Responsible Village Tourism :: Project Awake and Shine Status report updated till 01 June 2010

Innovation 5: Empowerment of locals

On the job training empowered guides, cooks , housekeepers, and gardeners.
Women empowerment through fabrication and Sale of handicrafts to tourists,
Children are being empowered through spoken English at a model Primary School

Innovation 6: Involving tourists in funding

Value added tours with warm and efficient hospitality and involvement in life style tourism, is convincing visitors to sponsor education of children, and health care.

Started on 01 Feb 2007, the project has focussed on Gairi Gaon Nepali village. One homestay cottage was also been funded at Kabi (called Lepcha Village)

Project is attempting to make Gairi Gaon a model rural hamlet, by providing sources of income through home stays, village tours, and fabrication of handicrafts, improving the quality of life, and providing quality pre schooling with focus on spoken English.

The project has made good progress in providing sources of income, through tourism, but is lagging behind in improving the quality of life due to lack of funding

Individual community members have provided land, labour and local resources like stone, to build infrastructure for Four home stays in 2007-08.

Project Awake & shine has provided funds for the buildings and furnishings, Community members retain ownership of their land and have been gifted the buildings and furnishings to start the home stays.

A typical village home stay is offered in a separate cottage, within family holdings, The cottages have been constructed with local stone and are especially designed to offer comfort, convenience and cleanliness in a unique ambiance, with caring hosts providing warm and efficient hospitality. 25 % of the sale price of the home stay earnings goes towards the Awake & Shine. School. The balance of 70 percent goes directly to the host family.

A family earns Rs 1500 per night from one double guest room – when it is occupied, In addition, the guests are expected to donate Rs 500 per night to the Awake & Shine School. The Average turnover of each double room in year 2008-09 was Rs 30000/- This is more than 10 times the income from dry land agriculture on the plot of land used for building. Turnover target is Rs 50000/- per year per host family

Village Tours have been designed and are being marketed through our two web sites www.awakeandshine.org and www.gurudongma.com. Design of village home stay tours; offer a unique, active, interactive, and fulfilling holiday; which is truly a journey of discovery. The itineraries provide for a wide range of activities in and around the village. These include Nature & Culture walks, treks to adjoining areas, camping, interaction with people to learn about the seasonal agriculture cycle, religious beliefs and cultural customs, learning from local artisans, cooking and tailoring lessons, traditional bee keeping, brewing millet beer, learning about Shamans and participation in .village chores – ploughing, sowing, and harvesting, collection of firewood and fodder and more. These authentic experiences provide an opportunity of two way learning and friendship. Earnings go directly to the community members.

A typical Village home stay lifestyle tour, involves staying for 4-10 days at Nepali and Lepcha home stays and The Samthar Farm House.

Robyn Wardill, from Australia robyn123@tpg.com.au, experienced a typical tour in Dec 2008 over 9 days. She participated in a range of activities – Forest trekking with great views, X-mas with Lepcha Christians, Millet beer making, mud plastering. basket making, fire wood collection, cow & goat herding, smithy, Rice straw mat making, tailoring, and Indian cooking, She had a session with the local shaman, and attended Hindu and Buddhist prayer rituals, and a feast. Robyn’s tour generated income for a car driver- owner, two home stay families, six families providing experiences, Village shaman, Hindu priest and Buddhist monks, four porters, three village guides, tailor, Black smith, women’s handicraft group, and a host of small shop keepers Robyn writes: “It was the end of a most happy home stay. Even writing a diary such as this can not capture the multitude of little things that warmed my heart and made me happy. It was a most memorable visit made wonderful by so many special people. It was very sad to say goodbye to Charles (Lepcha host) I had tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat”

On a similar tour Arthur C. Heidebrecht <heidebr@mcmaster>, commented:
“Not only was everything well organized but the hospitality and friendliness of everyone who we were with was outstanding. I also want to say how much we enjoyed staying in the Samthar village area, both at Gairi gaon and at Charles' homestay. That whole experience, including the visit to the Awake and Shine school was extremely enjoyable and informative. I want to wish you well with your efforts in relation to the school as well as to the other development work you have initiated in that village”.

Paul & Helen from UK wrote: “Our very favorite place of all those we stayed at was Samthar village. There was a world of difference between this and the organized tourism we found in Bhutan.. People were very attentive and kind and the food was so nice and well prepared. It was great just to be able to hang out and on the first morning we enjoyed just being with children. Charles was a great guide always willing to engage in conversation about the locality, village life and culture. It was so good to get to meet local people on our walks and be able to visit the heart of life in the valley. We left Samthar a little sad in our hearts - a sign I think that it was possible to get to know people just a bit in a short space of time - enough to glimpse their lives and have a hope for their future wellbeing.”

Shirly & Helga from the USA wrote: “What a fabulous way to end an incredible first visit to India. Dear General, your work is such an inspiration, and your place is so beautiful! Thanks to you and your superb staff, we learned so much and experienced so much more!”

Pre School was started on 01 Feb 2007 and has been functional for over three years now.

The foundation course is of 03 years duration. The child progress through three stages – Nursery, Lower Kindergarten, and Upper Kindergarten. Age of entry is at 03- 04 years.

The School commenced education with a single nursery class with 15 Children in Feb 2007.

Henry Unwin , a young volunteer from the UK and Charles lepcha Tour Guide turned school teacher worked together as a team under the supervision of Gen Jimmy Singh, to execute the concept and work out the details. Pascilina lepcha a young housewife from a local hamlet provided energetic motherly care to the young children

Latter Angela Lepcha, and Jyoti Lepcha, two young ladies from Yang Lepcha village joined the team and helped in evolving teaching methods and curriculum

Community demand lead to expansion; and by June 2007, the School was running Nursery and Lower Kindergarten classes with a total of 30 children on its rolls. The Upper Kindergarten class was started in Feb 2008. The three classes have a total of capacity of 60 children . Currently 48 children are enrolled

The teaching staff of four teachers is backed by two class assistant, a caretaker and gardener.

The class rooms are well equipped with furniture, white boards, learning toys, VCD; with monitors, and a laptop. A generator has been provided

In addition a unique outdoor confidence course, sand pit and play area with games and toys has been incorporated in the teaching scheme

Mrs Maureen Blake, a retired head of an infant school from the UK, came to Samthar as a volunteer principal for six months in 2009. Teaching methods and teachers skills were improved under her guidance. In her parting report she wrote

“When I came to the school in Jul, I said it was a good school. I have now changed my mind. It is not a good school, it is an outstanding school”

Funds to build the initial infrastructure were provided by General “Jimmy” Singh. The Family which provided the land has retained ownership of the land and the buildings have been donated to them. Also a home stay cottage has been built on the grounds, to provide income to the family

The operating expenses were provided from paying guest income at the Samthar Farm house and Gurudongma House. Latter several of our guests kindly sponsored some of the children. On 01 Apr 2010, the Pre School has 30 sponsored children , whilst 18 children are paying a token fee.

The first batch of 15 Children completed their foundation course at the pre school in Dec 2008.. 07 Children were merit listed as deserving of scholarship for continuing schooling in a English medium School The scholarship for each child was valued at Rs 13500 per year. For the year 2009, all seven children were provided funds through Awake & Shine sponsorship scheme to study at an English medium school as boarders

The community appreciated the value of quality education at the foundation level and expressed a desire to upgrade the pre school to a primary school (Classes 1 to 4) in order to enable their Children to continue their quality education at Samthar. Accordingly the Awake and shine Pre School has been upgraded to a Primary school The Primary section is designed with a capacity of 120 children in 4 classes, to provide quality education in a rural setting. The School aims at personality development whilst preparing children for admission to English medium high schools. The Primary section has started functioning from 15 Feb 2010 with class 1 & 2. Classes 3 & 4 will be added in 2011.

Infrastructure for the Primary section is being provided through philanthropic funding at an estimated cost of Rs 8,00,000 spread over 3 years. Land has been provided by one of the teachers at the Awake & shine Pre School. As on 01 Mar two class rooms and a toilet block have been completed at a cost of Rs.4,50 Lakhs. Balance infrastructure will be built over the next 3 years. The planned operating expenses at full capacity are Rs. 3 lakhs per year.

As on 01 Apr 2010, the primary section has just 24 Children on its rolls in Class 1 & 2. Twelve children are sponsored, whilst 10 children are paying a nominal fee

In order to create earnings through sale of handicrafts and other products available in the village; a Women Working Group was initiated by Alice Unwin a volunteer from the UK, and trained to produce a range of saleable products by Mrs Maureen Blake, the volunteer principal at awake & Shine Pre School.

Seed capital was provided by Project Awake & Shine. The amount caters for purchase of raw material to commence production of handicrafts, and also enables making cash payments to members as soon as they deliver a product. Marketing of products to visitors has been arranged. The sale though limited in volume has been encouraging. On sale are a wide range of hand made products ranging from bags, table linen, smithy products, packaged spices, ethnic wear, honey and more. About 10 ladies are now earning out of this component. On an average depending upon productivity and skills a member can earn Rs 1500 per month. There is scope for increasing earnings by marketing outside Samthar. The project is now self financed

Aimed at empowering school drop outs and educated unemployed; these sub projects envisage vocational training to empower participants in the following vocations:-

These sub projects require funds for building work sheds, provision of tools and training.

A beginning has been made by providing funds to one family to build infrastructure for a carpentry shed. A mechanical planer and saw and carpenters basic tools have been provided. A product range has been identified. This Caters for providing income to two carpenters and for “on the job” training to one youngster per year. These carpenters are employed by Project Awake and Shine on daily wages and are earning about Rs 3000- 4000 per carpenter per month. In addition they are undertaking independent jobs

In the absence of a structured training programme, for vocational skills, we have adopted the concept of "on the job" training. This provides individuals with earning capacity. Number of persons trained and now earning through enhanced skills are listed below

Stone paving of foot paths
Walking tracks linking homesteads are difficult to negotiate during wet weather. This community sub - project envisages stone paving and construction of essential drainage and few stairs to make the tracks linking 14 households, all weather. Latter drainage run off can be linked to water storage. Funds are required for cement, sand, skilled and unskilled labour. No progress. Looking for sponsors

Alternative Energy for homesteads
This community sub- project aims at providing a clean environment and reducing carbon emissions. Currently the village has erratic electric supply which is expensive, cooking gas is out of reach of most families, and all cooking is done on wood burning open hearths. The Sub- project envisages harnessing solar energy for cooking and lighting. Also a model smokeless wood burning stove.

Initially the requirement is for providing funds for domestic solar lighting sets, ( Rs 12000 per set of two lighting points) solar cooking sets, (Rs 1500 per cooking set) and effective wood burning stoves -Solar cookers do not work in cloudy weather. ( Rs 1000 per stove)

A demonstrator solar cooker has been provided and a smokeless wood burning stove has been designed and installed in a home stay kitchen.No progress. Looking for sponsors

Waste Disposal and Homestead Hygiene
Currently there is no proper waste disposal system. Due to the difficult terrain, and distances between homesteads as also lack of transportation, a community waste disposal project is difficult and expensive. Homestead based waste disposal is a better alternative. Funding is required for conversion of household waste into farm manure, and building individual modern toilets comprising bathrooms and WCs linked to septic tanks.No progress. Looking for sponsors

Rain Water Harvesting
Samthar has scarce water resources on the ridges. Rain water run off is wasted. Funds are required to provide material for household rain water harvesting sets, comprising roof gutters, pipes and storage tanks. This will provide water for growing vegetables and herbs and provide water for WC, bathing, laundry, and cattle . No progress. Looking for sponsors

Basic Health care clinic
Following the visit of Dr Sanjeev Goel and Dr Lopita Banerjee to Samthar in Nov 2008, The Wise Elephant group of Canada launched an initiative to provide funding and professional services for providing a health care unit at Samthar in cooperation with Project Awake & Shine.

The idea was to bring doctors from Canada by rotation along with free medicines and set up a clinic which can act as a base to provide health care to the remote region around Samthar.

The first clinic functioned for a period of 15 days from 09 Mar to 23 Mar 2009 and was manned by Dr Sanjeev Goel and Dr Priya Agarwal

In Nov 2009, a team of 05 doctors, assisted by Awake & shine staff and logistically supported by Gurudongma Tours & Treks; trekked to remote hamlets around Samthar to set up mobile field clinics in 08 different locations Primary health care was provided to over 600 patients.

A well equipped and manned polyclinic at Samthar in the future remains - a dream- waiting to come true.