Enclosed herewith is the translated copy of Mr.Chanda Bhushan's reply to Mahesh.Some parts are confusing but I have tried my best.There are some issues which need clarification from us and also some Qs.which came to my mind .I was involved in first visit to project area and also preparing project proposal.But I will get back to you in a day or two.I am waiting for Mahesh to come back from his Jaipur trip.regards Arundhati

Dear Friend
4th/2/2000
Shri Mahesh Bhai,
Asha,
Lucknow.
I received your letter dated 2nd February 2000.We came to know from your letter that you have some doubts regarding the organization .We are pleased to know that you are interested in knowing about working style of the organization but I feel that you are our friend. You are more of a social worker than a representative of funding organization. I was not in good health after the operation when you visited Masauli. If you were not satisfied with the working of project you should have discussed the matter with me. You should have also discussed the lacunas with me. I have accepted in front of Sandeep and in meeting that at present our thinking can not be implemented in schools. The reason is that the area in which we are working is different from other areas. It is a violence prone area therefore we want this types of work because we have to control the violence through literacy and humanity. If antisocial element comes to know that the funds are coming from outside they will assume that much more funds are allocated to us than the sanctioned money and they can create more trouble, which is happening in other places. So I have planned accordingly. Gradually within one year we will succeed to do all work according to the project. The terrorists must not create hindrance while we are working, so this was not formalized, because this education center is different to other alternative program. Still I don?t want to give any explanations, because one year is not sufficient to know the results of any program. And you have visited us after three months. We are planning to take new steps to coordinate school according to proposal. We had two meetings with guardians and children are attending school regularly .Teachers are doing there job properly.
According to the view of villagers one stitching center is running at the school, in that place one school building and tailoring center is underconstruction. It will be ready on 10th Feb. After the election all aspects of this projects like tailoring and school will be regular from 15th Feb. The chavanprash has been made twice and we are also selling it.
I do not agree with your observations regarding Rupeshji. He is training teachers in monthly meetings and is also working on the educational material. I am satisfied with his work but please guide me about his role.
You also want the explanation about expenditure, it is true that money is not been given according to the project proposal, there are two reason behind this, one is, that when school will cover all the aspects work then we will pay them according to there role .At this initial stage we are watching their commitment and involvement. We thought that we will start in Jan., but after being sure of their commitment ,secondly, the amount of the honorarium was not spend on honorarium but the amount was used on the construction school building and to help Upendra. It was also used for travel to attend padyatra and Asha meeting. After the Padyatra some people were sick and they were given medical treatment. Office was not part of project proposal but I had requested Sandeep bhai and some money was spent in Maussodhi to keep all material safely and to run the office systematically. The money was also spent on purchase of some material done. Whatever I have done I have written to you. Your suggestions are invited. Your cooperation is necessary for completion of this project .Musharau tribe was shown in the context of literacy.

With best wishes
Yours,
(Chandrabhushan)


From: ashain <ashain@lw1.vsnl.net.in Reply-To: ashain@lw1.vsnl.net.in
To: pprabhu@sedona.ch.intel.com, kiranshah69@hotmail.com Subject: abhiyan update
Date: Wed, 02 Feb 2000 23:15:49 +0530

dear prithvi and kiran, mahesh was disappointed with abhiyan when he
visited them in connection with training them in chyawanprash making.
he has therefore sent them a letter asking for some clarifications. this
letter will give you enough idea that their programme is not going on
satisfactorily. mahesh's letter to chandra bhushan is enclosed. i had
raised the matter with chandra bhushan and rupesh when they were here
for asha meeting in dec. they admitted that things were not going on
smoothly but promised to take the project more seriously. in this
context i received a letter from chandra bhushan day before yesterday.
i'm enclosing this letter also. pl. note that chandra bhushan's letter
is not in respones to mahesh's letter. mahesh's letter would have
reached them after chandra bhushan sent the following letter. maehsh's
letter is merely a warning to them. we would like to give them some
more time (6 months to a year) to put their act together. love, sandeep 


Date 25th Jan. 2000
Recpected Chandrabhusanji,Greetings,

This is with reference to my visit to your center in Masaudhi in
December 1999. We also received a copy of your quarterly progress

report. In reference to your report and my visit there are certain
questions which need further clarification. There is a possibility that
I may be incorrect in my observateons but kindly explain the following.

  1. We had agreed, during the proposal formulation time, to run a full-fledged school but at the moment only a NFE center from 10 a.m. to 12 noon is going on.
  2. I came to know from teachers and students that Rupeshji has visited the center only once or twice. Rupreshji had taken a responsibility to coordinate the education programme to evolve a new, alternative direction. But my observation is that not even proper education center is being run. It is no different from other NFE centers which are running around.
  3.  It is not clear what is the participation and role of teachers. The center is being run by two new female teachers who are not clear about ideology nor are they interested in teaching. We had discussed earlier, during proposal formulation time, that persons who have been associated with you for a longer time with clear ideas will be employed as teachers but this is not the case in reality.
  4. I came to know that teachers are receiving honorarium of Rs. 200 per month but your report states it to be Rs. 1000. Similarly Shri Upendra receives honorarium of Rs. 500 p.m. but your report states it to be Rs 1000. Kindly explain this difference.
  5. You are giving children chana for four days and 2 biscuits each for the remaining two days as part of the snacks programme. You can yourself  estimate what will be the cast of this snacks. But your report mentions that Rs. 2 are being spent per day per child.
  6. The report shows your have the pay a rent of Rs 500 p.m. for office. I don't think you need separate office to run one center. And you already have an office in the area for which your are paying a rent of Rs 200.
  7. There is one more contradiction in your report. Your report mentions that the literacy rate among men is 3% and among women zero. But out of the list of 18 girls attached in your report 14 are matriculate and one is even intermediate.
Kindly provide explanations on the above points and reply as soon as
possible. Regards to all friends of Abhiyan.
With best wishes,
Mahesh, for Asha

(translation of Chandra Bhushan?s letter written on 17.1.2000) Dear Sandeep/Arundhatiji, Hope you and family are doing well. I spoke to Ms. Kiran Shah over phone. She enquired about our programme and told  me that she had already mailed the cheque. I have now received the $4000 cheque. The production and marketing of chyawanprash is going on. To run the school according to our plan we have held meeting with the villagers. The number of children enrolled in the school has gone up. The venue of the school is also being changed from February. A separate school is being created in which we are receiving the cooperation of
the villagers. Rupeshji is also extending all help.

Happy new year.
Sincerely,
Chandra Bhushan