Taiwan Charity Has Global Reach

By SIMON MONTLAKE
Shanlin, Taiwan and Cengkareng, Indonesia

Every heart is capable of priceless, great love.

Inside a tent, a poster on the wall tells a story of ruin and resilience: Aid workers in neat blue-and-white uniforms scrape gooey gray mud off an abandoned street in the wake of a destructive typhoon. Outside the tent is a picture of renewal: A new settlement rises in a broad green valley in the town of Shanlin.

The Great Love village, complete with earthquake-resistant schools, churches and houses, will eventually accommodate 1,500 families displaced when Typhoon Morakot pummeled Taiwan last August, triggering floods and landslides that killed 700 people and left tens of thousands homeless.

Many of the new Great Love residents, who began to move in last month, are Taiwanese aborigines who lived in marginal highland communities before the typhoon hit.

The land was set aside by the Taiwanese government for typhoon survivors. But the $94 million project has been funded, designed and executed by Tzu Chi, a Taiwanese Buddhist charity known for its rapid response to the island's all-too frequent natural disasters. When it's not digging out mud-strewn villages, Tzu Chi keeps busy healing the sick, feeding the needy and recycling the island's trash

In Taiwan, Tzu Chi volunteers in their white pants and navy-blue polo shirts are a familiar sight, and the group operates a popular cable-TV channel, also called Great Love. (The charity takes its name from one of its tenets: Every heart is capable of "priceless, great love.")

Largely unknown in the West, Tzu Chi has more regular donors (10 million, mostly Buddhist) and active volunteers (two million) than any other charity based in greater China. In 2008, it raised $314 million. It has built dozens of schools on the island, and six hospitals there bear the "Tzu Chi" name, which is a combination of two characters; the first is an honorific for mother, the second means charity.

But the reach of this 44-year-old charity now extends across much of the developing world, from Ethiopia to

El Salvador to Myanmar, and it offers a view of how Asian philanthropy may evolve in an era of rising affluence. Roughly a third of Tzu Chi's regular donors live outside Taiwan; the charity has 399 offices in 47 countries running local projects and raising money for relief and development. This is foreign aid, with Taiwanese characteristics, and it has proven to be powerfully effective in providing disaster relief. What it isn't, however, is a platform for Buddhist proselytizing.

Until now, philanthropy in Asia has usually meant giving to local causes. By branching into cross-border humanitarian relief, Tzu Chi has become the first Asia-based Buddhist organization to enter a field dominated by large Western aid groups.

Asia "no longer has to be reliant on help from outside," says Richard Madsen, a sociologist at the University of California, San Diego, who has studied Taiwan's Buddhist nongovernmental organizations, among which Tzu Chi is the biggest and has the most global reach. As Asians become more affluent, he adds, "They can start to be generous and proactive to solve problems around the world."

Tzu Chi's roots lie on Taiwan's hardscrabble east coast. In 1966, Cheng Yen, a Buddhist nun now 72 years old, started an association of nuns and housewives who pooled their savings to help poor families. Dharma Master Cheng Yen, as she is known, has said that she was inspired by three visiting Catholic nuns who asked her what social services Taiwan's Buddhists provided.

The organization began to focus on offering Western medicine to needy Taiwanese and later opened a teaching hospital in the eastern city of Hualien. The hospital now has Asia's largest bone-marrow bank, which is open to anyone.

8 stories of transformative contribution from Bhubaneshwar

Documented at Bhubaneswar on 30.01.2010

(CitizenSBI Blog thanks Shri B.K.Dash, IL-I, Bhubaneswar for sending us these wonderful stories.)

A small step taken by Sri Dutta 25 years back has become a giant leap. Till date the team 'Swarag Yatra' has cremated more than 30,000 dead bodies and provided medicines and food to innumerable patients in the hospital. This has become the preferred destination for helpless and poor people.
Shri Dullava Patel had to abandon his MBBS midway and join Bank. He later helped 3 students to complete MBBS who have in turn supported several others to become Doctors.
Just read on... 



The First Story
Milk Route
Source: Shri Subash Pradhan,Dy,Manager(Systems)

Background
• Name: Shri Subash Pradhan
• Designation at that time: Dy.Manager(DBD),Dungripalli Branch,Bolangir
• Designation now:Dy.Manager(Systems),LHO,Bhubaneswar
• Place: Kapasira Village in Bolangir District.

The Initial State
• Most of the people in the service area of the branch were engaged in cultivation of paddy as it was a source of their lively hood.
• The people of the area were little interested for allied activities like dairy poultry, piscicultur etc.
• As Manager (DBD) Shri Pradhan took interest in dairy as most of the people in the locality were not getting milk & sometimes it was selling at Rs.8.00 per litre.
• Shri Pradhan took the matter with local VAS and discussed about the suitability of the dairy farming where he found that small dairy units will be suitable for the area.
• Lastly the branch decided to finance small dairy units by forming an SHG in the village Kapasira .
• There was no milk route in the locality .The Dy.Manager(DBD) took the matter with OMFED authorities for the purpose. But they did not show any interest in stretching the milk route as the milk production was very less.
• But the OMFED authorities suggested that if the milk is brought to the milk route they will pay @ Rs.0.02 per KM per litre towards transportation expenses.
• The other problem encountered was lack of cooling plant in the locality which was causing damage of the milkdue to delay in transportation.

The Proposed Solution
• After forming the SHG ,the branch financed under SGSY and small dairy units were established.
• The branch along with govt. authorities surveyed other 12 villages and selected 10 farmers in each village.
• The branch could see more & more persons came forward for establishing dairy unit.
• In the process the branch financed 160 units of dairy unit amounting to Rs.0.80 crores.
• The branch also finances a mini truck to for transporting the milk.
• The milk production increased to 200 litres per day & subsequently increased to 1000 litres per day.
• Then Sri Pradhan helped in forming 4 co-op societies with the help of OMFED authorities.
• Then Sri Pradhan met the General Manager OMFED for establishment of a cooling plant for cooling of the milk.
• After lot of persuation the cooling plant was established in the village, Kapasira which solved the problem of damage of the milk. For this purpose the branch financed a housing loan to a person in whose house the cooling plant was established. The OMFED authorities paid a house rent of Rs.500/- per month for the house.
• The vehicle which was financed by the branch was utilized by the OMFED which was carrying the milk two times in a day to the centre.
• OMFED authorities paid & Rs.9/- per litre to the societies which were inturn deposited in the bank and installments were credited to the loan a/cs
• Branch along with Govt Authorities and OMFED gave suitable training to the borrowers.

Realized End State
Customer Wins
• In the process a large number of borrowers earn their lively hood from the dairy unit and became self sufficient.
• They formed societies and managed their own affairs themselves.
• The milk route was created and cooling plant was established which helped the milk from destruction.
• Increased the earning power & became economically sound .
• Did not depend on money lenders for their lively hood.

Bank Wins
• Branch’s advance portfolio increased.
• Recoveries were not a problem as money was being deposited regularly to the a/c by OMFED
• Assets were created .
• The NPA percentage of the branch was reduced.
• More loans were given for backward & forward lonkage.
• The Bank’s image in the locality enhanced.
• Verification of the assets became easy.

Sustainability Dynamic
• The branch faced a lot of problem initial for the purpose but took up the matter with concerned authorities and finally became successful in the activity. More & more people were involved in the process which created an awareness in the locality. People got more profit in dairy unit than the paddy. Subsequent branch authorities took interest in carrying forward the mission.

Artisans of Rengali

A TALE OF TRANSFORMATIVE CONTRIBUTION


Name: Sri Sudarsan Sahu
Desigantion now: Deputy Manager (MIS)
Designation then: Branch Manager, Rengali.
Period: 2007/2008
Place: Rengali, Sambalpur Region, Bhubaneswar Circle

The Initial State
Most of the villagers of Ganesh Nagar village of Rengali sub-division were engaged in traditional bell metal utensil manufacturing activity. Some of them formed SHGs but could not add value to their routine activity. The middlemen were supplying raw materials and taking back finished goods. Their earnings were Rs1500.00 to Rs2000.00 per month from these job contracts. With this meager earning life was not easy for them. They did not have any surplus income to meet developmental expenses of their family.

Value Design
The Branch Manager of Rengali Branch proposed to help the poor villagers by giving loans if they can work independently and do something beyond traditional items which can fetch them more income. They agreed to this proposal.
Initially a 12-member group was formed. The Branch Manager could rope in DIC and NABARD for providing training to these people under Artisan Development programme. Trainers from Kolkata and Karnataka came to impart training. They train these people in manufacturing of small decorating materials, dolls in bell metal.
Each member of this group were given Rs25000.00 loan under Artisan Credit Card. They procured raw materials collectively at competitive price. Vendors lifted all fancy items manufactured by them immediately. They did not face any problem in marketing. There income shoot up from Rs1500.00 pm to more than Rs5000.00

Sustainability Dynamic
This action initiated by the Branch Manager transformed the life of these people. They could repay their loan in time from the surpluses they earned. This also encouraged many other workers from this village to switch over to this fancy article trade and around 105 artisans were assisted.
Contributed by Shri B K Dash, Intervention Leader - 1, Bhubaneswar

SUCCESS STORY

OPPORTUNITY RECOGNISED

Fresh from the training after my probation I was posted as a Field Officer in a rural branch in remote Koraput District of Orissa called ‘PAPDAHANDI’. The advance portfolio of the branch at that time fourteen years back comprised of only Government sponsored schematic finance beside a few ACC loans only. The percentage of bad loans was a staggering 80 %.

It was rainy season of that year and the villages were almost invincible with muddy and non- motorable roads. I was overflowing with enthusiasm and zeal. I started to visit the villages to get the revival letters for the time barred documents which I found during taking over. I took along the all-in-one, dare devil Canteen boy with me in the old Rajdoot motorcycle of the branch.

During the course of my visit to almost all the villages in the service area of the branch, I could get a first hand report of the area. There were scattered lending and almost all schematic lending had turned out to be bad. For the first time that year, unit of finance under IRDP was fixed at a minimum of Rs.15000 and we had a target of 150 units. Papdahandi was a block headquarters and we had good relations with the Government Official there. The block authorities were unable to suggest any scheme to fit the guidelines and were seeking my help. I was also wondering myself through the NABARD booklet I had received during my training. Though dairy firming was the most suitable scheme, I was apprehensive about its success, since all dairy units financed earlier had measurably failed. During the course of my visit to the villages, I noticed that,
• some of the first batch of animals which were given to the beneficiaries had died and no reports were made nor any attempts were visible in lodging any insurance claim.
• Again, some animals that were still alive were not yielding anymore since insemination was not done and the villagers were very ignorant about handling crossbreed cows.

There was a veterinary dispensary in the village and a milk processing cold storage was coming up in the nearby newly formed district headquarter. I found a business opportunity in the Schematic finance and took it as a challenge. I consulted the block officials, the veterinary Doctor who were my good friends and along with some like minded youth of the village we decided to revive the dead Milk Producers Co-operative Society that existed in the village. We also found one enthusiastic young boy who could handle the job. A room lying unused at the veterinary dispensary was allotted to the society and on the first year, I sanctioned almost 100 numbers of dairy units. The animals were procured by one approved agency and they were issued to the beneficiaries after due verification by the District Screening Committee. All the beneficiaries were convinced to subscribe to the society. In the second year, I sanctioned another 60 units and soon the Society became the No. 1 Milk Society in that area supplying a major share to the District Processing Unit. The same year the society was flushed with milk and started commercial production of some by-products.

As per my understanding with the Society, they used to call us when they disburse the payments to the members weekly and I made it a point with the beneficiaries to collect one third of the payment towards the loan leaving another one third for the animal and remaining one third for the beneficiaries. Two fodder retail shops also came up in the village market.

On the first year itself, I organized two health camps for the animals with the support of the veterinary staff, where besides distribution of medicines on Bank’s behalf, educational programme for the beneficiaries were undertaken. There were remarkable improvement in the attitude of the villagers towards artificial insemination and calf rearing.

I ensured that each and every case of animal death is reported to me and Insurance claim is lodged and settled in our favor. It took three to four months on an average to reimburse another cow to the beneficiary. When I left the branch after three years, I calculated that, I had received cattle insurance claim by more than the premium I had paid for them.

The initiative not only made the schematic finance a business proposition for the branch, which otherwise is considered bad ab-initio, but also brought a sustainable and alternative earning source to hundreds of beneficiaries and their family which changed the standard living of the family.

Now, the concept of Self Help Groups has been introduced in the villages and the standard of living of the villagers have improved considerably.


Contributed by:
Gopal Chandra Guru,
Chief Manager (P&E)&
Facilitator,Citizen SBI
State Bank of India
LHO, Guwahati

A STORY OF TRANSFORMATIVE CONTRIBUTION

SUCCESS STORY EXPERIENCED AT CHUCHUYIMLANG BRANCH IN NAGALAND

Chuchuyimlang, a place situated on the hill at a distance of 28 km from Mokokchung District HQ of Nagaland State. The total population is not more than 12000. The Branch of State Bank of India which has service area comprising of villages of Chuchuyimlang, Chakpa, Salulamang, Mongsenyimti, Yongyimti , Ungar and some other villages scattered at a remote area.

The township status of tow is given to the place where our Branch is located together with a small shopping centre. I was posted as the Branch Manager of Chuchuyimlang Branch in the year 2004. I took over the charge of the Branch in September, 2004 and started working there amidst a lot of constraints. Since inception, the Branch could not make any profit. The growth of business was also very thin. The local people did not consider the bank as an important financial institution for cultivating savings culture but for availing various government sponsored loan facilities with the perception that such loans are funded by the Government. This perception discouraged the borrowers to repay their loans. In general, the people had the tendency to avail a loan without having any plan for income generating activity.

With the passage of time, I observed that the people were not in the habit of maintaining deposit accounts with the Bank. The bundle of unused Account Opening Forms lying in the Branch Stationery Room made me to think about why people are not interested in maintaining deposit accounts and where is the cash revolving around without coming to the Banking channel. I discovered a very bad element which had been deeply rooted in the society and made the society economically paralyzed since long back. That very bad element was the practice of private money lending at a higher rate of interest Rs.5/- to Rs.10/- per hundred per month. A handful of individual money lenders and few such unorganized groups had the control over the funds. As such, how the Bank can expect deposit growth and recovery of loan so long as this malaise of private lending would continue ?

A TALE OF SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION

Out of the rain shadow


Depleting water tables in Maharashtra’s drought-prone villages get a new lease of life with rainwater harvesting


By PRONOTI DATTA, TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Wankute village in Ahmednagar district is a sight for sore eyes. The tanks here are brimming with water, hundreds of lush trees break the landscape’s arid monotony and there’s a pond surrounded by palm trees that resembles a desert oasis. The twist in the tale is that this is one of the most drought-prone regions in western Maharashtra.
So, what’s its secret? Rainwater conservation, a pursuit into which it was initiated by the Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR). WOTR is an NGO that helps villages with measures to save the scanty rainfall they receive, and it’s literally turned their fortunes around: in Wankute itself, the cultivation of onions in an area whose soil is good only for millet has made several families richer.
Success stories of rainwater harvesting from this region, such as Hivre Bazaar, which was turned around by an enthusiastic sarpanch, and Ralegan Siddhi, revolutionised by veteran social worker Anna Hazare, are well known. WOTR’s work isn’t — surprisingly so, given the extent of its operations. Since the time it hit the field in 1996, the NGO has carried out 747 watershed projects primarily in Maharashtra, but also in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. As of 2009, the total area that has benefited is 567,065 hectares.
Ahmednagar is severely disadvantaged, as it lies in the rain shadow of the Sahyadris. As a result, the area gets an average rainfall of just 450 mm. According to studies on the semi-arid regions of the Deccan plateau, it suffers a deficit of 800 mm to 1,000 mm. Most of the usable rainfall, that is rainfall that’s more than 10 mm, occurs in bursts across just 15 to 20 days. This means that farmers can grow crops for very brief periods. During the dry months, many farming families leave their villages to work as debtridden labourers in sugarcane fields, brick kilns and farms in higher rainfall areas, says Marcella D’Souza, WOTR’s executive director.
The idea of watershed development is to capture rainwater instead of allowing it to run off into rivers and streams along with the fertile top soil. In order to do this, contour trenches are carved out in hillsides so that the flow of water is arrested. It then sinks into the soil and enriches the water table. WOTR’s model watershed project is Darewadi village. The catchment area has been sculpted into continuous trenches that picturesquely cascade down the slope. Hundreds of trees have been planted to hold the soil in place. It’s quite obvious that the area didn’t have much vegetation before WOTR started work in 1996. The trees are young and have been strategically planted along the edges of the trenches. Previously, villagers had to depend on water for drinking and irrigation brought by tankers once or twice a week. Tanker water is now history and when we visited, we noticed that the village wells and percolation tanks had enough water to last till the monsoon. Ground water levels have been steadily rising, and data collected by the NGO over the years shows that the water table was higher in 2005 than in 1998 even though there was much more rainfall in 1998.
Water has brought much-needed income to these villages. Vishnu Sasane, a 75-year-old farmer, owns 23 acres of land in Wankute, where WOTR spent four years on a watershed project that was completed in 2007. Despite owning so much land, Sasane worked as a vegetable vendor during the dry months to feed a family of 27. Today, his fields are lush with wheat and he grows enough onions to waste a few kilos. In the four months when onions are cultivated, every family in the village earns between Rs 100,000 and Rs 200,000, says the farmer. He, personally, has used his new-found wealth to reinforce his house, which was once an earthen structure, buy a motorbike and start a side business of raising chickens.
Right inside the village are the Handes, who had migrated to neighbouring villages in search of work, as their fields were fallow. After the success of the watershed programme, they returned. Their backyard, full of cows, goats, beds of freshly picked onions and grain, speaks of the family’s prosperity. Their neighbour, a sprightly old man wearing aviators even after the sun has set, wants to show off his good fortune too, and leads us into a room in his house piled high with potatoes.
After transforming so many villages, WOTR finds it easier to convince farmers of the benefits of water harvesting. But there was a time when they were wary. “They were afraid their land would be taken away,” says D’Souza. And they were less than thrilled about the NGO’s three non-negotiable conditions: a ban on free grazing in the watershed area, a ban on cutting trees, and shramdaan, a contribution of 20 per cent of the total cost of the project in the form of manual labour. The villagers are also expected to form a Village Development Committee, which means that those from the upper and lower castes have to mingle. “You will always have friction between higher and lower castes,” D’Souza points out. “But common needs like water security will bring people of different castes and communities together.”
WOTR’s agenda extends beyond water and soil conversation to sanitation, medical health and empowering women. The NGO gets women to form self-help groups to discuss the problems of their households. According to Rohini Hande, a teacher in Wankute, the women’s groups have made them more confident. The women of Darewadi, for instance, got together to ban the production of liquor to stem the rise of alcoholism among men. In Sattechiwadi, WOTR has been following a development model in which water conservation is one component in a set of activities. This small village of 83 households, located at the bottom of a valley, is entirely composed of Thakar, Hindu Mahadev and Bhil tribals. Apart from farming, they hunt birds and animals such as rabbits. It seems a poorer village compared to Wankute and Darewadi but food and water are no longer scarce. They’ve been given solar lamps, hot water chulhas, toilets and durable farming equipment. As health was a major concern — villagers would have to travel 20 km to the nearest hospital for minor illnesses — two volunteers have been trained to provide medicines. Wamanbhau Jadhav, a member of the Village Development Committee who looks far older than his 45 years, says happily, “People don’t leave the village any more.”

THE HOPE HARVEST: Thanks to rainwater harvesting in Wankute, Vishnu Sasane (left), a farmer, is now able to earn upto Rs 2 lakh during the harvest season; the soil is now moist enough to grow cash crops like onions. Last year the farmers sold about 20 trucks of the vegetable

Courtesy Times Crest dated 30.01.2010, a weekly supplement of Times of India.

Contributing in the remote Rajmilan branch

Background
• Name : Mr. Arun Kumar Kalway

• Designation now : Chief Manager (Training), Faculty, SBLC Indore

• Designation then : Branch Manager, Rajmilan Branch, Region 3, Jabalpur Module

• Time : June 2003 to October 2005


The Initial State

• This was a one officer SAB with two award staff members and no subordinate staff.
• It had just undergone CO Audit and had been rated B- with 336 marks. NPA levels were quite high. As it was the only B- branch in the Circle, everybody including CMC members was deeply concerned.
• The morale of the staff was quite low.
• The image of the branch was very poor.
• There were quite a few small rooms in the building with very little customer area and no customer amenities.
• The branch was catering to the poor villagers around Rajmilan in the coal rich Singrauli area. Rajmilan is 24 KMs from Waidhan, then Tehsil HQ and now District HQ of Singrauli.



The Proposed Solution

Shri Kalway, who had just been promoted to MMGS II, was posted at Rajmilan as Branch Manager. He took up the assignment as a challenge and
• Immediately after joining, he dealt with the I&A Report and submitted compliance remarks within 8 days.
• In the process, action plan for rectification of the irregularities was drawn.
• The staff members were counseled and motivated. Proper guidance given to staff at each stage to learn the process and serve the customers effectively. It helped in development of an energized team.
• Internal house keeping was taken up and arrears of balancing and submission of returns/statements/reports were dealt with next.
• A proper banking hall with ample customer space was created by breaking down the walls of the rooms. Proper seating arrangement made and drinking water and air cooler were provided in the customer’s waiting area.
• Prompt customer service was ensured. The requisite stationery was arranged. People of the area working in nearby Northern Coalfields Ltd. and NTPC projects were contacted for opening their accounts at the branch for business development.
• Traders in nearby areas were contacted for draft issue business.
• NPA recovery drive was launched with the assistance of revenue authorities.
• Smooth & error free migration of branch to Bank Master ensured under Universal Computerization Programme



Realized End State

Customer wins

• The people of nearby villages got excellent customer service and proper amenities..

• They were saved the trouble of going to other centers for their banking needs.

Bank wins

• In a review of compliance remarks in January 2004, the rating of the branch was improved to B.

• In the next RFIA, the branch was rated A with an improvement of 400 plus marks.

• The business and profit targets were achieved.

• The image of the branch and bank got a boost.

• The NPAs were brought down to 3%. Staff wins

• All the staff members derived deep satisfaction and had a sense of fulfillment.

• Shri Kalway got appreciation from CMC and became MMGS III in the first attempt.

• The initially demoralized award staff members also got promoted as officers.



Sustainability Dynamic

The personalized, prompt and transparent service provided by the branch created a positive impact and remarkable image of the Bank among the people of the area and strengthened their trust in SBI.

The show is still continuing and branch is progressing in all directions.

With You All The Way

A Transformative Story



BACKGROUND:

NAME: Mr. Jagat Singh Bisht

(Cell No. 9425913710)

(e-mail – jagat.bisht@sbi.co.in)

DESIGNATION THEN:  BM of Waidhan Branch
PERIOD: 1992 to 1994
DESIGNATION NOW: AGM, SBLC, Indore.

PLACE: Tehsil headquarter, Singrauli, SADA, then.

Northern Coal Fields and NTPC were the major projects.

Presently it is a District Headquarter.

OTHER INFORMATION: Joined as P.O. (1979) in Bhopal Circle. He is very creative, has a flair for writing and has made valuable contributions in newspapers and magazines. He has a few books to his credit as on date.



THE INITIAL STATE


• Waidhan Branch was fraud prone, involving staff members. The image of the branch was bad. Though BM is an important figure in the area, the Collector totally ignored the branch and the BM.

• A great divide was visible among the local people, of haves and have-nots.

• The branch’s was remotely located.

• At a distance, there was a hundred meter barrack which had rooms with toilets where the BM and the staff resided, which was the only place of ‘comfort’.

• The branch had liberally and negligently distributed loans to migrant workers on a large scale, who later absconded and at a time as much as 642 A/Cs were transferred to PB/RD accounts.

• There appeared to be no scope for business and the staff were required to post about 600-700 vouchers per day, as their routine work.

• Bank customers, business and profits, totally neglected.

• Housekeeping in doldrums.

• Recovery efforts nil.

• Staff habitual of leave.




POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS

• Bank’s image was uppermost in the mind of Mr. Bisht who immediately worked on it and introduced measures that brought all the communities in the area closer. Relationship banking at its best was introduced and effectively put into action.



• An industrial unit’s meet was organized where the problem of fund shortage was addressed. Appraisals were carried out, needs defined and funds disbursed which enabled the owners to add plant and machinery to their projects and put additional units in the area.



• Recovery efforts were effective. Balance Sheet cleaned up.



• Welfare activities were done frequently, with zeal and compassion. Eye camps held used to register more than 200 people availing the free services. People related with gratitude towards the branch.



• All professionals and others from NTPC/ NCL/ BANKS/ FIs/ Colleges/etc. were invited for cricket matches and other sports activities which became a common ground for knowing each other and building bonds for mutual help and growth.



• Lion’s Club, Leo Club, Lioness Club were formed in the area. Mr.Bisht was the Charter President of Lion’s Club who could bring more than 60 reputed people as members into its fold. Business meetings and welfare activities became part of the agenda of the Clubs.



• Anand Mela was held periodically, where the entire community would participate, where a feeling of belongingness and image building for the branch would take place.



• Contractors who had to wait for days together to realise their cheques were targeted and accounts were opened where DDP facility was provided to them and instant credit was made available. An effective follow up of these entries ensured no long outstandings in the Bank’s books. Deposit accounts multiplied and profits increased, as income by way of commission shot up.



• The Collector, who earlier had scant respect for the then BM and the branch, gave huge deposits and used to take keen interest in the Bank’s activities in the area.



• Religious ceremonies and talks were sponsored by the branch and people gathered in large numbers. The branch and its staff became approachable to the general public. Product knowledge was disseminated.



• Housekeeping, staff availability, work culture drastically improved.



• Business and profits increased three folds.





REALIZED END STATE


CUSTOMER WINS



WITH YOU ALL THE WAY- was put into effect, where the communities as a whole through various activities of the branch, could feel the presence of the Bank in their life. This bonding led to a rich social life, built trust and greatly added to the business and profits of the branch. Image of the branch and thereby the Bank grew in leaps and bounds.

Mr. Bisht is still remembered by the general public in the area after the lapse of nearly 15 years.

Industrialists, contractors, professionals greatly benefited from the branch where facilities as per their needs were provided and services were quick and effective.



The common man also had his share of entertainment, social life and an account with SBI.



Industries multiplied, using finance from the branch and as such infrastructure in the area, employment and standard of living of the general public was improved.


BANK WINS


Advances and deposits grew.
Profits tripled.
Industrialist, contractors and other professionals became regular customers of the branch

Trust and loyalty commanded.
Image improved tremendously.
Branch became the Banker to every Indian.



SUSTAINABILITY DYNAMIC

Steady business growth due to increased industrialization, being financed by the branch, with the common man and the branch’s image in mind, the process of multiplying profit with growth is on. The social network created brought communities closer and branch has been able to reach out to the masses, by being easily approachable and conscious of the common man’s welfare. Trust and loyalty keeps business going.

Bonding with farmers of Ichhapur and Nandgaon Bagud - A Transformative Contribution

Background:

 Name : Jagdeo Verma (Cell No. 9424013532)

 Designation Now: Chief Manager (Trg) SBLC, INDORE.

 Designation then: Chief Manager (Agri) RBO Khandwa (Region II of Bhopal Module in Bhopal Circle. RBO Khandwa covers six districts of M.P.

 Time : December 2004 to July 2008

 Place: Khargone Branch (Khargone distt of M.P.)


The Initial State.
 Village Ichhapur and Nandgaon Bagud is 18km away from our Khargone branch linked by kutcha road ( accessibility was difficult during rainy season)

 Total population of the village was :

Ichhapur- 2000 approx (150 families-. Farmers 125 and landless laborers 25)

Nandgaon Bagud- 3000 approx ( 250 family- Farmers 200 landless 50 )

 Average land holding range from 4 to 5 acres

 80% of the land was un-irrigated.

 Farmers were poor and productivity was very low.

 Literacy rate was very low.

 The villages were linked to milk route.



The Proposed Solution

Mr Garg, Branch Manager of Khargone branch proposed that:

o The entire loan amount under Dairy plus scheme for purchase of cattle should be disbursed in advance in cash to increase the bargaining power of the farmers and to enable them to bring good quality cattle from markets of Haryana or Punjab State.

Transformative Contribution: SBI transforms the lives of Andhra farmers

Background
• K.S.N. Murthy – DGM Inspection, IAD – corporate office of inspection deptt, Hyderabad
• December, 2000-01
• RM of 2 districts – Mehboobnagar and Nalgonda districts – backward districts, part of Hyderabad module of Hyderabad circle for 16 months
The Initial State
• Totally rain dependent agri dependent area, grossly underdeveloped districts, dry land
• Farmers grew sunflower when it rained, mostly daily landless laborers, jobless when it is not raining
• Migrated to far off places in search of work in the off-season
• Very low standards of living
• Trapped in the clutches of money lenders.
The Proposed Solution
• Mr Murthy attended a NABARD organized 5-day sensitization program for AGMs of banks including SBI in 2000 in Tirupathi.
• Came back to the region, discussed with NABARD Hyderabad area regional office for a similar sentisitization for his BMs and Field Officers
• BMs generated ideas as to the benefits of SHGs for the bank
• Tracked how many accounts were eligible for SHG linkage: 10-100 accounts in each branch
• First targeted groups of women existing for some years because lower default rate
• Organized a meeting of all groups outlining the benefits of forming an SHG
• Conveyed message: Scheme with no corruption, no need to pay anything to any middleman
• Encouraged and enabled them to learn to at least sign their names, and not put thumb impressions
Realized End State
Customer Wins
• Activities: Floriculture, vegetable growing, trading in vegetables, fish vending etc
• Standard of living improved
• Children sent for higher education, technical education, colleges based on income generated by the SHGs
No more money lenders (who lent @36-60% rates)
Bank Wins
• Some delays initially, but good no of SHG linkages that year. #1 or 2 in the entire state of AP. Many meetings in large groups
• 98% recovery, 100% with a little bit of follow up
• Failure only where the Group Leaders misused the group’s money
• In Vizag, got PM’s Commendation Letter for similar work

Transformative Contribution: Birth of the first Rural CPC

Background
• Name: Mr Saarathi
• Time: October, 2005
• Designation now: DGM (O&C), LHO Bhuvaneshwar
• Designation then: DGM (Module)
• Place: Bardwaan district, 150 km for Kolkata
The Bardwaan Module comprised 4 districts including Bardwaan, Purulia, Bankura and Birbhum. 173 branches, 300-400 villages, 20 lakh in Barwaan itself
The Initial State
• Largely Agri-based population (apart from a belt of steel activity near Durgapur and some coal mines)
• Main crops: Paddy in Khareef season, Potato in Rabi
• Ganga, Ajay and Damodar rivers – were perennial sources of water
• Land holdings were mostly very small (approx half acre)
• SBI mostly financed the 400-odd potato cold storage warehouses and 350 rice mills in the area as term loans for maintenance
• Loans mostly given to cold storage owners and middlemen against warehouse receipts to middlemen. Middlemen bought the produce from the farmers at throwaway prices, stored them in the warehouses using these loans and then sold them later at much higher prices in the markets
• Farmer Exploitation: In this sense, SBI was aiding their operations and turning a blind eye to the farmers, who were mostly dependent on co-operative societies for financing (at 12% p.a.). They were also required to keep 10% of the loan amount as deposits with the society. The cooperatives also mandated that fertilizers, seeds etc be bought from them and not the market even if competitive rates were offered there.
BMs happy giving big ticket loans in February as it made meeting targets easier. No loans below 5 lakh given. So, branch out-standings fell after April because farmers were hardly given any loans.
The Proposed Solution
• Mr Sarathi tried to encourage branches to lend to farmers. But branches felt that the co-operatives would be antagonized and they would lose their deposits.
• Huge meetings called in branches, farmers called, educated about financing from State Bank. Melas set up for 200-300 farmers each. Sample documentation, information given, banking explained to them at these melas. Sometimes forms got filled and accounts were opened, loan applications filed.
• RACPC Head also got involved, process gained momentum and no of applications flowing in went up.
• The volumes became so high that the branches got worried about the increased workload.
• Mr Sarathi, then, set up the first Agricultural CPC (today called Rural CPC) of India.
• Though there was a shortage of staff, the CGM Mr U. S. Roy gave him his support and the first Agri CPC was set up in his own office with a set of handpicked people selected by him.
• All processing was done and sanction letters were delivered through courier to branches along with the filled documents so that the farmer just had to come and sign the forms. The branch then just had to get his sign, not do any documentation.
In the next season, he financed summer crops also. Set up a milk chilling plant in the district, payment made through the bank.
Realized End State
Customer Wins:
• Elimination of middlemen corruption
• Freedom to buy the seeds from anywhere at lowest prices
• Loans at lower rates of interest, easier access to finance
• Ability to command the price of their produce
• Warehouse receipt loans from SBI
• Incomes levels surged by 25-30%
This encouraged them to further expand their income-generating activities, SHGs soon came up – sari design (600 weavers per village) and sale (middleman removal here also), poultry farms etc were set up, standards of living rose.
Bank Wins:
• The Module got 7000 applications for KCC loans within 2-3 months. More loans were given for warehousing etc also. 13-14 crores in deposits came in that year. Floriculture, vegetable cultivation etc. contributed another 2-3 crores.
• The crop loan taken by the farmer was repaid by the cold storage receipt loan, cold storage receipt loan was repaid when they sold their produce at higher prices – hence, better loan repayment
Sustainability Dynamic
• Agri CPC continued, 2 more started later, now RCPC bank-wide. Idea replicated all over India, spread to other states also, like Andhra Pradesh, Orissa etc.

DINESH - THE TRANSFORMATIVE BRANCH MANAGER

Here is a transformative contribution story narrated by Sri T.C.Pradhan, IL-2, Bhubaneswar.
-B.K.Dash.IL-I. Bhubaneswar

In the year 1980, Sonepur was a Sub-Division Head Quarter and now a District HQ of Orissa. Sonepur was drought hit then. It continues to be famous for handloom sarees and clothes as traditional weaving community are inhabitants of the area.



Shri K.S.Dinesh was BM of Sonepur Branch during 1980 to 1982. He was taking keen interest in developing the economic condition of the people at large. Traditionally weavers were being financed Rs 500/- to Rs 1500/- then. Shri Dinesh found that the weavers work in their loom with family but only during day time as there was no electricity He wanted to see that there should be a light above a loom and one more in each house.

He prepared a scheme to include the cost of connecting electricity, one bi-cycle for enabling the male member for going to market and some amount for working capital aggregating to Rs 6500/- per weaver. Shri Dinesh contacted the District authorities and Electrical Departments and interacted with them to implement the scheme to provide electricity to the handloom weavers. In the process a large number of villages got electricity connections which were entirely dark in the night hitherto. The weavers could thus, work more time in their loom during the evening or early morning. This increased their earning power.



Shri Dinesh also had extensively financed agriculture sector for crop loan and land development schemes with adequate amount of finance.



He used to notify dates of visit village wise to book application and documentation so that small farmers were not wasting time commuting to the Bank.



As a recovery measure the Bank Jeep used to be sent with the Field Officer of the area to each village Haat (Market Place) during afternoon hours. The FOs used to receive cash from at least 100 to 250 borrowers on every weekly Haat day. People used to sell their products in the market and repay installments in the market itself. Hence, recovery was taken care of.



Shri Dinesh a born Tamil, educated in Delhi and joined as PO (1975 batch) in Bhubaneswar Circle then. He acquired the ability to speak not only Oriya but also the local Sambalpuri dialect. He used to carry a homoeopathic box whenever he was going to village to distribute medicines as per his knowledge and ability free of cost.



In my opinion the role of Shri Dinesh as Branch Manager was transformative with a vision to transform the lives of some people/community, and contribute maximum possible by connecting with the people (language), feeling for the poor people taking responsibility of the Bank without sacrificing the interest of the Bank. His transformative contribution was superb and exemplary and lives in my memory as an inspiration even after nearly 30 years.

T.C.Pradhan, IL-2, Bhubaneswar.

Transforming farmers' lives in Almora - A Transformative Contribution

Background •Shri A.D. Kharbanda, DGM Customer Services, PBBU, Corporate Center
•June 2007, as RM, Almora region – Uttaranchal
•Hilly area, mainly agri-based lifestyle of a largely rural farming population The Initial State •The land was very fertile and the climate well-suited for floriculture. But the farmers had no market access for flowers.
•So, the farmers grew mostly ginger and potato because these crops have a larger shelf life than flowers.
•Even these crops were sold at throwaway prices (Ginger sold @Rs 10/kg, market price in the cities was approximately Rs 100 per kg)
•Farmers were mostly BPL, with no access to education
•Small land holdings
•Dependent on money lenders, borrowed @5%p.m. (approx 60%p.a.)
•Main markets for flowers: Nainital, Dehradun, Ranikhet, Delhi
•Market Price in Almora: Re1/flower The Proposed Solution •In 6-7 villages (out of the 7100 in the region), Mr Kharbanda personally went and introduced the idea of land pooling through SHGs to the farmers.
•The farmers could combine in groups of 10-20, save money as a group, get a loan from the bank as a group and invest it in floriculture (or any other activity they choose)
•Loan money to be used to buy a lorry to transport the flowers to Delhi
•Tie-ups with traders in Delhi through the bankers’ personal contacts
•Other activities: Knitting, basket making, almond growing, pickles etc












Realized End State Customer Wins: •Started floriculture, bought a tempo for transportation to the cities
•90% SHGs comprised women
•Made as much as Rs 10/flower.
•SBI adopted some villages – infrastructure development, education etc
•Participated in exhibitions
•Standard of living rose
•Children sent for education
•New methods of farming soon put in place to further increase yield
Bank Wins:
•The villagers start seeing SBI as an institution that really cares for their development
•95-100% repayment of loans given to SHGs as opposed to around 5% for Government sponsored schemes usually
•43% advances growth (25% in 2006)
•32% growth in deposits (25% in 2006)
•22% Profit growth (20% in 2006)
•Some other benefits would come later, which cannot be measured quantifiably Sustainability Dynamic •Regular monthly meetings were conducted by the branch staff with the SHGs in the villages
•NGOs pulled in to give more information to the bankers about the villagers’ lifestyle, landholding patterns, common income-generating activities, leaders etc
•Mr Kharbanda made status updates on the SHG front a part of the monthly agenda