1. © Mick Minard/REEF Reports Empowering Rural Communities ©Mick Minard/REEF Reports

2. ABOUT US S M Sehgal Foundation is a public, charitable trust registered in India in 1999. MISSION Our mission is to strengthen community-led development initiatives to achieve positive social, economic and environmental change across rural India. VISION We envision every person across rural India empowered to lead a more secure, prosperous, and dignified life. To date, we have reached nearly 250,000 people living in 470 villages in Haryana, Rajasthan and Bihar.

3. © Mick Minard/REEF Reports Strengthen rural governance, enhance self-reliance Improve access to water and sanitation Empower women farmers, build vibrant communities Spread awareness through community media Undertake rural research and impact assessment WHAT WE DO Create opportunity | Build resilience | Design solutions ©Mick Minard/REEF Reports

4. WHAT WE DO Five impact areas to build a strong foundation of knowledge, skills and networks at the grassroots: Agricultural Development: emphasis on women farmers Good Rural Governance Community Media Water Management Rural Research: Baseline Assessment Rural Research: Impact Assessment

5. Good Governance Now Program (Sushasan Abhi!) Spread in 428 villages; 200,000 villagers reached 31 trained governance guides. 8625 local leaders trained (equal participation of men and women) as Sushasan Champions GOOD RURAL GOVERNANCE

6. Built capacities of village level institutions in 131 villages Women collectives (Mahila Sangathans) comprising 440 members of village level institutions from 106 villages 35 Village Health and Sanitation Committees, facilitated 3,659 latrines 28 Gram Sabhas (village meetings) with 54% of women participants Strengthening Village-level Institutions

7. GOOD RURAL GOVERNANCE Creating Community Assets Improve infrastructure in government schools Provide drinking water by installing roof water harvesting systems in government schools Improve sanitation facilities in government schools Provide storage water tanks in villages

8. AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT Increase crop productivity by training farmers on improved agricultural practices Promote sustainable farming practices: soil health and water- saving irrigation technologies Promote best practices in dairy farming Mainstream women farmers; deepen scientific knowledge of Self Help Groups Covered 124 villages and over 12000 crop demonstrations © Mick Minard/REEF Reports

9. Conserve local water supply for drinking, household and agricultural purposes Apply appropriate technologies to harness rainwater for aquifer recharge and surface storage Promote sanitation and wastewater management in schools, homes and in the community Build capacities of local communities to manage their water resources through water literacy sessions WATER MANAGEMENT Reached 74 villages; 1,84,000 people

10. Design projects to suit varied community needs and different geographical locations Implement projects to address water, agriculture and governance issues in villages Assimilate, synthesize and disseminate project’s outcomes and learning Research and document project’s impact OUR APPROACH

11. Monitoring, Learning and Evaluation | Development and Policy Research Needs assessment, monitoring and evaluation of impact for effective implementation of programs Collaborative research Knowledge-sharing with multiple stakeholders including communities RURAL RESEARCH

12. Reaching 183 villages in Mewat and Rajasthan; Broadcasting 13 hours daily Trained 45 community members to operate equipment, produce programs and manage the station as technicians, producers and facilitators Spearheading governance through radio Collaborations with other community radio stations in different states of India to spread good governance COMMUNITY MEDIA Community Radio Station, Alfaz-e-Mewat FM 107.8

13. FROM THE PEOPLE OF JAPAN NABARD NABARD SOME OF OUR PARTNERS

14. Thank you ! www.smsfoundation.org