The will to work a change

IN AN era of specialisation, even the act of helping people has to be professionalised, channelised and rationalised. Sounds clinical? Well, not really when you discover that those you seek to help are truly deserving of your goodwill and support.

But then, times have never been more challenging for non- government organisations than they are today. Hence, managers of NGOs need to have direction and a focussed way of working. They should be effective at managing people, money and marketing.

All these call for professional skills. That is why the Centre for Social Initiative and Management (CSIM) was established. It helps people committed to healing society's ills start NGOs of their own.

Behind this unique institution whose motto is `Come change the world,' is the unassuming but dynamic P.N. Devarajan. A successful industrialist, his vision has been to strive for a social awakening.

He found that though there were burgeoning social initiatives they lacked knowledge of life skills, which slowed the progress in the initial stages.

This was when he decided to start a school for potential social entrepreneurs. It would be an institution unfettered by affiliations or recognition, which would produce world-class agents of social change.

In Chennai on one of his regular visits to monitor the progress of his work, he spoke about the principles and goals that govern his life. Some excerpts...

``I am an engineer by training and then have been an industrialist for as long as I can remember,'' he says. His work experience is varied, ranging from the manufacturing sector, technology and technology transfer, and finance and management to women resource development. ``It's probably because I am the son of a school teacher and my early upbringing that I have become so passionate about social work."

As chief executive and then group president of Reliance Industries he became skilled at managing large enterprises and achieving long-term goals. His simultaneous association with the government as director in the Central Board of the Reserve Bank gave him sufficient exposure to the role of government in business, research, development and technology. ``All this equipped me with the wherewithal required to engage in social work.''

After retirement, the first project that he got involved in was a home - Shivashakthi Kakkum Karangal. ``I helped them with networking resources and to build another home in Valsaravakkam."

A home in Bangalore was the next project that Devarajan devoted his attention to. Here, he motivated a friend C. Sarangapani, to donate a house to shelter the homeless. This was followed by his association with `The Banyan' and an orphanage, both in Chennai.

"Shankaracharya started the `Pidiarisi Thittam' where a handful of rice is donated by every household. This is collected and fed to the poor once a week. I wondered whether I too could take it upon myself to provide all the five homes with kitchen essentials on a regular basis?''

Thus was born the DOS Club - Dal-Oil-Sugar Club. Four or five centres, headed by women were set up to collect the contributions once a month from the neighbourhood.

That what started with five centres and grew to 10 with a manifold increase in the number of donors is another success story. The scheme was soon extended to other places.

In 1999, a trust - Manava Seva Dharma Samvardhini - was established to put Devarajan's ideas on collective social conscience into practice. One such idea was to institute awards for women for outstanding social service. Called the Swami Gnanananda National Award for Women in Social Excellence, Devarajan says he has reason to confer this honour exclusively on women. ``When you motivate them, you motivate the whole family.'' His next aim was to approach corporates through the trust to employ social workers on their payroll.

As the role of the neighbourhood and the government as change agents is limited, social workers are invaluable in transforming society. Hence, Devarajan felt there was need for an institution to provide social workers with the right training and inculcate in them discipline, understanding and communication skills.

"Starting with 30 trainees, it is hoped that such institutional training for social workers can be replicated in different places. At present, all teaching material is being collected and practical work comprises 50 per cent of the course content."

Is the course recognised by the government?

"No, we have not applied for recognition because if we did we would have to conform to the government prescribed syllabus. Our aim is to develop a school of excellence, to make a micro-level beginning with minimum infrastructure but with a high level of skills to identify issues of social concern."

Sudha Murthy and Justice Prabha Sridevan, inaugurated the course on July 15. Devarajan is also trying to collaborate with institutions such the BITS, Pilani, and Harvard and Stanford Universities in the U.S.

The CSIM is offering a post graduate diploma in social initiative and management specially designed to meet the needs of people engaged in social change both in the non-government and government sectors. Participants can choose the area of programme suitable to their work.

The core subjects help participants understand problems of poverty within the social milieu, to review social and human development and social policy issues, explore environmental issues, besides improving management skills in areas such as conflict resolution, leadership, planning, budgeting and use of resources.

CHITRA MAHESH

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