are selling through the Women’s Co-op. The addition of these new members is especially exciting for the women farmers because the men farmers tend to have more land.

MGVS Community Organizer: Dhirendra Rawat, MGVS Coordinator: Surender Singh and 10 of the new men farmer members with President: Mrs. Raju Devi and Secretary: Miss Deepika Kandari of the Women’s Organic Co-operative 2008

Women Farmers Access Government Scheme

On April 23, 2008, MGVS Staff, and Co-operative members Deepika and Bindeshwari, joined with a group of Allahabad Agriculture Institute Staff for an observation trip to Dhakrani, outside of Dehradun. There, they visited a govt. project run by the Krishi Dept. of Uttarakhand. Information learned about govt. rice thresher schemes that was gained at this visit, among other things, was spontaneously shared with the farmers, new and old, of the Co-op and Sub-Co-op afterwards. On October 1st, then, two Co-op officers organized a large vehicle and went to the Thathur Block, where they purchased five rice threshers for ten Co-op farmers, at half price (govt. subsidy) for Rs. 1700/- each. These rice threshers are smaller – easily portable and less likely to require repairs when moved from farm to farm, unlike the larger thresher, previously & presently, also available to Co-operative farmers.

Farmer Mrs. Chanchari Devi & her daughter use their rice thresher purchased jointly with farmer Mrs. Shushila Kandari

TOILETS CONSTRUCTED FOR POOR FAMILIES

MGVS has been constructing toilets for poor families living in the Saklana Valley for the past 6 years as well as encouraging residents. Each year our team goes through a selection process to seek out the most needy families.

This year 10 toilets have been constructed by MGVS:

4 in Hatwal & Matiyangaon
4 in Haweli village
2 in Manjgaon.

Five more toilets are presently under construction.

Toilet construction, October, 2008

GUIDANCE FROM TEAR AUSTRALIA
(our funding partner)

TEAR Australia Program Officer for India, Ms. Jenny Beechey, visited with the MGVS team from October 22-24, 2008. She spent a day “in the field” with the villagers and a day and a half with us here in the office. The team prepared a map as part of the visit’s activities, representing our work and the outcomes of MGVS efforts in the Saklana Valley. The results of the exercise helped clarify the work of MGVS for Ms. Beechey and for the map in office team itself as a whole.

Ms Jenny Beechey reviews MGVS

Ms. Beechey engaged villagers in a similar exercise as well, when she was with them, on Day 2. The team worked together with Ms. Beechey, in the office on identifying effective indicators of changes MGVS attempts to bring about in Saklana Patti. We had a lot to learn from Ms. Beechey, who always brings new ideas to this corner of the globe when she visits.

Village ladies of Saklana explain village networking set in place through MGVS involvement

VISITORS

The MGVS founder, Rev. R. C. Alter, along with a group of 8 people, four women and four men - part of the Wooster Mission Study Tour Group, from the First Presbyterian Church of Wooster, OHIO, visited the MGVS project from the 7th to the 9th of November in 2007. During their visit, they spent a half-day session with the MGVS team at Oakville, Rev. Alter’s house in Mussoorie, which was followed by lunch at his house. The group also spent a one-day visit at the MGVS field site, to see the project at work. The group also visited the MGVS Kaplani School. The group and the school children had a really enjoyable time. The children put on a cultural show for the group. Rev. Alter has been back since in September of 2008 to visit the project again to see the beginnings of construction of the new high school in Kaplani.

Rev. R.C. Alter (founder of MGVS) visits Kaplani School,
November 8, 2007, with a group from Wooster, Ohio, USA

✥✥✥✥✥

An old friend of MGVS, Mr. Bill Mosher, member of Warren Wilson Presbyterian Church USA, and a former teacher of Warren Wilson College, visited the MGVS project, once again in April 2008. While he was with MGVS, he visited many villages of the Saklana Valley and he took many photographs of the people of the area, for his photograph project, specially set up to raise money for MGVS.

Mr. Bill Mosher visits with Mr. Kothari of Sarona Village

In July, MGVS had the pleasure of receiving a group of 12 college students, who were introduced to MGVS by Cate Whitcomb, Woodstock Graduate (class ’66) and former Director of Development for Woodstock School. She has recently moved from the US to Delhi, where she is now the Director of Delhi IES Abroad. IES Abroad is an agency that manages the study abroad for a consortium of over 170 colleges and universities in the US and in 30 centers around the world. MGVS was honoured to represent an example of an NGO operating in India, to which these students could be exposed. The group had many questions, and after tea, they visited the Kaplani School in the rain.

Newsletter, NOVEMBER 2007 - Part 2

2008-04-01T10:21:00.003-04:00

MGVS staff planning session at office.

COMMUNITY HEALTH ACTIVITIES

Village Health Workers updates: 14 Village Health Workers have completed the health training to treat minor illness, attend deliveries in the village, help government health program in their area and provide health awareness and advice to their co-villagers. They all received the medical kit and a certificate after completing the training. During the training all the Village Health Workers had an opportunity to spend five days in Christian Hospital Chama, Tehri Garhwal to experience hospital system and to attend deliveries at hospitals. All these VHW’s are now working closely with the government health workers in their village to provide immunization to children under five, Antenatal/Postnatal care to mothers and to help deliveries.

Panchayat Health Committees: This year MGVS has taken initiative to activate the Panchayats Health Committees in every Gram Panchayats (Local Self Government), so that these committees can work towards improving the health status of their village. Up to last year the health committees were only in the Panchayats records - none of them were active. But this year MGVS was able to organized seven Health committees in seven Gram Panchayats and to help them to make plans for improving health status of their village.

Mother and Child festivals: Three mother and child festivals were held with the cooperation of the government health department. The purposes of these festivals are to provide vaccines to under five children’s, ANC/PNC care to mothers and health talks. All these festival were attended by Govt. ANM and provided the health services.

HIV/AIDS awareness training workshops: From January to October a total of Fifteen HIV/AIDS one day training workshops were held. Three workshops were conducted in schools, Junior and High Schools: 109 girls and 150 boys received the training. Three workshops were held with the men and women: 73 people received training. Six workshops were held with the women and men self-help groups; 41 men and 87 women received training. Two workshops were held with the sewing and knitting groups; 27 young girls received the training.

School health program: MGVS is running a program called School health program, the purpose of this program is to improve health and hygiene of school children and to train teachers about national child protection policy, and first aid medical. MGVS conducted two one day training workshops for the teachers in the month of March and October 2007. 22 teachers from 22 schools attended the training workshop. All teachers received the first Aid Medical Kit and a copy of National Child Protection Policy. Also, the Village Health Workers are regularly visit these schools once every three months to provide health talks to school children. So far children in six schools have received the health checkups from the government health staff.

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GENDER SENSITIZATION TRAINING: Eight gender training workshops were held with the eight women’s self-help groups from different villages with 247 women taking part. Seven gender training workshops were held in Junior, High and Intermediate Schools. The purpose of this training is to help villagers to treat boys and girls equally in the family and society. Gender difference is one of the problems in this area.

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VISITS TO HIMALAYAN ACTION RECHERCHÉ CENTRE (HARC)

Two visits were made to the HARC Field office at Naugaon Block, Uttarkashi, Uttrakhand. HARC is a well-known NGO in Uttrakhand State. HARC Activities include:
➤ 4 Farmers Federations (federation has over 300 member)
➤ 12 Organic Fruit and Vegetables Product Associations (138 farmers)
➤ Women’s multipurpose cooperative Nawagaon (103 members)
➤ Training programs for villagers, NGOS, and Govt. officials at their Center

The first visit was in March . All MGVS field staff along with five members of Satyon women’s organic cooperative and five women from the village self-help groups joined the exposure visit.
The second visit was in October. 12 women officers from seven women’s self -help groups and 9 officers from the four men’s self-–help groups along with three MGVS staff joined the exposure visit.

Here are some of the HARC activities which we observed and experienced:
➥ One classroom session was held for groups at HARC training center for introduction of their fieldwork and strategy.
➥ The women cooperative secretary talked about their cooperative activities and their food processing unit. They are selling many local grains in packages, such as beans, millet, chilly powder, local red rice, and processed food. They have a well equipped food processing unit.
➥ Our group visited a Farmers Federation vegetable collection centre and their office; it was good sharing by the federation president and employees: It was encouraging to visit the Rawani Ghati Fruit and Vegetables Production Farmers Association. More than one thousand farmers are selling their agriculture and fruit product through this association.
➥ Our group also met with a women’s self-help group, and learned about their activities.
➥ We also visited a village call Norni and met a pilot farmer who is well known in that area for growing fruits and fruits plants. He supplies fruit plants to the Govt. Horticulture Department. He has big Kiwi fruit garden.

After three years, Kiwi fruits in MGVS villages are bearing fruit.

➥ We learned some technics for making organic fertilizers, such as Bio dynamic Tree pest, Wormy culture and some techniques of organic pesticides making.

Photosynthetic Bacteria liquid now read to use in farm.

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MICAH NETWORK ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONAL CONSULTATION ON MARGINALIZED PEOPLE

Surender Singh (far right) attended Micah Network Workshop in Malaysia.

In October, Surender Singh, Coordinator, attended a Micah Network “Asia-Pacific Regional Consultation on Marginalized People –our Christian Response,” hosted Malaysian CARE. More than three hundred people from Christian NGOs and church pastors and leaders from the Asia Pacific region attended the workshop. Focus of the workshop was to increase capacity to work with the marginalized people, to share experiences and network with peers, to learn practical skills from case studies and workshops, to explore good practices and lessons learned, to grasp a deeper understanding of integral mission. 4 cross cutting issues were tackled through bible teaching, plenary sessions, case studies and workshops: HIV/ AIDS, Gender, Advocacy, and Stigma.

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Once again we at MGVS would like to thank all of you for your ongoing support and interest in MGVS activities. Please keep us in your prayers, and we look forward to sharing with you future news of our activities.

Surender Singh, Coordinator

Newsletter, NOVEMBER 2007 - Part 1

2008-02-17T14:39:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,

Greetings from MGVS!

Once again it is time for us to update you about the MGVS activities. MGVS celebrated its 26th birthday in October. We are still very much engaged in working with the marginalized people in remote areas. MGVS has been an outreach program of the Christian Retreat and Study Centre Rajpur, Dehradun. As MGVS continues its rural development work, we need to deal with the government and non-governmental organizations. Therefore it was felt that MGVS should have its own identity. In the beginning of this year, MGVS registered as a separate society with the same name: “Mussoorie Gramin Vikas Samiti of the Christian Retreat and Study Centre.” There will be still some connection with CRSC through the Board members of MGVS.

Once again we at MGVS would like to thank all of you for your ongoing support and interest in MGVS activities. Please keep us in your prayers, and we look forward to sharing with you future news of our activities. All MGVS team join me in sending our best wishes for Christmas and New Year. With best regards ...

Sincerely yours
Surender Singh,
Coordinator, MGVS - November, 2007

Surender Singh (far right) attended Micah Network consultation in Malaysia.

MGVS VISION AND MISSION
FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS

In September, a one day workshop was held at CRSC for to develop MGVS “Vision and Mission Statement” for the next 20 years . The resource person for the workshop was Dr. Satyendra Kumar Srivastava, a Health Management & Community Health Resource Person from Herbertpur, Dehradun.

It was a recommendation from MGVS funding partner TEAR Australia that it is time for MGVS to review its Vision and Mission. Fifteen MGVS staff, including the school teachers, participated. Rev. Promod Kumar Tandy, Director of CRSC also participated as a representative of MGVS Board. The workshop was very participatory, with group discussions and presentations. Three key questions were discussed during the strategic planning:

What do we do?
For whom do we do it?
How do we excel?

Dr. Srivastava explained the importance of Vision and Mission for a organization in a changing environment, and how a organization can protect their organizational values. We visualized two facets of Vision 2027:

For MGVS: MGVS will become a credible Self-reliant regional Rural Development Resource Organization, with its own infrastructure, faculty and funds. MGVS will have a program demonstration unit in 4 blocks of District Tehri; Contribution of State Funds to MGVS programs will go up significantly.

For Rural Communities: MGVS envisages a Rural Community which is capable of finding & implementing sustainable solutions to its Socio-Political, material, ecological and cultural needs in 20 years period.

Our Values:
✦Christian Identity
✦No discrimination in Gender, Caste, Creed or Class
✦Identification & working with poor

Our Mission: To promote community development in Saklana Patti of district Tehri Garhwal through appropriate Eco-friendly Technology, Community Participation, Micro-enterprise Development, Community- based Health Initiatives, and by increasing access to Primary and Secondary Education.

MGVS Vision and Mission Planning Workshop

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT
On-going Projects

POULTRY PROJECT: MGVS is promoting poultry raising as a small scale business with poor farmers. Since some farmers are successfully running small poultry units as side business, the Government Animal Husbandry Department was encouraged. MGVS approached government for the help to provide chicks to the poor farmers (Harijans). It was encouraging that Govt. Dept distributed 400 one day old chicks (10 chicks each) to the Harijans families. MGVS also started eight small poultry units with poor farmer with 20 chicks each. 330 chicks were distributed. Four new poor farmers started broiler chicken raising with 100 chicks, MGVS helped them to build a proper chicken house and provided them training of brooding and feeding.

Chick distribution to poor families.

Goat Raising for Income: 14 Village Health workers who completed their health training and started to provide health services in their village received help from MGVS to start a goat business as side income. All fourteen VHW received two goats, a male and a female goat, with an agreement that they will continue to work towards providing their health services in their village. At the time of goat distribution,a training was given on goat keeping.

Community Bulls (Hybrid Male Buffalo): This year MGVS also helped villagers to address one of their problems, that there was no hybrid male Buffalo for breeding purpose in this area. In March, MGVS helped two villages, Jargaon and Matiyan Gaon, buy two community Hybrid Buffalos for breeding purpose. So far 50 farmers have been benefited from the community bulls.

Community bull.

Fodder Grass & Silage Making: Three farmers from village Matiyan Gaon, Lamb Kandi and Hawali have planted 2 quintal of Napier grass as a demonstration to meet the needs of fodder for their animals. This grass was purchased from the Government research Centre. Four farmers planted Rai grass & Cocks Foot; the seeds were purchased from the government Department. Twenty men & women participated in a silage making workshop village Matiyan Goan.

MGVS provided fodder grass to farmers for planting.

ORGANIC WOMEN FARMERS COOPERATIVE

The Women’s Organic Cooperative Satyon is making good progress. In the beginning, 15 women joined with 100 Rs Share. Recently six new women joined as associate members. The Cooperative is registered under the Government Coop Dept. It is applying for a license to sell food processing products. This year Coop’s income was 1, 47,100.00.

Members are growing different kinds of organic crops and vegetables, such as Soybean, Leak, Gobo, three kinds of Japanese rice, and the local sticky rice which is in big demand in Delhi and other places. They are also processing several kind of food products such as Miso Paste, Tofu, Ginger Limon Squash, Jam, smoky chicken and Soya sauce. There is regular demand of Miso Paste, Leak, and Tofu.

Janet Rao the Food processing trainer providing training to Coop members and other women. 106 women received training this year.

It is the real meaning of the Cooperative - working together.

Ms. Deepika joined the Cooperative as a paid Secretary. She is 22 years old from the village Manjgaon and the daughter of a Coop Member. Deepika was sent for a 10 month Leadership training course at College of Continuing and Non-Formal Education of the Allahabad Agricultural Institute. The main focus of this course was promoting sustainable agriculture as the basis for rural development. The Women Coop and MGVS shared the cost of her training. She was then employed by the Coop. She is helping to run Coop meetings and keeping all the records of the coop.

Organic Vegetables Nursery Growing &Fertilizer Making Training Workshops were held in seven villages. Ms. Deepika, led the workshops and trained 78 women and men.

Ms Deepika also trained 8 coop members in PSB making training. PSB, (Photosynthetic Bacteria) is pink-color bacteria which fixes nitrogen from the air and makes soil and plants healthy. It also purifies water also. PSB is diluted with water and poured near plant roots. Fish heads are necessary for propagation of PSB. When pleasant smell comes, then it can be applied. Ms Deepika learned the technique during her training at Allahabad Agriculture Institute.

PSB (Photosynthetic Bacteria) is ready to use on the farm.

Check Dams/plantation: MGVS helped build check dams in village Hatwal Goan, in other villages with the government’s help, under government self-employment schemes. In Hatwal Gaon, MGVS also helped to plant 250 trees to protect soil erosion along the river side.

MGVS helped villagers build check dams to protect farm land from flooding.

BEAUTICIAN TRAINING
A New Project Towards Self-Reliance

MGVS organized a three months beautician training for the girls who are educated above high school. This training was organized by the help of the Government Ghadi Gram Udyog Department and was a part of the Government’s self-employment scheme. MGVS staff Mrs. Janet Rao was the resource person for the training. Janet was a professional beautician before joining MGVS.

Twenty young girls joined the training and paid Rs. 100/- as a registration fee. After completion the training, all 20 girls received a certificate from the Government Department.

Beautician Training - Learning to decorate a bride for her wedding.

MGVS TEAM UPDATE

Leaving:
Mrs. Renuka Chand and Mrs. Ruby Singh, the MGVS ANM/Nurse, health team staff, left MGVS in January, 2007, due to their appointment in government health department. Mr. Deependra Singh, Community organizer, left MGVS team in July due to his appointment in Government education department as a teacher.

Mr. Surender Sherring, Technical staff, left MGVS in March due to his retirement. He is now settled in Delhi with his family. We are grateful for his long services in MGVS and wish him and his family all the best.

Newly Coming:
Mrs. Kelsang Shoreng, (Tibetan background) joined MGVS Health team in February 2007 as a ANM/ Nurse.

Mr. Vijay Chowhan, a young man joined MGVS Team in Month of May 2007 as a technical social worker, his extra qualification is that he knows driving.

Mr. Dhirendra Singh, joined MGVS Team in Month of August 2007 as a Community Organizer. Dhirendra is good in computer skills both in Hindi and English. We are looking forward to benefiting from his skills.

MGVS STAFF TRAINING
Writing Grants - Managing Funds

Mr. Surender Singh, coordinator, and Mr. Raj Kumar, senior community health staff, attended a training workshop in August at the Indian Social Institute in New Dehli. The workshop was on writing effective project proposals and reports. It helped participants understand, from the funding organizations perspective, what kind of proposals and reports they want from the NGO’S to consider their proposals for the support.

(Note: The workshop was organized by the Micah Network, a group of almost 300 Christian relief, development and justice organization in 75 countries. The aim of Micah Network is to strengthen the capacity of participating agencies to make a biblically-shaped response to the needs of the poor and oppressed, and to encourage a deeper understanding of mission and advocacy for and with the poor. MGVS joined the Micah Network as a associate member in 2006. )

Mr. Dalip Benjamin, accountant of MGVS, attended a training program in April at CRSC on Finance Management of Organization The program was organized by the Christian Institute of Management, Chennai. Mr. Dalip Benjamin has worked with MGVS since 1994, and has been efficient in keeping all the MGVS accounts

Dalip Bejamin, MGVS Account Officer

MGVS Staff

2008-02-17T14:19:00.000-05:00

The MGVS Field Staff and teachers at Kaplani & Donk Schools send their greetings.

MGVS-FEED

2008-02-16T17:14:00.000-05:00

Mussoorie Village Development Committee
Fund for Economic and Educational Development

PURPOSE - The mission of MGVS-FEED is to promote the work of Mussoorie Gamin Vikas Samiti, primarily by receiving checks payable to MGVS-FEED and forwarding these contributions in a timely manner to MGVS in Mussoorie, India.

Make checks payable to: MGVS-FEED

Mail to:
MGVS-FEED
c/o Chris Petrak
408 Dover Road
South Newfane, VT 05351

In addition to contributions payable to MGVS-FEED designated to MGVS, contributions may also be designated to the Christian Retreat and Study Center (CRSC), or to help with the expenses of printing and mailing the MGVS newsletter and/or incidental expenses of MGVS-FEED.

Contributions will be accumulated to $1,000 and then forwarded to MGVS. No contributions will be held for more than six months before being forwarded to MGVS.

When contributions are received, the Coordinator of MGVS will be informed by e-mail of the
contributor, amount, and any designation, so that he may acknowledge and plan accordingly.

Contributions will be sent to India by check using registered mail. When it is known that a friend of MGVS is going to Mussoorie, India, that friend may be asked to hand-deliver a check to MGVS. Large contributions may be sent by wire transfer, less the transmission fee.

As required by the Internal Revenue Service, contributions of $250.00 or more will be acknowledged by mail, including the statement that "No goods or services were provided." If a contributor requires such a letter for smaller contributions, please request the letter.

To keep all expenses at a minimum, please include your e-mail with your contribution.

MGVS-FEED ... Background

2008-02-16T17:03:00.000-05:00

For many years, American friends of MGVS have made tax-deductible contributions by sending checks to the Presbyterian Church (USA) with a numerical code to direct the funds to MGVS. There have sometimes been delays, and expenses, related to these contributions.

The First Presbyterian Church of Stroudsburg, PA, has also received checks payable to the church and designated for MGVS; the church has sent these contributions in a timely manner and without deducting any expenses. We are very grateful for the Stroudsburg church's long willingness to provide this service.

However, many people feel much more comfortable writing checks to MGVS rather than to an intermediary. For some time, a small committee of MGVS friends has been trying to find a way for American MGVS friends to make tax-deductible contributions directly to MGVS. We conceived MGVS-FEED to which contributors could make checks, but were hampered by the cumbersome process of applying for non-profit status.

In 1994, Chris Petrak spent the summer as a volunteer with MGVS. Since then, he has been editing the MGVS newsletter. In more recent years, he also designed and maintains the MGVS website at www.mgvsnews.org. He is a member of the Newfane Congregational Church in Vermont. As a result of his work for MGVS, the Newfane Church has included MGVS (and its parent, the Christian Retreat and Study Centre) in its annual mission budget.

Early in 2007, the Newfane Church Council adopted MGVS-FEED as a mission of the church, with its own bank account. Contributions to MGVS-FEED are tax-deductible through the Newfane Church's tax exempt status.

In addition to the financial information which will be available by link from this website, and the oversight of the MGVS-FEED friends committee, the account will be audited annually by the Newfane Church's audit committee.