Write up on Microfinance
On 18th of March we had a session on microfinance and Mr. Vijay Kulkarni was the instructor. He explained in detail about it and tried to give a clear picture. He shown a video on braking through poverty. Mohmmad Yunis of Bangladesh has given great contribution to it.
Microfinance means the provision of financial services that includes credit, savings, insurance, etc to those living in poverty and excluded from the financial system. These people do not have income and do not own property, therefore unable to provide bank guarantees and sureties.
As the financial services of microfinance usually involve small amounts of money, small loans, small savings etc and provides financial service to the poor at their door step. The term "microfinance" helps to differentiate these services from those which formal banks provide
I found the importance of microfinance as follows.
Their income is not enough to manage crises such as illness, emergencies, marriage, etc and lack of access to safe formal deposit services
Ø To help to overcome of indebtedness
Ø To uplift the social and economic status
Ø To help fulfill the basic needs
Ø To strengthen the standard of living
Ø To start a small business to generate income
Ø To make them realize their potentialities
Ø To make capable of compete with others
Thus it has given solid concept and it was helpful session to me.

Report on Entrepreneurial Activity
On the occasion of entrepreneurial activity I liked to sell crispy chips and fried ground nuts as everyone had chosen different items. I bought these items from market and packed in the home and brought to the BVB canteen today morning about 9 O’ clock and started selling. The pace of the selling was slow in the beginning but later went up well. I succeeded in selling all the ground nut packets but failed to sell all the chips packets however I managed to sell half of them. I closed the stall by 6 O’ clock and came back and thought that where to sell the rest of the chips packets and I got an idea to ask shop keepers. I asked two shop keepers to purchase them but they denied then I went to another shop, he took them all. Likewise I put my effort to sell all the items by the evening and finally got profit.
The details are as follows
1. Profit: Rs 72/-
2. Money invested and money returned: Rs 395/- and Rs 467/- respectively
3. Strategies used:
Motivated the customers through smooth words
4. Challenges:
More than half of the chips packets were didn’t sell hence I struggled to sell the chips outside
5. Lessons learnt:
How to compete with other sellers and maintain the loss
6. Next time if were to do the same marketing job what would you like to change:
I would like to change the item and think for another which will have demand
7. Any things else you want to add:
At the end 25 chips packets remained with me and I thought this would be burden and loss to me so I decided to sell somewhere else and sold in a shop and managed to get profit.

About Entrepreneurial Activity
Today I did an entrepreneurial activity. Here in Dharwad a conference was conducted on world peace and terrorism control .I saw a banner on the wall and got curious about the matter and went inside and sat. Around 1 O’clock organizer announced invitees to have lunch arranged here. When I came out from the hall I met a person who was known to me. He was serving food there, while talking to him he told me that is there any person to supply tea in the evening. And I thought this is the right opportunity for entrepreneurial activity. I asked him that I will prepare and supply tea. He agreed and told that bring about 100 cups of tea. I will pay you Rs 200-00 and I went with tea carrier and tea cups. And I gave him, he paid the amount. I got Rs 50-00 as profit. Like this I succeeded in this entrepreneurial activity.
Details of expenditure
SL NO INGRADIANTS AMOUNT
1 SUGAR 20-00
2 TEA POWDER 30-00
3 MILK 60-00
4 TEA CUPS 30-00
5 OTHERS 10-00
TOTAL 150-00

Write up on Agriculture

On 12 of March I have undergone the agriculture module training by AME foundation. It was different as I have not taught these things through PPT before. Today I came to know about geographical area that how much land is being cultivated here and irrigated as well.
In India still 65-70% people are depending on agriculture and stays in rural area. They struggle hard to survive as the production and yield is not so sufficient and the price and marketing system is sometimes not favorable to the farmers.
India has
Geographical area – 328 million hectares
Cultivated area – 140 million hectares
Area under irrigation – 30 million hectares
And it is
2nd largest rice, vegetables and wheat producer
2nd largest onion growing country
Produces 41% of world’s mangoes, 23% bananas, 24% cashew nuts, 36% green peas and 10% onion
5th in area and production of potatoes
Largest milk producer and World leader in dairy animal products
And in Karnataka
Total geographical area is -190.50 lakh hectares
Cultivable area is - 123 lakh hectares
Cultivated area is - 116.70 lakh hectares
Area under irrigation is - 31 lakh hectares (26.5%)
Small and marginal farmers are - 73% and the land cultivating by them is 34.5%

In the decade 1960 Green revolution took place in Agriculture and tremendous change was found in farming and in 1980 onwards horticultural revolution in high value crops, White revolution in milk sector, Cooperative revolution in credit sector happened. As the result of these different methods in farming has occurred for ex:
Mechanization
Major and micro irrigation
Chemical inputs like fertilizers, pesticides and feticides
High yielding varieties and hybrids

Later we noticed that degrading soil fertility, soil carbon and capacity to hold moisture stagnating yields Erosion of biodiversity and farm ecosystem repeated crop failures due to environmental degradation increasing cost of production and decreasing net income for the farmers because of overusing the chemicals and lack of organic components.
Shrikanth sir showed a video how the pesticides are becoming the cause for death of farmer’s.
On the second day we went to Inamveerapur and Kuradikeri for field visit where we can get the real picture of AME foundation’s efforts in agriculture. We spent lot of time with farmers and in the farm so that we come to know the methods in sustainable agriculture. Mr. Desai explained about farmers field school and what are the roles played by the members. And lastly we played a game to energize. It was really new experience for us.
On the third day we participated in a debate. The topic was Path to Progress – “Rural Economy V/S Industrial Economy”. It came up very well and every one participated. After Shrikanth sir explained about integrated farming system and live stock. After noon they had an examination and feed back session. With this three day’s module was concluded.

Advocacy

Write up on Advocacy
On 5th of March we had been taught advocacy by Usharani from KHPT in the morning session and in the afternoon Dr. Dabade engaged the class.
Both of them explained well about the advocacy and I came to know the importance of advocacy in today’s society. Advocacy means “A set of targeted actions in support of a cause or an issue, because one wants to build support for that cause or issue, influence others to support it; or try to influence or change legislation that affects it.”
I understood the steps that included in advocacy are, selecting the objective, identifying the audience, support groups, developing and the delivering the message, marketing persuasive presentation, fund raising and evaluating the process.
Difference between Lobbying and advocacy Lobbying is a small part of advocacy. Most lobbying efforts are only successful when they are coupled with many other advocacy activities.
Advocacy campaigns have many aims and purposes. Sensitizing the public or decision makers on a specific issue.Persuading or influencing decision-makers in a certain direction.Change legislation or work processes that negatively affect the organization’s members or beneficiaries.Provide a solution to a problem that affects the organizations members / beneficiaries.Expose a problem that needs to be addressed by others.Defend a right or a benefit.
The elements of advocacy
Coalition that is uniting the people, power of advocacy that is people supporting to it, objective should be need based, proper data itself can be worth, audience, message, fund raising and presentation. we can go through with these components in advocacy.
In the afternoon we have been divided into 3 groups and discussed on a particular topic and presented in the class.

Write up on RTI
March 4, 2009 Monday class has been started around 9 O’ clock. This was on RTI. Ashutosh and Tippanna Engaged the session. They explained all about it.
What is RTI? When it was came into force? What is the importance? Why we need it? How to write and file the application? Etc
We knew the answer for all these questions. Through this act common man also come to know that he can obtain information thus the grass root level people will make use of this act.
They presented with PPT, how to get general information about particular Govt and Aided institutions and organizations under 4(1) (b) section of this act that is Sou-motu application. This includes 17 points regarding basic details and also says that within 120 days from the date of act came into force; all departments must have this information.
Any person can obtain this information by filing the application under this act and within 30 days he/she will be getting the same. If not they can give complaint to the higher authority. It doesn’t need any fees and we have to write the application on a plain paper regarding the matter which we want to take from the office.
After the lunch break I and Chandrashekhar went to CBWE and NSSO to file Suo-motu so that we can get the practical knowledge and be able to understand the real situation.
The second day started with the last day’s experiences and execution of case study analysis. Ashutosh and Tippanna told how to file the application to get particular information about specific subject under 6(1) section of this act. For this it needs a DD/Postal Order for Rs 10/- as a fee to provide the matter and however we have to pay 1 rupee/page on the total no of pages. As to file the same I and Poonam went to women’s polytechnic collage and filed it and got acknowledgement.
The third day started with fishpond. All the fellows spoke on RTI. Then in the class they explained about how to complaint to CIC/SIC if the PIO failed to do it. We can file it under section 18 of the act. And I presented the given case study on success stories of RTI. Later we performed a skit on RTI awareness in public areas.
Overall in 3 days of this module I learnt many things such as information, records, time limits, appeals, transparency, and accountability of this act.
Likewise all the 3 days in theory as well as practically I got lot of knowledge and understanding.