Review 2016

We envision a Himalaya where nature and communities thrive in harmony.

The Journey

All journeys, perhaps, are about tests of endurance and destruction.

This past year was one such journey. A year where I experienced the metamorphosis from a personal cause to a shared one. One learnt that addressing the forestry challenges in Kumaon demands many, many well-intentioned souls to share and co-create a united front. This learning has guided Alaap’s initiatives and organisational design.

The following pages talk about why and how Alaap was born, forestry conundrum in rural Kumaon the way we understand it, activities in 2016 and initiatives planned for 2017.

This is also an invitation for dialogue; for knowledge and resource sharing.

Sheeba Sen

15 June 2017Satkhol

“ He envied the bark, which had been, in the course of one lifetime, both forest and fire. One endured; one

destroyed. ” Karen Joy Fowler, ‘Sarah Canary’.

Content

Executive Summary iAbout Us iiOur Paradigm viiInitiatives in 2016 xThe Organization xiiAdvisory Board xiiiOur Partners xivFinances xvWith Gratitude xviVolunteers, Credits & Contact xix

i

Executive Summary

Our first year will be remembered as one of confusion, eager query and deep learning.

The year began by trying to understand the forestry conundrum in Kumaon. The Padh Yatra (journey on foot) and experiences with two pilot villages were critical in crystallising our questions into guided queries.

Laxmi Ashram, an organisation championing Gandhian ideology, provided us that critical lens to understand the core of collective action in environmental movements of Uttarakhand. We went back to our roots. We studied how Aarohi had designed its forestry initiatives in the 90s. We studied local organisations like Hiteshi in Garud, Chirag our next door neighbour, and our partner organisation LPVS in Almora who made legal activism the basis for collective action. The common challenge was lack of community ownership and that often led to increased apathy.

We questioned:

• How does one institute ownership?

• Is a village a viable unit to work with today or is there a need to co-create communities that share common values?

• How have forestry and land laws affected community behaviour towards forest conservation?

Most of all, is forestry a ‘non-initiative’ due to long gestation periods, community apathy and stringent forestry laws?

We needed a grounded yet robust strategy to work around the challenges. We saw native forests as the bedrock of ecology, culture, economy and spirituality in the mountains. Our belief was, if monocultured pine forests were to be replaced by biodiverse native forests, many development challenges of Uttarakhand could be addressed sustainably. This belief led us to design our four pronged paradigm and define Alaap’s mission.

Just how 2016 was the year of queries, 2017 will be the year of pilots. We shall conduct pilots to address the issue of a ‘long gestation period’; to co-create communities with shared values on conservation; to integrate economic incentives with conservation and, to strengthen Van Panchayats through legal awareness.

Financial dignity will feature on top of our organisational agenda and creating revenue streams in addition to securing grants will be our priority. We want to draw in people who are willing to invest long term. Volunteers and interns will form the bulk of our human resource. We intend to keep our core team lean and mobile, saving on infrastructure investment. Partnerships will be central to all our initiatives.

The Forest Act 2006 may limit the definition of a forest dweller to an indigenous tribe. We, however, believe every individual in the mountains is a forest dweller and the fate of these forests will ultimately decide the fate of future mountain generations.

ii

About Us

Our belief is simple:

If monocultured pine forests are replaced with biodiverse native forests, many development challenges of Uttarakhand can be addressed,

sustainably.

Alaap’s mission is to bring back the native forests of the Himalayas.

Oak Forest, Hartola

iiiThe Process

x Binkholi

X Bantoli

XKafaldunga

X Ghirtoli

x Simpur

Kohina x

x Pachna

x Baret

x Motisari

xBhagartola

Dhyonai xx

Kotulari

Kandali x

x Naugaon

Harbagar x

Pokhri x

x Vimola

Bhatriya x

DevnagarX

(June)

Pokhrar X

(July)

Takula(October)X

Path of Padyatra in April (18 villages, 40km, 4 days)

iv

The Padh Yatra - April

It started off with a journey on foot covering 18 villages in Garud Valley across 40 km in 4 days with an objective to understand community issues through deep interactions.

This form of experiential data collection proved to be extremely effective. The belief that we must feel a problem than simply know it, was re-enforced. The caveat was, the problem seen through our unique lens could be different from the lens of the community.

In every village women complained about lack of water, inadequate fuel for cooking and heating, and fodder for cattle. Men complained about lack of sustainable livelihoods, poor access to quality health services, and state of education. Youth seemed disillusioned, they aspired to migrate to the city.

The issues were immense, interconnected and complex. People were disillusioned with the government yet knew it was their only saviour. ‘Sarkar ki kya schemes hain?’ on one hand, ‘Sarkar par kya bharosa karein?’ on the other.

It was clear that no problem picked, no initiative designed would stand in isolation. There needed to be one central thread and everything else woven around that. It was decided that we will engage with one pilot village, Kohina the remotest village in the valley, for 6 months.

Padh Yatra begins, Garud

Mahila Sangathan Meeting, Garud Valley

v

Pilot Villages

Strategically, the approach was to dig deep as opposed to spread wide in our first year.

Kohina and Pokhrar were chosen as pilot villages keeping their differences in mind. Each was at opposite ends of the spectrum with regards to their location, socio-economic profile and VP leadership. Our work in Garud Valley is on hold due to capacity issues on ground.

Devnagar Recce - June

Next stop was a remote village, Devnagar in block Dhari. With Gaula river at one end, the village was spread over a 12 km radius. It had 16 hamlets, 101 households and a population of just over 500. We spent 3 days here.

Main issue was lack of access to road. In some hamlets there was acute water shortage. The forests were well protected.

Village Pokhrar - July

Van Panchayat(VP) Sarpanch of Pokhrar, in block Dhari, invited me with a specific ask - to help him advocate for better community forestry rights. He also wanted support in strengthening his Sangathan (community forest leaders’ group).

It was decided Pokhrar would be the 2nd pilot village.

The Almora Connect - October

We reached out to Ishwar Joshi in Takula Block, district Almora. Ishwar heads Lok Prabandh Vikas Sansatha(LPVS) and has worked on forestry, education and child rights for over 25 years. The objective was to understand the legal landscape of forestry issues in Uttarakhand.

Van Panchayat Meeting, Pokhrar

vi

Community response Mahila and Yuva Sangathans were

effective.

Mahila and Yuva Sangathans were

ineffective.

Youth Limited migration. Actively

participated in meetings.

Largely absent due to disinterest in village

matters. Most of them had migrated to

cities.

Kohina PokhrarLocation District Bageshwar,

1.5 hours from nearest road.

District Nainital, close to road and

govt. offices in Dhari and Nainital.

No. of Households 45 45

Main Problems Lack of livelihoods, limited farming, poor access to

health services, quality education &

water

Youth migration, reduced water access

in summer months.

Community Participation

Keen . Curious about development

organisations.

Lukewarm. Seasoned in engaging with

development organisations.

Main Livelihood Manual labour, Agriculture.

Agriculture

VP Sarpanch Training needs at basic level.

Training needs at policy level.

Observations

Radha Di & Basanti Di at Pokhrar

Vibrant Women of Kohina

vii

Pilot villages revealed that circumstances and needs are unique to every village. Systemic issues like poor access to healthcare and quality education are overarching across the region, contributing to migration. As a consequence there is growing apathy amongst communities, in particular the youth.

Despite geographical differences, communities in Kumaon are still struggling with basic issues such as lack of sufficient water and drudgery of women that deny them a dignified life.

We believe that by bringing back the native forests of the Himalayas many of these basic issues can be addressed, sustainably.

Observations from pilot villages also gave us that vital understanding on how to design Alaap’s interventions. Ecology, culture and identity would be central to Alaap’s initiatives. This led to the formation of our paradigm.

Our Paradigm

By Legal Status

By Density

By Species

Brin

ging

back the native forests of the Him

alayas

viii

2. Behaviour Shift

Co-create communities with shared values for a long-term behaviour shift towards conservation of forests, culture and identity. Focus will be youth, to begin with.

Challenge

Attempt a behaviour shift towards conservation beyond the utilitarian approach.

Plan

Conduct a week long pilot with youth in November 2017 covering elements of inner and outer ecology, healing forests, sustainable livelihoods and self-awareness.

“ This oak tree and me, we’re made of the same stuff. ”~ Carl Sagan

1. Regeneration of Native Forests

Create native forests using Miyawaki method on community, private, civil or reserved forest lands to generate maximum visible impact. Target areas will be dried up water sources, pine patches and areas prone to landslides.

Challenges

High costs, logistics, material and labour intensive, protection for first 3 year financial feasibility for community and Alaap.

Plan

Conduct first pilot near Alaap office in August 2017. Invite different stakeholders. Evaluate challenges.

Forests in Uttarakhand

Amrita Devi - Chipko Movement

Total Forest Area as percentage of Geographical Area 71.05%

Source : Uttarakhand Forest Statistics 2014-15

ix

4. Sustainable Livelihoods

Facilitate sustainable livelihoods linked with conservation of forests, culture and identity.

Challenge

Weave economic incentives into conservation.

Plan

Conduct first pilot in November 2017 creating a user experience of native forests and traditional Kumaoni life. This is also planned to serve as an income generation stream for Alaap.

3. Legal Advocacy

Promote and empower women Sarpanches. Advocate for increased investment by the government into Van Panchayats.

Challenge

Build sustainable partnerships with local organisations for training dissemination; VP Sarpanch and Sangathan mobilisation; and design a robust 5-year campaign across Kumaon.

Plan

Conduct meeting of Sangathans from districts Nainital and Almora in October 2017. Roll out a training program for VP Sarpanches and potential women and youth leaders. Planning and execution will be done in partnership with LPVS.

VP Sangathan Meeting, Takula Block at LPVS Traditional Kumaoni Row House - Bakli, Khumati

x

Initiatives in 2016

Kumaon Build: Saving Likhai

In partnership with Spacematters, we have set up an apprentice program to find and train young Kumaonis to preserve the woodcarving craft of Likhai. Master craftsman Ganga Ram, 89 years old, from village Diyari in district Nainital is the only living Likhai artisan in this region. We found Lalit, a young apprentice to train under him. Spacematters has undertaken the documentation of the craft from an architectural lens.

Together, in 2017 we will work to build market linkages for Likhai next year. Alaap will continue to develop the apprentice program, link it with our youth initiatives and initiate product development.

Strengthening Van Panchayats

We conducted two VP training sessions in March and covered basic tenets of the ‘VP Niyamawali’ (Community Forestry Guidelines). We supported Pokhrar in presenting their case to the Sub-District Magistrate (SDM) for initiating pending elections in all villages in block Dhari. Currently we are working with the SDM office to compile comprehensive data on the status of VPs of all villages in block Dhari, district Nainital.

In block Takula, district Almora, along with our partner LPVS we are supporting 26 villages with general advocacy matters. Some of the issues we assisted the communities with:

• Re-election of VP committee in village Kande Gaon due to improper nominations of candidates. The communities were given information on election procedures that enabled them to demand re-election following proper legal requirements.

• Demanding compensation from Forest department for damages to private farms by wild boars in village Dotiyal Gaon.

• Ensuring regular attendance of Aganwadi workers in village Isalna and conducting after school activities.

Lalit with Master Craftsman Gangaram Ji

xi

S.No. Panchayat Households Population

1 Buranshi 45 283

2 Chaukhuta 192 1386

3 Dhanchuli 280 1502

4 Burhi Bana 149 864

5 Jalna Neel Pahari 107 648

6 Kaul 101 484

7 Majhera 83 428

8 Sundarkhal 160 1009

9 Mahtoliya Gaon 73 340

10 Parwada 158 1293

11 Pokhrar 9 168

12 Saliyakot Malla 71 609

13 Saliyakot Talla 53 597

14 Sasbani 150 1218

Total 1631 10829

S.No. Panchayat Households Population1 Amkholi 73 259

2 Basoli 84 326

3 Beena 132 616

4 Bhaisori 86 458

5 Bhakuna 295 1128

6 Bhatgaon 55 179

7 Bhetuli 158 659

8 Churari 27 122

9 Dotyal Gaon 212 899

10 Gangala Kotli 103 397

11 Hadoli 100 471

12 Islana Maffi 92 379

13 Jharkot 61 234

14 Jhijhar 69 339

15 Kharayun 38 118

16 Koturia 154 664

17 Krida Malla 81 275

18 Kandey 216 959

19 Lohna 66 243

20 Naidhon 78 54221 Panergaon 97 32322 Patiya 130 72823 Pokhari 74 25324 Sunoli 308 140125 Thapla 154 46926 Jakhsura 118 559

Total 3061 13000

Alaap Work AreaTakula Block, Almora District

Dhari Block, Nainital DistrictAlaap works with Van Panchayat Sangathans (collectives) representing 26 villages in District Almora & 14 villages in District Nainital.

xii

The Organisation

Sheeba SenFounder & Executive Director

Rohit SenDirector

Jyothi VidurStrategy & Program Design

Manvendra Singh InaniyaCommunications

Man SinghHead of Nursery & Plantations

xiii

Radha BhattHead of Laxmi Ashram, Kausani, Uttarakhand

Vivek SharmaProgram Director, Gandhi Fellowships, Piramal School of Leadership

Pranay SinghForestry Expert, Eco-Entrepreneur

Kalyan MankotiPrimary School Teacher, Activist

Meeta SrivastavDevelopment Consultant, National Geographic

Advisory Board

xiv

Our Partners

Lok Prabhand Vikas Sanstha (LPVS)

Based in Takula block, district Almora, LPVS will assist in developing VP training materials and executing a 5 year legal advocacy campaign for community-centric forestry legislation in Uttarakhand.

Ishwar Joshi, Founder and Secretary of LPVS, is an established environment activist. He has been working with VPs for over 25 years. Anita Kanwal, community worker, paralegal, mobiliser & RTE activist, is currently pursuing Masters in Sociology.

Spacematters

Together, with Spacematters we will work towards saving the woodcarving craft of Likhai. Amritha Ballal, Founding Partner, has worked with vernacular architecture in Kumaon for the past six years. We are documenting the craft, designing an apprentice program and shall build market linkages.

The UTSAAH Initiative

Based in the UK, UTSAAH supports grass-roots approach based social initiatives and enterprises in the Indian Himalayas through knowledge sharing, research, innovation, shared learning and fund-raising. We expect volunteering and fundraising support from UTSAAH in the coming years .

xv

Finances

This year was a testament to how much one can get done in so little. Our program expenses largely reflect travel. Ma jority of village meetings and stays were volunteered by the community. Our operating expenses reflect purchase of basic equipment and running costs.

We’ve invested in our local partners as we see them to be a vital link to community processes. Our stipends were kept to bare minimum as we were fortunate to draw a lot from our volunteers.

₹ 4,50,819

₹ 3,49,270

Expenses vs Income (INR)

TOTAL INCOME TOTAL EXPENSES

₹ 33,666

₹ 1,09,712

₹ 58,600

₹ 1,200

₹ 95,650

₹ 50,442

0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 1,00,000 1,20,000

PERSONNEL EXPENSES

OPERATING EXPENSES

TRAVEL EXPENSES

TRAININGS & EXPOSURE VISITS

PROGRAM EXPENSES

PARTNER EXPENSES

Annual expenses (INR)

xvi

With Gratitude

Our deepest gratitude goes to Robert Graf, who has helped make the transition from a personal cause to a much bigger mission. We thank Dr. Sushil for sharing his experiences of over 30 years in the mountains and being a patient listener.

We are grateful to our Aarohi family for their support. Sheeba, personally, is forever indebted for all that Aarohi has taught her and it is this learning that forms the very foundation of Alaap.

We thank Radha didi and Basanti didi, for teaching us the nuances of community dynamics; and Kishan Rana from Hiteshi in Garud, for his support in organising that critical Padh Yatra.

Vivek, Meeta, Pranay and Kalyanji, with their guidance and often heated debates, helped Alaap claim a strong foundation in its mission and approach.

We thank Laxmi Lall who taught us the fine line between cynicism and scepticism that kept us grounded in this volatile first year; Ann Mukherjee for challenging our very core; Jyothi Vidur for working remotely from Munich and then joining us in Kumaon; Shyam Karayat for his invaluable insights on forestry policies in Uttarakhand; Deep Joshi for being an inspiration; Nain Singh for sharing his experiences with mountain communities; Madhavan for his valuable insights; Shashidhar and Meghana from Azim Premji Foundation for their guidance; Mary Kurian for showing us her Miyawaki afforestation work; Gina Ali Khan, Helen Hitchcock, Arun Harish, Meena Harsinghani, Meenakshi Chauhan, Dr. Puneet Singh, Bhavana Pankaj, Renu Sharma, Premila Nazareth Anand, Pankaj Wadhwa and Lopa Gandhi for egging us on, cheering us along!

Despite all the challenges, our volunteers brought things together and

gave us a strong start. We are grateful to them.

We thank our accountants in Mumbai, Milind, Jigar and Miloni who’ve run a marathon to get us registered! We also thank Bahugunaji, our accountants in Haldwani for their assistance; Kala and Rheea to whom we’ll forever be grateful for giving Alaap a face, its logo. Your generosity has humbled us.

Finally, we thank our families and the people of Kumaon, for it is them who’ve kept us going, when the going got tough. They’ve been our rock and sheer inspiration.

Alaap team

xvii

admiring the Oak

and knowing, of course,

I haven’t the strength

or roots, or simple desire

to stand so long in one place

- Michael McClintock

xviii

Volunteers & Interns

1. Madhuri Vijaykumar, photo and video documentation of Padh Yatra, interactions in pilot villages.

2. Maanav Kamat, nursery preparation.

3. Lalita Bisht, data collection.

4. Akanksha Pal & Prateek Singh for Likhai documentation.

5. Manvendra Singh Inaniya, just about everything!

6. Jyothi Vidur, just about everything and more!

Photo Credits

Front cover: Madhuri Vijaykumar

Back cover: Jyothi Vidur

Traditional Kumaoni Bakhli: Aarti Dhingra

Amrita Devi - Chipko Movement: Heidi Threlfo

Contact UsVillage Satkhol, P.O Box Peora

District Nainital

Uttarakhand

+91 8650010535

info@alaap.in

Alaap is registered under section 7(2) of the Companies Act, 2013 and rule 18 of the Companies (Incorporation) Rules, 2014.

Please support us :)

Account Name: Alaap People’s Foundation. Bank: State Bank of India, Almora Branch. Account no.: 36970103380; IFSC code: SBIN0000605

An Oak Tree is a thing of beauty. An Oak Forest is a thing of utmost beauty.

We’ve dared to plant a new seed this year. We’ve dared to hope that one day it will turn into a forest.

We believe.

The Alaap Team

xix

Contact