Procedures and practices: reflections following 20-years working on a community project in southeast India

ABSTRACT

These notes are aimed at anyone who wants to become or join an NGO in India. They are based on experience working in the Krishna Delta as a UK registered charity: the Divi Seema Foundation (DSF). Dire poverty and relative wealth live side by side in the same villages. Central concerns are lack of year-round employment, lack of essential services to the poorest areas and the overall indifference of local government officials. Effective NGOs require a stable support system, continuity, reliable field officers, regular monitoring, and adjustments when necessary.

KEYWORDS:

• Accountability
• aid effectiveness
• monitoring and evaluation
• poverty reduction
• microfinance

Acknowledgements

My enduring gratitude to Dr Jandyahala Shankar who first helped me and who suggested the Sisters as a support group; to E.U. Mariani, my PhD field assistant (1980–1988) and later “guardian” for DSF (1997–2012); to A.V.S. Reddy, Krishna District Collector (999–82); to Nicki Clarke whose film “Divi Seema” (2014) raised enough money to fund the project for three years; to my daughter Nancy whose film “Womens' Voices” (2015) raised enough money for us to continue; finally gratitude to all my gallant supporters who help with funding through the years.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 The Register of Charities, Charity Commission of England and Wales entry (1997).

2 The three DSF films are on the website: diviseemafoundation.org.

3 The District Collector and Chief Magistrate hold multiple responsibilities (Wikipedia).

4 “Academic tourism” is a term coined in the 1980s in the Development Studies world for the activity practiced by people who make rapid assessment surveys never spending more than a few days on site.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Peter Winchester

Peter Winchester gained an architectural degree in 1960 subsequently working in private practice and town planning. He obtained his PhD from the University of East Anglia, School of Development Studies 1986. Founder and Chairman of the Divi Seema Foundation (1997–present). Affiliated to the Flood Hazard Research Centre, Middlesex University. Project manager: the river Irwell, Manchester (flooding), the Thames valley (flooding), Venice (flooding), East India (cyclones).