Annual Report 2021

COVID Spurts Creativity @ COVA

COVA Peace Network

Annual Report from 1^st April 2020 to 31^st March 2021 

COVID 19 and Floods Relief- Policy Initiatives – Documentary on Floods

Pre Matric Scholarships for Students- Community Outreach

Constituencies Served

Part I: The Innovations

1. Successful Advocacy for Free Rations for Migrant Workers
2. Documentary on the Floods of Hyderabad: Reasons and Remedies
3. Relief for Teachers of Private Schools and other Lower Middle Classes- The Neo Poor- during Lockdown
4. Negotiation with School Managements for Free Education for Two Students for One Teacher Supported
5. Creating Systems for Scholarships for SC, ST & BC Students
6. Use of Technology for Community Outreach

Success in Advocacy for Migrant Workers

Over 3.5 Lakh migrant workers in Telangana benefited from this scheme for two months.

Documentary on the Floods in Hyderabad in October 2020

Relief for Teachers of Private Schools and other Lower Middle Classes during Lockdown

Free Education for 2 Students for 1 Teacher Supported

Creating Systems for Pre Matric Scholarships for SC, ST, BC and Minority Students

The Pre Matric Scholarships for Minority students are given by the Central Government and the procedures are streamlined and scholarships can be availed without much difficulty.  However, the State Government is tasked with disbursing scholarships for SC, ST and BC Students and the procedures were not defined, there was no information in the public domain and the corruption involved in obtaining Caste and Income Certificates prevented students from applying. In fact for the year 2017-18 only 75 SC and 80 BC students in whole of Hyderabad could get the scholarships in 2017.

COVA Peace Network took up this issue and started advocacy with the government for defining procedures as detailed below:

Evolving the System: Challenges and Achievements

Putting Information in Public Domain

1. The EPASS Portal of the Government of Telangana had no information for Pre-Matric Scholarships. After pursuing the matter with senior officials for months, the information was uploaded on the EPASS Portal on 26^th February 2020.
2. Caste and Income Certificates: Surmounting the Challenges
   COVA Peace Network overcame corruption in issue of Caste and Income Certificates and now students can get both for just Rs. 110 instead of Rs. 500 to 1000 that was demanded by Mesava Centers and brokers earlier.
3. COVA Peace Network convinced branches of Banks to open accounts of students that is now being done without any minimum deposit and no processing fee.
   Earlier they were made to go to CSP Points who demanded at least Rs 100 as deposit and charged Rs. 100 to 300 as processing fees.
4. COVA Peace Network identified Sanghams for different castes and sub castes who are authorized to issue Caste Letters for issue of Caste Certificates by the Government and encouraged them to issue the Caste Letter to students belonging to their caste without charge
5. COVA Peace Network identified Sanghams for different castes and sub castes who are authorized to issue Caste Letters for issue of Caste Certificates by the Government and encouraged them to issue the Caste Letter to students belonging to their caste without charge

With the students now having to spend only about Rs. 110 in the first year and only Rs. 55 in subsequent years, for all the required documents, many students have started coming forward and engaging with the processes required to obtain all the necessary documents to apply for Pre-Matric Scholarships. As a result, COVA Peace Network was able to enable over 600 SC,ST and BC students to apply online for the Pre Matric Scholarships but due to the closure of schools in Mid-March 2020 because to the Pandemic, we could not get to our target of helping at least 3000 ST, SC and BC students till the end of the academic year in May 2020.  

Scholarships Sanctioned for 2019-20

3522 minority students that COVA Peace Network could facilitate to apply for Pre Matric Scholarships for the year 2019-20 received a total of Rs. 1,22,55,251 as scholarships between March 2019 to May 2020. Average per Student was Rs.3480. Average cost per student for facilitating application was Rs. 80. So, Rs. 43.4 was received as Scholarship for every Rupee of Donation used!!! RoI: 1: 43.5

From Disappointment to Hope:  Enabling Poor Students to Secure Government Scholarships

Danish was a student of the 8^th standard at Jamia Darul Huda Hyderabad. His father works as washer man in the same school he is studying at. Danish had applied for a scholarship through an agent where he had to pay Rs. 200 for uploading his application at the national Scholarship Portal. He did not receive any message and could not get the scholarship during 2016-17. Danish said that “disappointed at not receiving the scholarship despite spending over Rs 250 for agent’s fee and documents my parents thought it is a waste of money and time and were not planning to apply for scholarships again”.

But in 2017-18 COVA Peace Network facilitated the online uploading of his scholarship form on the National Scholarships Portal free of charge and followed up with the authorities. His application is approved and he has received the scholarship amount of Rs. 4200 in his bank.

Sushmita is a class 10^thstudent of MH Gupta High School in Santoshnagar. Her father is an attender in a private school and mother works as a maid in houses. Belonging to the SC community, Sushmita and her parents had never heard about the Pre Matric Scholarships Scheme. After the awareness about the scheme provided by COVA along with facilitation to obtain all the required documents and free online submission of the form by operators of COVA who had visited her school, Sushmita got a scholarship of Rs. 3000 in February 2020.

Her father, Mr. M. Jangaih while thanking COVA expressed hope that his two other children will also be able to get the scholarships when they reach higher classes and this will greatly ease the pressure on him about the expenses for educating them and make it possible to continue their studies.

Use of Technology for Community Outreach

CLICK HERE for the Video.

Net Result: Despite the closure of schools, 4879 SC, ST, BC and Minority students were facilitated to apply for Pre Matric Scholarships from 1^st April 2020 till 31^st March 2021. These students are expected to receive scholarships by end May 2021 totaling about Rs. 1 crore 45 lakhs at an average of Rs. 3000 per student.

Part II: COVID 19 and Floods:

Relief, Restoration, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction

The total cost for these relief, rehabilitation, restoration and reconstruction programs serving 34,000 families was Rs. 1,11,23,000/- in direct monetary expenses incurred by COVA Peace Network and Rs. 51,63,800 (approximately) received in kind from different individuals and donors making a total of Rs.1,61,86,800/-  from 22nd March 2020 to 31st March 2021.

1. Restoration of Small Businesses
   Most people engaged in small businesses like selling vegetables, fruits, tea etc. had lost their working capitals during the Lockdown and had no means to restart their businesses. Immediately with the easing of the Lockdown, COVA Peace Network launched a program from 7th June 2020 to provide working capital to help restore small businesses.Grants of Rs. 2000 to 10000 were provided to 264 persons and rickshaws of 60 scrap collectors were repaired at an average cost of Rs. 2500. This is helping beneficiaries of this program to start earning Rs.500 to Rs. 800 daily and thereby support themselves and their families for years to come.
   112 of these beneficiaries were provided loans by SAFA as part of their Build Back Program..
2. Success in Advocacy for Migrant Workers
   On COVA’s representation, the Government of Telangana announced free rations and cash of Rs. 500 to Migrant Workers through the Public Distribution System on the basis of their Aadhar Cards that have addresses of their native states. Over 3.5 Lakh migrant workers have benefited from this scheme. This is detailed above on Page 1
3. Cooked Food
   COVA provided lunch and dinner to 1000 migrant workers and their families at Gagan Pahad and 50 migrant workers at Jalpally for 21 days till they received rations from the government. From 1st May to 31st June 2020 COVA started a Community Kitchen in collaboration with Surge Impact Foundation to provide cooked food twice a day to 500 migrant workers and their families to help them to fast with ease during the month of Ramazan at Kishanbagh, Hyderabad.
   
4. Ration Kits
   COVA provided 3036 kits with ration to migrants, teachers of private schools, destitute families and Refugees from 6 countries viz. Myanmar, Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Syria and Somalia. These kits were prepared on the basis of the size of a family and contained rations for about 2 months.
   Distribution of Ration Kits for COVID-19 Relief
   
5. Enumeration of Migrant Workers
   COVA has enumerated 10,000 persons from 4000 families of migrant workers in Gagan Pahad, Katedan and Kishanbagh areas and facilitated them to get cooked food and rations from the Public Distribution System.
6. Support for Private School Teachers:
   This Program is detailed on Page 2 above.
7. Flood Relief, Rehabilitation, Restoration and Reconstruction
   The Floods caused great havoc in Hyderabad in October 2020. Large sections of the population were affected and the areas of operation of COVA Peace Network were hit very badly affecting most of the refugees, destitute families and even teachers of private schools who were already reeling from the burdens of the Lockdown.
   Apart from providing cooked food, rations, clothes and household utensils to the affected, damages hutments were repaired and restored. One habitation of 42 families in Balapur was totally submerged in the flood waters and COVA Peace Network undertook reconstruction of new hutments for the affected families with all infrastructure and amenities.
   

Table of Support Provided for COVID 19 and Floods Relief

Study on Impact of COVID 19 on Vulnerable Communities

Part III: Nurturing Citizenship

Partnering with State Election Watch

World Water Day 2021: Valuing Water

The Theme for the Program was Valuing Water
The Objective is to inspire people, especially students and youth, to learn more about water-related issues and to take action and make a difference.

As part of the program a painting and Poster- Slogan Competition was organized for school students on the Theme of Valuing Water at Boys Town High School Jahannuma – Hyderabad. All care was taken to maintain COVID protocols and maintain social distancing.

Faith leaders Mr. Harikishan Vedaalankar, Bro. Thomas and Bro. Yesu Prabhaharan shared verses from religious scriptures underlining the value of water and the need for its conservation.
Mr. Subajith saha, Director and Head CII Telangana complimented the students on their paintings and urged them to become vanguards for water conservation and spread the message to all in society.

Mr. Manabendra Ghosh, Lead Water and Sustainability at DRL (Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories) stressed the importance of 4 R’s in relation to water today: viz. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and recharge.Mr. Khader Mohinduddin, General Manager Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board lamented the gross misuse of water by citizens for washing cars etc. and urged all citizens to conserve water in the interest of future generations and for continuity of humanity.

Mr. kumud Joshi Counsellor, CII Triveni Water Institute shared that 97% of the water available on planet earth is unusable and whatever water is usable needs to be conserved. Mr. Ignatius Xavier and Ms. Aziz sultana were judges for the competitions.

The paintings / Posters drawn by students on Valuing Water were very creative and conveyed the message that the future generation is aware in regards with water and its conservation.

Paintings and Posters made by Students

Career Councelling

Faith Leaders for Social Issues

The Faith Leaders issue joint statements and also speak about the issues in their weekly congregations. While the Archbishop of Hyderabad and Secunderabad issued a directive to all the churches under his jurisdiction to make the announcements about the Citizens Entitlements Campaign to access 56 civic services from the government for three weeks during Sunday Sermons, Muslim clerics mentioned about this in the Friday Prayers and Arya Samaj, Brahma Kumaris and others talked about the Campaign in their Satsangs.

In April 2020, on a query from COVA Peace Network, Jame Nizamia, the oldest and leading Islamic Seminary of Hyderabad issued a Fatwa (a legal opinion issued by an Islamic Scholar) on the absolute need to save and conserve water based on the teachings of the Quran and the Practice of Prophet Mohammed. This will be propagated widely with a little ease in the Pandemic and return of normal social interactions. It is also planned to seek edicts from other faiths on water conservation to get larger following and better compliance from all sections of society.
CLICK HERE to view the Fatwa.

Play on National Integration

Koshish Theatre Group won many state and national awards and has the distinction of being featured by the BBC.

In action since 2004, the Repertory of Koshish Theatre Group contains Short Plays on social issues like national integration, communal harmony, local governance, education, water conservation, India Pakistan conflict, tax on the poor, dowry menace etc.
I burst into tears when I first saw it:
Mr. M. Mandal, Former Banker and an Activist on the Koshish Play National Integration.
Please Click the link for the Play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOamngIAoVk

Praja Nahin Nagrik Hain Hum (We are not Subjects but Citizens) is yet another award winning Play from Koshish that gives an orientation to the provisions available in Article 243 of the Constitution of India to enable citizens to participate in local governance – all this through rib tickling Hyderabadi Lingo!

Please click the link for the Play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPbDMxrssJE

The performances are in communities, educational institutions, gatherings for religious festivals and other public events where the audience is encouraged to deconstruct and discuss the play for a better understanding of the social problems and issues featured in the play.

Links to other Plays of Koshish Theatre Group
Jung Chahiye Ya Aman- Play on India- Pakistan Conflicts

Kachrewale Pe Tax- Kal Yug Ki Kahani

Rikshewale Ka Sapna-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaCg93aDRmQ

Part IV: Peace Initiatives

CHECKIT Program to Expose Fake News & Secure Cyberspace

Part V: International Engagement

Invitation for G 20

Preparatory Meeting for BRICS Civil

Refugee Facilitation Center

Our Partners

We are grateful to all our Partners whose trust in our Vision, partnership in our Mission and inspiring support in a variety of forms from financial donations, time, talent and expert guidance enables us to strive for and contribute to social transformation for an equitable, just and peaceful world for all.

Prepared by

Roshan Shaik: Communications & PR Officer COVA Peace Network

With Inputs from:

1. Ajay Kumar, Finance Officer, COVA Peace Network