Village Learning Centers for 5000 Beneficiaries

KER Team Kashmir Trip - 2007

Volunteer Names Mr. Rafique Khan Mr. Tasneem Khan Ms. Shamma Hussain Mr. Danish Renzu

Summary

Four KER representatives visited Kashmir during the summer. The purpose was to establish the location for phase three of KER program concentrating on augmenting education, health and hygiene in rural areas and small scale local micro- enterprise and entrepreneurship projects. This trip enabled identification of a rural location for establishing a local community manage facilitate – Parun Gah - that would be a after school reading room/ community meeting place for social and economic betterment of the community. KER representatives, Tasneem and Rafique spent 6-weeks in Kashmir. Their effort was augmented by two other KER representatives, Shamma Hussain and Danish Renzu for one week each. The KER representatives received help in Kashmir, in particular by Usmaan Ahmad and his staff of Mercy Core and Mr. Farooque Renzu, Deputy Commissioner of District Budgam in Kashmir.

Tasneem and Rafique Khan toured selected areas of for 32 days during the period stating July 30 2007 through September 14, 2007. They identified 4-potential locations for KER effort and began program development alternatives. In one of the potential location, Sitaharn village, KER started ground work and has tied up with local schools and village leaders. KER also provided immediate school supplies books and shoes to schools. A project coordinator and the rest of KER staff in the valley is undertaking the responsibilities of supervising other project work that has been undertaken in the village and will be in liaison with the headquarters in LA.

PROJECT VILLAGE I: SITAHARAN Sitaharan is two and half hours driving distance from Srinagar. Two ways to go to the place one via Budgam (district commissioners office is in Budgam) . Another via Baramulla road. In both cases the last ten miles are grueling. The road is in bad state of repair and only a four wheel drive can get to the place in fair weather. From Srinagar we reach Drung; then Khag, from where there a stretch of a bad road staring at us.

The road ends in an alpine meadow; it is about two kilometers long and may be about a kilometer in width. On one side of the meadow is a depression that as per the local legend was a lake once fed by the many natural springs that are on the other side of the depression were the mountains begin. The mountain range one covered with dense forests reaches up to one of the historic high meadow of Kashmir Tos Maidan.

Village Satharn is at the base of the mountain. Some four kilometers by four kilometers. There are some 450 house holds. Unlike a traditional Kashmiri village in Sitaharan the houses are scattered, each cluster of homes within the agricultural plot. More like a Gujjar (nomadic) settlement except that the house architecture is more like a traditional Kashmiri home, sloping roofs with gables.

The village Sitaharan is made up of 10 neighborhoods. Most of the homes are relatively well built, brick and tin roofs. However, the village has no roads; not even an approach road, municipal services are near zero. There are natural springs that provide water. There is no electricity and few households have solar lights. There is one government run school in the meadow, and one room elementary schools. There are no medical facilities, no recreational spaces within the village. We visited Sitaharan to do a basic survey and start immediate relief work in the village, after it was identified as a project village. Our first meeting was with the DC of the district Mr. Farooq Renzu and the Molvi (cleric) and Teacher of the school. We kept broadening our support and resource base by meeting with Lumberdar (village supervisor) who arranged our visits to the different mohallas. In our subsequent visits we distributed supplies to school at Shikari Mohallas and middle school, which we identified as immediate relief for children. Our project coordinator along with the other staff will be carrying out other programs that have been outlined in our earlier objectives. The needs and requirements expressed by the village Representatives reflected the already set objectives of KER mission for the project, including demands for Health Care/Dispensary, Generating Employment, Community Center and Recreational programs for children, vocational centers etc.

Work Accomplished in Sitaharan

1. Immediate School Supplies Delivered School supplies were delivered to needy children in form of bags, notebooks, books, pencils etc as well as shoes, in both schools. There were about 400 children in total in need of proper gear. 2. Health Care Professional Visit A lady doctor has been hired to visit the village weekly and hold medical relief camps along with two paramedics. This program will be supervised by the project coordinator and the supporting team in the valley. They will be operating from a rented room till a permanent center is established. Basic medicinal supplies will also be provided free of cost. 3. Proposed Site for Parungah (Community Center) Matoo Mohalla, is a mohalla adjacent to Shikari mohalla and it has a substantial home which is unoccupied and is in need of repairs. This property is to be rented for Parun Gah, the KER community and reading center. Work will begin on repairs and renovation in spring 2008. Global Read will be supporting with technical and other expertise for this project.

4. Micro-financing projects Working on micro financing projects which will include Fish Farming & Tourist Trek programs to Tos Maida, Dood Pather and Yus Marg 5. Liaison with District Commissioners Office The KER project coordinator is helping the villager’s liaison with the DC’s office as well as the rural development departments to ensure a proper road is constructed in the village. 6. Sports Gear The children were supplied with sports accessories to start their cricket, soccer, and volleyball teams for both boys and girls from the schools. The parents had expressed their wish for starting a JK Scouts Soccer cricket team, the gear will aid them towards that end and the DC’s office will also help them in giving the children opportunities to play outside the village. The teachers from the respective schools are responsible for maintaining the sports clubs.

Please see below some pictures of this visit and also check out the new photos in our photo gallery.