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Fellowship Working Group

Asha-18 Conference Update

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Purpose of Asha Fellowships

To remove financial burden, and support individuals, who are committed, and will work in a sustained manner, for initiatives of high social impact

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Fellowship group activities timeline

Initial Discussion

First Fellowship document

First 7 fellows supported by

individuals

1999 2000• Search, attract and financially support people of highest quality and unquestionable dedication• Support those whose work will have larger social impact, by creating an institution or a methodology• Be enabling – It should help the individual to break away and work freely on what s/he receives the grant for, which otherwise would not have been possible

• Areas of support include, but not limited to – Education, Income generation, Women’s empowerment, Integrated Rural or Slum Development, Addressing Dominant Social Concerns like Child Labor, Bonded Labor, etc. • Fellowships will not be awarded to organizations, or for dissertations and other academic work

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First set of Asha Fellows

Initial Discussion

First Fellowship document

First 7 fellows supported by

individuals

1999 2000

• 7 individuals were supported in Spring 2000. Sandeep, Shanmuga, Arundhati, Chandrabhushan Tiwari, Biju Borbaruah, Ajit Kumar and Anil Sharma. The total monthly support of $800 ($50 to $200/month) was provided by nine Asha volunteers independent of Asha funds or Asha’s tax-ID.

• 3 focus area's – Education only, Education+, Anything_Else• 65% funds allocated for first two focus areas

• At least 80% of work-time (32 hours per week) performing the work outlined in the application - and will not be compensated for that work or receive support from any other group for that time commitment.

1st review

Two fellowships funding by WAH’01

Fellows meet in Chennai

2003

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Fellowship evaluation criteria

Initial Discussion

First Fellowship document

First 7 fellows supported by

individuals

1999 2000

• 12 Criteria for evaluation – • Creativity, Taking initiaitive, Ethical/moral fibre• Role, Originality, Social impact of the idea• Gestation period, Costs involved, Prototype• Effectiveness, Sustainability, Replicatability

1st review

Two fellowships funding by WAH’01

Fellows meet in Chennai

2003

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Fellowship Evaluation Criteria

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Fellowship group activities timeline

Initial Discussion

First Fellowship document

First 7 fellows supported by

individuals

1999 2000

• 12 Criteria for evaluation – • Creativity, Taking initiaitive, Ethical/moral fibre• Role, Originality, Social impact of the idea• Gestation period, Costs involved, Prototype• Effectiveness, Sustainability, Replicatability

• Two more Fellows added

• Dr. Subbaramaiah, Hameed Manjeshwar, Siddamma – meet in Chennai• Need to interact more amongst Fellows, and need to share with Asha• 17 applications so far, about half funded through Asha

1st review

Two fellowships funding by WAH’01

Fellows meet in Chennai

2003

2nd review

Suggestion for Asha-

Fellows and Asha-corps

ARC process proposed

2005

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Who really is an Asha Fellow?

Initial Discussion

First Fellowship document

First 7 fellows supported by

individuals

1999 2000

• There were increasingly official or unofficial fellows suggesting three kinds of categories• Individuals who have proposed new, innovative ideas and have worked to implement these in geographical areas where these have never reached.

• Individuals who are a part of Asha and have worked on various activities of Asha or have taken up various responsibilities within Asha. These include project management.

• Individual who work on vital administrative and logistical tasks like accounting, site visits, project evaluations, etc within Asha that are necessary to keep records and details of funding updated.

1st review

Two fellowships funding by WAH’01

Fellows meet in Chennai

2003

2nd review

Suggestion for Asha-

Fellows and Asha-corps

ARC process proposed

2005

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The genesis of Fellows/Corps

Initial Discussion

First Fellowship document

First 7 fellows supported by

individuals

1999 2000

• Not to confuse with worth/value of work done – but that they are different.

• Asha-Fellows (for category 1 and 2) and Asha-Corps (for category 3)

• Discussions in Asha-Fellows group concludes with fellowship process document proposed to ARC (Asha Representative Council) as strategic decision requiring discussion at each chapter. • Approved by ARC

1st review

Two fellowships funding by WAH’01

Fellows meet in Chennai

2003

2nd review

Suggestion for Asha-

Fellows and Asha-corps

ARC process proposed

2005

3rd review

Know your fellows calls

begin

Fellows India Conference

2007

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Know-your-Fellows calls

Initial Discussion

First Fellowship document

First 7 fellows supported by

individuals

1999 2000

• Conference call dedicated to learning about the activities of fellows and to help us answer questions we may have by talking to the fellows.

1st review

Two fellowships funding by WAH’01

Fellows meet in Chennai

2003

2nd review

Suggestion for Asha-

Fellows and Asha-corps

ARC process proposed

2005

3rd review

Know your fellows calls

begin

Fellows India Conference

2007

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Chapter criteria to support Fellows

Initial Discussion

First Fellowship document

First 7 fellows supported by

individuals

1999 2000

• Chapter criteria – • Chapter has been around for > 3 years (or has vols who’ve been around for over 3 years)• Identifies a steward for the review/fellow• Has sufficient funds for 2-4 years (or believes funds can be raised)• Could review jointly with other chapters• Prior to approval, apart from site visit, necessary that some one from Asha, other than the nominator meets with the Fellow

• Process – • Present and discuss at the chapter• Present and discuss with Fellowship working group (can be in tandem)

1st review

Two fellowships funding by WAH’01

Fellows meet in Chennai

2003

2nd review

Suggestion for Asha-

Fellows and Asha-corps

ARC process proposed

2005

3rd review

Know your fellows calls

begin

Fellows India Conference

2007

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Fellows India Conference Dec’07

Initial Discussion

First Fellowship document

First 7 fellows supported by

individuals

1999 2000

• Fellows Conference Dec’07 – • Hosted by Bharati Trust Resource Center• 14 fellows, 9 Asha volunteers, and 3 invited speakers• Discussions, hands-on activities, demonstrations, bon-fire and songs

1st review

Two fellowships funding by WAH’01

Fellows meet in Chennai

2003

2nd review

Suggestion for Asha-

Fellows and Asha-corps

ARC process proposed

2005

3rd review

Know your fellows calls

begin

Fellows India Conference

2007

Streamlined all fellows

under ARC process

Know your fellows calls

continue

16 Fellows,9 Areas

2009

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Fellowship group updates 2008-09

Initial Discussion

First Fellowship document

First 7 fellows supported by

individuals

1999 2000

• Streamlined all Fellows by approving earlier fellowships on Asha-wide calls• during know-your-fellows calls

• Updated our webpages to reflect current information on who is being supported as a Fellow• Expanded areas of support to include more Agriculture and micro-financing

• Know-your-fellows calls continued over a period of an year• Interests were very varied• Some very well attended – nearly 15-18 folks on the call• Some really sparsely attended – 3 folks on call

1st review

Two fellowships funding by WAH’01

Fellows meet in Chennai

2003

2nd review

Suggestion for Asha-

Fellows and Asha-corps

ARC process proposed

2005

3rd review

Know your fellows calls

begin

Fellows India Conference

2007

Streamlined all fellows

under ARC process

Know your fellows calls

continue

16 Fellows, 9 Areas

2009

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Current Asha Fellows

Initial Discussion

First Fellowship document

First 7 fellows supported by

individuals

1999 2000

• Current Asha Fellows:• Aheli and Saurabh• Anu and Krishna• Manish Kumar• Mahesh Pandey• Meenakshi• N Mutyalappa• Nammalvar

1st review

Two fellowships funding by WAH’01

Fellows meet in Chennai

2003

2nd review

Suggestion for Asha-

Fellows and Asha-corps

ARC process proposed

2005

3rd review

Know your fellows calls

begin

Fellows India Conference

2007

Streamlined all fellows

under ARC process

Know your fellows calls

continue

16 Fellows, 9 Areas

2009

• Nandlal Master• Rajarethinam• Ravi Aluganti• Sanju Kumar• Siddamma• Sireesha• Vallabhacharya Pandey

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Current Asha Fellows

Initial Discussion

First Fellowship document

First 7 fellows supported by

individuals

1999 2000

• Current Asha Fellows:• Aheli and Saurabh• Anu and Krishna• Manish Kumar• Mahesh Pandey• Meenakshi• N Mutyalappa• Nammalvar

1st review

Two fellowships funding by WAH’01

Fellows meet in Chennai

2003

2nd review

Suggestion for Asha-

Fellows and Asha-corps

ARC process proposed

2005

3rd review

Know your fellows calls

begin

Fellows India Conference

2007

Streamlined all fellows

under ARC process

Know your fellows calls

continue

16 Fellows, 9 Areas

2009

• Nandlal Master• Rajarethinam• Ravi Aluganti• Sanju Kumar• Siddamma• Sireesha• Vallabhacharya Pandey

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Current Areas of our Fellows

Initial Discussion

First Fellowship document

First 7 fellows supported by

individuals

1999 2000

• Agriculture: Meenakshi, Nammalvar, Siddamma• Education: Anu and Krishna, Mahesh, Meenakshi, Nandlal, Rajarethinam, Ravi Aluganti, Sanju Kumar, Siddamma, Vallabh• Health: Manish• Micro-credit: Sanju Kumar, Sireesha• NREGA: Mutyalappa, Nandlal, Vallabh• RTI: Aheli and Saurabh, Mahesh, Nandlal, Vallabh• Tribal: Siddamma• Water: Nammalvar, Nandlal• Women: Sireesha, Siddamma

1st review

Two fellowships funding by WAH’01

Fellows meet in Chennai

2003

2nd review

Suggestion for Asha-

Fellows and Asha-corps

ARC process proposed

2005

3rd review

Know your fellows calls

begin

Fellows India Conference

2007

Streamlined all fellows

under ARC process

Know your fellows calls

continue

16 Fellows, 9 Areas

2009

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Some opens

Concept of Fellowship is not widespread in Asha – after 10 years!

Hardly any participation in the calls Only 8 chapters support the current 16 Fellows Limited learning into Asha from this program Potentially, only the stewards learn Hardly any participation from the stewards either

in Asha-Fellows group

How do we present/package this to involve more chapter and volunteers?