SISS considers NGOs as important facilitator to
improve the quality of life of the poor. However, many grass roots NGOs
lack capacity to identify their role and respond to the needs of poor
and helpless. Though they have a strong desire to contribute to the
development of the country, they have not been able to realise their
potential due to lack of capacity. Most of the NGOs in Andhra Pradesh
are dependent on donors not only for funds but also for ideas. The
first challenge in the NGO sector is to minimise the dependency on
donors ideas. This may be possible only when the NGOs have clarity on
their identity and action.
Capacity building is an ongoing process
of helping people, organisations and societies to improve and adapt to
changes around them. SISS believes that the root causes of poverty are
the unresponsive social system, discriminatory social practices and lack
of access to resources by communities. The institute believes that
these challenges can be addressed through social mobilisation and
advocacy on the issues related to the poor. Here, NGOs can become
watchdogs to ensure accountability and good governance as well as
facilitate the poor communities to assert and claim their rights.
Therefore, SISS strives to build the
capacity of NGOs so that they play the roles of facilitators of civil
society more effectively. Capacity building of NGOs is very important to address the
needs of rural development, poverty reduction, population control and
other problems of the society.
With this objective, the institute
organised a one-day capacity building programme September 26, 2003 at
Hyderabad for the NGOs in Andhra Pradesh. A total of 265 NGOs from
across the State participated in this workshop. The topics covered in
this workshop included role of NGOs in rural development, managing
VO s, office management, human resource development, funding sources /
finances. Government offices / schemes / areas of specialization and
social leadership. It has been decided that a network should be formed
among this NGOs and they would be guided by various inputs on problem
inventory, proposal making, report writing along with periodical
workshops for experience sharing.
In pursuance of this objective, SISS
conducted another capacity building workshop on August 27, 2004 at
Gudur in Nellore district in association with Sunitha Seva Samstha. As
many as 64 NGOs from Prakasam, Kadapa, Chittoor and Nellore districts
took part in the programme.
The institute also identified new NGOs
in different districts with whom it established a good contact in order
to take up welfare activities jointly. The NGOs are Sunitha Seva
Samstha, Gudur, Sodhana of Cheepurupalli, Vijayanagarm district,
SEREDE of Adilabad, Medwin Hospitals, Hyderabad, Krushi Vikas and Old
Students Association (OSA) of Osmania University, Satya Sai Seva
Samithi, Nalgonda, and State bank of Hyderabad, Pulicherla. Medical
camps and training programmes were also organised in collaboration with
other bodies. SISS is extending financial help to Sodhana and SEREDE
for their good work in the fields of health and education. Sodhana is
implementing a project in the Garividi mandal and Cheepurupalli mandal
under which the meritorious students would be given a merit scholorship
of Rs 500 every year. A vidya volunteer is appointed to look after the
project. SISS was pleased with the progress of Sodhana and decided to
contribute Rs 5,000 every month.