Caritas India and its partner directors along with their project coordinators converged at Navjeevan Renewal Center, Delhi on 27th & 28th April 2022 for the SAKSHAM orientation programme and proposal development write-shop. For this two-day, write-shop thirty-three participants from 18 partner dioceses and 7 Caritas India staff gathered to initial orientation and proposal development. 

Fr. (Dr.) Jolly Puthenpura, Assistant Executive Director, Caritas India took the first session on the partnership and programme accountability framework. He shared about the changing nature of partnership engagement and implementation. He emphasized on mainstreaming of strategic pillars in program implementation and threw light on the responsibilities and expectations from partners and Caritas India as well. He talked about the accountability framework and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for partners to smooth the functioning of the programme. At last, he cautioned about the cautious use of the funds and the importance of a proper channel of communication.   

Dr. Saju, Programme Lead has focused his session on the SAKSHAM strategy and Empowering Animation. For him, Saksham is the start of the comradery between states and people. He introduced the objectives of the programme namely good governance and food security through sustainable agriculture. He emphasized the importance of local governance like involving the local community especially women in the Gram Sabha’s and Special Gram Sabha’s, Political literacy, scheme mapping, eligibility documentation, transparency & accountability, etc. Under food sovereignty he listed intervention areas like Building on farmers existing knowledge, bringing consumers and producers together, focusing on nutrition food, access to the local market and respecting the diversity of food systems, eco-friendly farming. He explained the concept of “Good Food” and its relevance in today’s era. He also threw light on strategy for empowering animation. 

Mr. Mukund Deshmukh, Assistant Programme Lead- Food and Nutrition Security Program shared the models for strengthening agriculture and food sovereignty. He started with the importance of diversification of crops for production and conservation of soil fertility. He told advantages of the mixed cropping for marginal farmers. He linked nutrition security with mixed cropping and income sufficiency for the household. Localization of agriculture is needed for agriculture to sustain the vagaries of climate change. He reiterated the necessity of crop rotation, land use patterns, promotion of millets and scientific methods for cultivation and harvesting. He also informed about organic farming and how small/marginal farmers, a model of sustainable farming methods, can manage a demo plot. He oriented participants on Integrated Nutrition Management and Integrated Pest Management and other low costs, low input methods. He thinks that, ”Kisan should learn from Kisan” through Kisan schools at the village level. At last, he showed the ambitious Convergence Model for sustainable farming and its challenges and importance. 

Fr. (Dr.) Paul Moonjely, Executive Director, Caritas India connected with the participants virtually and spoke on Programme Framework and Partnership Expectations. He told about the newly drafted Programme Management Unit (PMU) and its’ functioning. He focused on the necessity of Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE), strategic training to volunteers etc. Fr. (Dr.) Paul explained the meaning of “SAKSHAM i.e. to become empowered or self-reliant”. They also highlighted that the intervention states under Saksham have a higher incidence of malnutrition and poverty. He envisions that the program should reach the bottom-most and vulnerable people through this program and make them empowered enough to be self-reliant. He wants to enrich their food plate through food sovereignty. He also thanked the participants and the Caritas team for their continuous effort to make positive changes in society. 

Dr. Saju and the team orientated and facilitated the initial proposal development by sitting along with partners and solving their queries. He also informed partners on documentation and other necessary matters. Dr. Saju briefed the participants on the budget and explained the availability and allocation of the same. Caritas team resolved individual partners’ challenges and queries on the budget and asked them to develop a proposal along with budgeted activities. 

Ms. Jancy Matthew, Lead – Program Finance, Caritas India oriented the participants on Program Management matters & Compliances. She gave a detailed presentation on the financial nitty-gritty needed for the smooth functioning of the project implementation. She also answered questions from participants and told them about appropriate ways to financial matters. She emphasized the need for proper GST bills, bank transfers to vendors and accounting. She also showed a standard flow chart for procurement but encouraged to stick to the already existing process in the organization.