VB patel Program Assistant who was senior staff working in AKRSPI and wanted to be PO but never got selected... so more frustrated.. i was the one whom he will report.. so it was obvious that he was not so co-operative immediately.. .. he still showed me some files.. my table and some procedures....
i met another guy Ghansyam who was working on computer and use to assist PC for adm work. since i was attached to computer i got close to him very quickly..
i met another PO [VI] ; Ms. Shilpa vasavda... very intelligent, charming, out spoken, vocal and articulate lady... straight away we could mingled up ..
in evening she invited me to go with her for "Village Institution Meeting".. i agreed... we started around 7:30 in the evening.. to go to chotila and then a small village 15 km from chotila..
Sayla to chotia is 33 km... so we took 45 min. ... we stopped on highway and picked up few more staff from chotila.. there i met Mr. Ramesh PO[e].. my counter part in chotila.
we went to village ..it was my first experience of VI meeting.. it was interesting.. shilpa was really leading meeting.. I was impressed by her.. completely astonished and charmed!! the meeting and discussion went on and on till 12:30 in the night.... it was interesting though!!
so we finished late and dropped people on the way...
we came back to sayla at around 2:00 am.... i was tooooooo hungry... shilpa proposed to eat at "maraj" [chef] restaurant .. a small dirty looking, dim and unhygienic restaurant near our bunglows.... well the food was warm and nice... not much to complaint as no option we had!! since i was too hungry every byte of food was testier then sweet!!
so i had interesting, tiring and nice day....
next day.. i started to go thru files, designs, current projects, payments etc.
in the evening Rajeshbhai came to me and talked that as per new agreements PO who joins the AKRSP has to go in village and live there for 3 months for better induction and learnings.... it is compulsory during probation !!!.. i accepted the offer and agreed to move to dhandhalpur village.. kind of 20-22 km from sayla.... i joined Mr. TT mehta.. he was renting the room in one of the widow's house.... He promised to share... the rent was 100 Rs.. and the land lady was providing Tiffin services in 100 Rs./month too..
so i had to spend 150 Rs. i was ok with location, arrangements, costing all.. but the only prob. was the room had no latrine.. so i have to walk far off and use bushes!!! bit difficult.. but i was ok...
in the same house we had other 2 staff members renting the room... Ms. Rekha aghara and Ms. Shanta patel.. Rekha was CO [Community organisor] and shanta was PA [program assistant engineering]. one of the other PA mr. Jani was also living in dhandhal pur.. a nice and funny guy!!
i had to see the day to day cluster activities, take interest in social work and take control over engineering work...
one of the big dam construction was going on under our organisation was 7 km from dhandhalpur... in village dhamrashla.. we call dame ROT [Rehabilitation of Tank]... i had motor cycle Rajdoot!! so TT, Jani and myself share Rajdoot and Rekha + shanta shares M-80 [small bike]..
i have started visiting site regularly.. started attending fortnightly meeting with Rekha ....
i liked the way of AKRSP works.. professional yet very participatory and grass root level presence. i learned alot..
yeah.. one of the good thing about my dam site was ... there are plenty of bushes ... so i started using it as latrine.. i get ready early morning.. TT was nice enough to prepare tea for both of us most of the time.. after tea we take bike and go to site at the earliest..... around 7:30 or 8:00 am
Ms. Shanta was site in-charge for Dhmrashla Percolation tank[ Earthen dam]..
Mr. Jani was incharge of Sokhda dam.. [a small storage reservoir in village Sokhda... 15 km from dhandhalpur]...
i stayed there for 3 months.... it was full of learning.. i still have to share nice experience of PRA and Gender training I attended in coming articles..
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