AVEHI AUDIO-VISUAL EDUCATION RESOURCE CENTRE
Annual Report
April 1999 to March 2000

At the beginning of last year we had decided what our priorities were going to be for the year.

First and foremost, it had become obvious that only by attaining financial and organizational stability, would Avehi be able to strengthen its role of a Media Support Organization. Working under severe financial constraints over the last three years resulted in cutting down drastically on plans, a growing backlog of work and a high staff turnover, all this affecting the overall performance. So our first priority was to raise the funds for Avehi's four programmes/ Projects, which had been drawn up.

Working upon the details of each programme, approaching funding agencies and following up the applications did take up considerable amount of
time and effort last year. But at the end of it all we are happy to inform our members and well-wishers that we have been able to raise the funds for 3 of the programmes.

1. To Set Up An Electronic Database and Exchange This would make retrieval of the library services easy and enable us to reach a wider audience. Our vision is to extend the Media Resources of Avehi to NGOs and community groups across the country, which will help in the dissemination of alternative material, thus facilitating the creation of an alternative grass root based media culture. By April 2000 an electronic database and exchange had been set up at Avehi office.

2. To Conduct Short Duration Media Training Courses The focus of Avehi training being Media and Communication, in this 3 year programme we plan to develop modules for training in specific aspects of media like critical analysis of media, importance and use of low cost media, skills of facilitating discussions with the use of slide shows and video screenings, using puppetry for participatory community development, making effective street plays, advocacy through print media and radio, using AV media for classroom teaching, setting up of local AV resource center. The tested modules will prepare a base for Avehi's training in future. We shall train around 200 persons including community organizers, school teachers and non-formal educators in one year.

3. To Consolidate and Expand Avehi's Media Support Activities A 3 year Programme which will help us to clear all the backlog of work and strengthen Avehi's archival, networking and dissemination activities and to launch Avehi's own production activity.

We have not been able to raise the funds for the 4th project "Aamch Aawaz" (Our Voice) - a pilot study in setting Up A Community Radio Station in the Tribal Areas of Maharashtra. It will be a 3 year collaboration project between Avehi and Vachan which has been working for the past 12 years in Igatpuri Taluka, Nashik District, South Maharashtra, on issues of comprehensive rural development.


The financial support we have got for our programmes will help Avehi to consolidate and expand its media support activities in the next 3 years. Implementation of these programmes will call for a lot of hand work from the staff, the Managing Commuttee and co-operation and help from our members and friends.

Faced with financial constraints as mentioned earlier, our activities continued on a low key in the last year. In November 1999 we faced a major set-back when our Director met with an accident which kept her away from work till May 2000. The entire staff under the guidance of the managing Committee rose to face the situation, continuing with all the regular takes and more.

In January 2000 the library services were suspended for stock-taking, for checking of A.V. equipment, projected and non-projected material, software accessories etc. in the Resource Center and for updating of library records. Streamlining the Resource Center and become necessary particularly in view of the increased activities we envisage in the coming 3 years.

AVEHI MEMBERSHIP

Avehi Membership rose to a total of 429 in 1999-2000: 101 Institutional Members including 32 Permanent Institutional Members and 69 Ordinary Institutional Members, 268 Individual Life Members, 33 Individual Ordinary Members, 9 Individual Patron Members, 18 Corporate Members. Our socially conscious member users including 101 grass root organizations and their units use Avehi's services to communicate largely with marginalised and deprived sections of society.

AUDIO VISUAL DATABASE ACTIVITY

As on 31st March 2000 the library had a total of 1479 media programmes:-


MEDIA TYPE TOTAL NUMBER
Video Films 780
16 mm Films 49
Slide Shows 248
Audio Cassettes 46
Flash Cards, Flip Charts, Flannelographs 109
Posters / Chart Exhibitions 120
Educational Kits (on specific topics) 21
Communication Packages (for specific target audience) 4
Puppets 45
Educational Games 6
Playscripts 51

These programmes have been acquired from 189 A.V. sources.

We have added a new reference section in the library of 360 printed items which will be useful as reference/ background /training material.

An addenda to Avehi Catalogue was published in 1999 listing 342 new additions. It includes a new section on Human Rights and a supplement on IEC materials on HIV /AIDS. Quarterly computerized lists of new additions will be made available to our users henceforth.

We have already with us 111 new AV items which we have received from media organizations and individual producers who are keen to disseminate their programmes through Avehi Library. They will be selected for inclusion after previewing. Preparations for clearing this backlog of previewing were made last year.

DISSEMINATION OF A MATERIAL

Dissemination through the Lending Library Service of the projected and non projected material continued. The facility for hiring out video films at nominal cost to members which we introduced two years ago further helped in increasing the dissemination of video films. A number of programmes were also used last year through Campaigns and Melas / Open House / Training Workshops. Informal sharing with researchers, media persons, creative artists etc. continued unabated.

A total of 1156 media programmes were used in 1999-2000. Out of this 763 were projected media items and 393 non-projected.

Break up of Projected Items Utilized Last year

Video Films Screened 214
Video Films Hired 318
Slide Shows 225
16 mm Films 6

Break up of Non-Projected Items Utilized Last Year

Posters /Exhibitions 238
Flash Cards / Flannelgraphs 88
Puppets 41
Educational Kits 11
Audio Cassettes 11
Play Scripts 4

The Total Vieweship for projected Items was approx. 20,000, Non-projected Items was approx. 5895. Around 40% were women, 25% children, 10% men, 25% mixed during the screenings.

The programmes used most were in the area of health, education (formal and non-formal), women, children welfare, social issues, environment, women & law and fiction.

The library services were utilized by organizations whose main focus of activity was community development, women, children welfare, social communication, and advocacy. They were also used by educational institutions (mainly schools), training institutes and research centers. We have extended the facility of screening films in the neighborhood Health Unit of BMC.

TRAINING PROGRAMMES/ WORKSHOPS

A total of 28 training programmes were conducted in the 12-month period.
8 for paraprofessional workers
3 for community women
3 for teachers
5for students
2 for parents of students
7 as part of ongoing programmes in the neighboring school for 50 students of 5th standard.

The training reached out to a total of 765 persons including 115 teachers, 135 paraprofessionals, 120 community women, 395 children and adolescents from BMC schools and from one aided school for girls.

The focus of these training programmes was the development of communication skills, to understand the use of audio visuals, to critique the audio visual seen and to develop low cost and appropriate media for communicating social issues.

In the seven sessions held in the neighborhood school gender equality, friendship, self esteem etc. were covered with 5th standard students with the help of video films and discussion.

We undertook extensive training for revised National TB Control Programme staff of one BMC ward, in collaboration with Medicine Sans Frontier, which began in March 2000.

NETWORKING ACTIVITY

Networking activity was intensified which helped us to understand the needs of NGOs and government agencies better. This information was useful in planning the training programmes, open house and campaigns and in extending media support to their programmes.

Avehi participated in following. meeting/workshops/ melas/ campaigns etc.

• "Yuwati Mela" organized by a group of organizations working in Dharavi slums for young girls/ adolescents. We screened for 1000 girl students who attended the mela, "Meena" series and other films on discrimination against the girl child and their rights for education, health and safe environment.
• Two melas on Health and HIV/ AIDS organized separately by TISS and Apnalaya.
• "Concern India Mela" where NGOs from all over the state participated. It helped us to get to know many organizations better and to inform them about Avehi's activities.
  
  
• We participated in the anti nuclear campaign during Hiroshima week in August 1999 as members of the Mumbai Co-ordination Committee. We screened the films "Prophecy" and "Lost Generation" in number of places. The Hindi version of "Prophecy" with Naseeruddin Shah's voice which Avehi had prepared was screened in the villages during the 3 months long All India March from Rajasthan across the states in North India.
• Health camp conducted by The Rotary Club at SRPF Campus.
• Anti-Drugs Day campaign organised by CCVC where the film "Manas" was screened.
• We were invited to the workshop held by BMC for all the principals who come under SCERT to make a presentation about Avehi.
• Workshop for secondary teachers held by Rotary Club of West Coast where we were invited to show films on science and environment.
• Advocacy Workshop at Pune organized by "WAH!" and NGO in Maharashtra, which works in the area of health.
• Workshop on Child Sexual Abuse organized by the British Council, Mumbai.
• We continued to work as member of the forum "Ration Kruti samiti".