## Pragya UK Annual Review 2022-23
## 1. Introduction
**Welcome to Pragya UK’s 2022-23 Annual Review** . We are a charity dedicated to poverty relief and social justice in south Asia and east Africa. We research, design, deliver, evaluate and disseminate pioneering socioeconomic development programmes supporting multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals. What ties our diverse portfolio of award-winning programmes together is an unwavering commitment to addressing the marginalisation of the global south’s poorest and most remote communities, those typically left behind as nations develop and prosper over time.
**Our Vision** is one of marginalised communities living dignified lives free from poverty and injustice, fully enjoying the benefits of development in a manner harmonious with cultural heritage and the environment.
**Our Mission** is to enable grassroots sustainable development for the poorest, most neglected communities in remote and marginal societies, in a way that preserves and promotes local cultures and fragile ecosystems.
Pragya’s community-centred approach and track record of delivering positive impact have been recognised by several awards: the _Whitley Gold Award for Nature Conservation_ (2000), an _Energy Globe Award_ (2005), a _STARS Impact Award_ (2010), USAID’s _All Children Reading - Grand Challenge for Development Award_ (2012), a _Top 20 Innovation in Risk Award_ (2015), and an _ICT for Mountain Development Award_ (2016). Pragya holds Special Consultative Status with the UN ECOSOC.
## **Pragya’s programmes in 2022-23 included:**
_Promoting medicinal and aromatic plant (MAP) cultivation and conservation in Kenya_
Pragya continued its programme to support the sustainable cultivation and conservation of MAPs among impoverished forest-side communities around Kakamega Forest, an area of unique herbal wealth. More information on this programme can be found on Page 3
## _Building grassroots capacity in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs)_
In Kenya’s ASALs, Pragya established two new educational resource centres in Samburu County, which aim to improve educational outcomes in underserved areas. Pragya is also working directly with pastoral groups to improve water resource management, as the region is uniquely threatened by increasing droughts due to climate change. Pages 6 (Education) and 15 (WASH)
## _Enabling resilience for remote and vulnerable mountain communities in Nepal_
Pragya delivered its first project towards its programme to prevent gender-based violence (GBV) and the trafficking of women and girls in rural Nepal, while continuing to scale its WASH programme for underserved mountain villages. Pages 9 (Prevention of trafficking and GBV) and 14 (WASH)
_Global Labor Program: An Innovative Platform for Organising Marginalised Workers in Asia_
2022-23 saw the completion of the first year of Pragya’s initiative to mobilise regional networks of informal workers in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, which will run through to 2026. The work is part of a broader, multi-partner programme to enable more effective, coordinated organisation of marginalised and informal labour across south and southeast Asia. Page 11
## _- Scaling DMS Himalaya_
Building on research that began in 2012, as well as programme design and development supported by ELRHA’s Human Innovation Fund, Pragya’s pioneering citizen-led disaster management system has now been trialled across India’s western, central, and eastern Himalayan regions. Page 17
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## 2. Tar et locations and o ulations g p p
Pragya’s work in India is delivered in 8 states across northern, western and eastern regions. In the north, we work with Himalayan populations addressing the development challenges particular to the region. Disaster management is a major aspect of our work here, empowering isolated communities for improved disaster resilience and coordination with disaster management authorities. We also work with Himalayan farming communities to enable climate-adapted agriculture for enhanced food security and nutrition. To the west, our work targets impoverished ethnic minority communities in Rajasthan, with initiatives designed around women’s empowerment and access to education. In the east, our focus is on climate-smart agriculture, prevention of GBV, and disaster management.
In Nepal, Pragya’s current work is focused on three districts: Sindhupalchok, Dhading, and Dhanesha. We deliver WASH solutions and capacity building for communities lacking safe drinking water and sanitation facilities. Our livelihoods work enables uptake of alternative vocations for rapid income generation and sustainable microenterprise development, and we support rural youth with vocational awareness and training. Within a wider patriarchal context, the target districts are hotspots for GBV and human trafficking, and we also deliver programmes towards the prevention of GBV and trafficking, as well as vocational training and safe migration. Pragya’s contributions to the Global Labor Program initiative will also engage with informal workers in Nepal.
Pragya’s work in Bangladesh has focused on supporting extremely poor and marginalised communities living on Bangladesh’s _Chars –_ river islands with unstable land subject to recurrent flooding and which lack essential services. Lack of adequate WASH facilities in Char communities mean high incidence of waterborne disease to which children are especially at risk, whilst residents can have little option but to drink groundwater contaminated with arsenic, with its multiple adverse health impacts. Pragya’s interventions provide site-appropriate WASH solutions, as well as local capacity building for disaster risk reduction and response, oriented around flooding. Pragya’s contributions to the Global Labor Program initiative will also engage with informal workers in Bangladesh.
In Kenya, Pragya’s target areas include the Arid/Semi-Arid Lands of northern Kenya, spanning the counties of Turkana, Laikipia and Samburu. In this region, we work to address the socioeconomic challenges particular to nomadic and semi-nomadic pastoralist groups impacted by climate change, geographic isolation, and marginalisation. This includes enhancing access to quality education, providing locally appropriate WASH solutions, as well as programmes supporting livelihoods and community health. In western Kenya, we work with communities in Kakamega county, where widespread poverty places unsustainable pressure on the majestic Kakamega rainforest. We empower communities to conserve biodiversity whilst simultaneously supporting poor smallholders to undertake high-value agriculture.
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_Pragya • www.pragya.org/uk • Registered Charity No. 1082476 • Annual Review 2022-2023_
. Pro ects in 2021-22 3 j
## **Food, agriculture and rural livelihoods**
## _Cultivating and conserving medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) in Kakamega Forest, Kenya_
In Kagamega Forest, western Kenya, several species of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) play an important part in the maintenance of the local ecosystem, whilst also contributing to the socioecological traditions of surrounding communities. Kenya’s only remaining rainforest, Kagamega’s rich biodiversity is under threat from the wild-harvesting of MAPs and other activities as impoverished communities and other actors encroach on and extract resources from the forest. The burgeoning demand for herbal remedies and other plant-based products means that these plants can fetch a much higher price at market than traditional crops cultivated in the region, and consequently represent an attractive source of income for poor smallholding farmers in the vicinity of the forest. Wild-harvesting practices, however, prevent the plants from regenerating, and current levels of the practice are unsustainable, putting ever greater pressure on the rainforest’s biodiversity.
Pragya’s approach to tackling this problem is twofold. We empower communities adjacent to the forest for locally driven conservation, combining awareness-raising, direct community conservation action, and grassroots advocacy. Yet we understand the need for impoverished smallholders to boost their incomes through whatever resources are locally available. As such, we build the capacity of smallholder farming communities to undertake cultivation of highvalue, in-demand species of medicinal plants, with support for local value addition and formation of ethical trading linkages. This replaces the need to harvest these plants from the wild: a win-win for the environment and community prosperity.
Pragya has been working in Kakamega since 2011, developing its _MAP nurseries with seedling and material_ MAPs programme through research, community consultations, _distribution_ successive project cycles, and coordination and knowledge sharing with local farmers’ groups, the Kenya Forest Service, and other stakeholders. Key aspects of the model include:
- _Conservation Awareness._ We deliver community and school campaigns to build understanding of the importance of local biodiversity to the forest’s ecosystem, and the long-term benefits to the community of conserving the forest.
- _Environmental Stewardship._ We support the development of Community Conservation Councils responsible for managing Community Protected Areas, zones of forest identified as being at high risk of plant depletion, and supported with social fencing measures and monitored / regenerated by the Councils. Community groups are also empowered to conduct environmental advocacy.
- _Cultivation Training._ We provide smallholders with comprehensive cultivation training and start-up inputs to enable them for uptake of cultivation of high-value, in-demand species of medicinal plants.
- _Cooperation and Value Addition._ We support smallholders with processing and packaging solutions, ensuring the smallholders can secure the highest prices for their produce. We establish ethical trading linkages and support cooperative working practices that enable access to larger buyers and fair prices.
## **The outcomes as of March 2023 were as follows:**
- Over 1800 people have been directly and indirectly reached through awareness campaigns.
- 3 nurseries had been supported to initiate MAP propagation up to 2022, with signed MoUs and support comprising appropriate tools and materials, including MAP seeds. These are monitored to ensure best practices are in place and carried forth in training via demonstrations to smallholders. Cultivation of the species initiatied in Year 1 - _Aloe vera_ (Vernacular name: Shikakha), _Mondia whitei_ (Vernacular name: Mukombero), and _Occimum kilimandscharicum_ (Vernacular name: Miunyi) – was expanded, and new
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species were added comprising tree saplings of: _Vitex keniensis_ (Meru Oak), _Pinus spp._ (Pine), _Croton megalocarpus_ (Croton), and _Tectona grandis_ (Elgon Teak).
- Over 140 small scale farmers had been engaged to initiate training in MAP cultivation up to 2022, and these were supplied with MAP seedlings/ saplings and assisted to initiate MAP cultivation on their farms. These received regular monitoring and support including visual inspections of plantations, along with guidance on: seed sowing, cutting, grafting, and layering; soil management practices, including soil preparation, fertilization, and irrigation; and knowledge of plant diseases and pests and organic measures for their management.
- 3 Cooperative Groups of MAP growers were mobilised in Kakamega, Vihiga, and Nandi counties, comprising over 150 members. These have received training in harvesting, drying, and post-harvest handling; marketing and business management; and relevant regulations and laws related to the cultivation and sale of MAPs.
- 3 Community Conservation Groups (CCG) had been constituted up to 2022, and assigned to monitor newly designated Community Conservation Areas (CCA). These were supported in delivering activities to maintain and improve the areas, including: slushing, pruning, thinning, and maintenance of fences within the protected areas; tree plantation drives that have planted over 800 saplings to date; and discussions with local authorities for collaborations regarding enforcement of regulations and measures to address violations of forest guidelines.
The programme builds on Pragya’s nearly three decades of research and programmes to promote sustainable MAP cultivation and conservation in India, and aligns with key strategic priorities identified by Kenyan conservation authorities for Kakamega Forest: the need for nature-based enterprises and conservation devolution to disincentivise land use activities currently threatening the forest.
Going forward, the project will focus on the following aspects:
- Continuing to promote the cultivation of endangered, native medicinal plants by encouraging local nurseries to propagate MAP farming and provide farmers with saplings, as well as the use of these saplings for forest restoration efforts.
- Regular monitoring and evaluation of MAP nurseries and farmers' plots to support the beneficiaries by problem solving and advice on good practices.
- Membership drives to increase the members of cooperatives to fulfill the market demand for raw materials and products derived from MAPs, thereby helping farmers to maximize their returns from cultivating MAP species.
- Conducting buyer-seller meets to build stronger farmer-tomarket linkages to institutionalize supply of cultivated medicinal plant materials and replace current wild-harvesting with farming.
_Awareness drives with smallholders (above) and with students (below)._
_Cooperative training in Kakamega, Nandi, and Vihiga (top to bottom, respectively)_
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_Pragya • www.pragya.org/uk • Registered Charity No. 1082476 • Annual Review 2022-2023_
## **Education**
Pragya works with some of the most remote and marginalised communities in the world, those existing on the fringes of society where basic services often fail to reach. Many people from these impoverished rural communities scrape a living through smallholder agriculture or pastoralism, in regions where climate change is rapidly diminishing the prospects of such traditional occupations, or as daily wage labourers with little or no income security. Children lack access to quality education and youth in these communities can face a stark choice between following in the footsteps of their parents and the bleak future this holds, or else to migrating to urban centres as unskilled labour with little education, facing low pay or unemployment and likely living in urban slums. We take a multifaceted approach to ensuring the disadvantaged have access to quality education and suitable vocational skills.
- **Improved Access to Education.** Pragya collaborates with communities and local authorities to extend access to quality education in remote areas where schools are few and far between and heavily oversubscribed. We establish Education Resource Centres in community spaces, equipped with ICT facilities and age-specific books. For itinerant communities, we deliver mobile education solutions including schools on wheels and tent-based classrooms, towards ensuring that no child is left behind.
- **Improved Pedagogy and Curriculum.** Pragya works with teachers and para-teachers to improve their teaching skills, enabling them to deliver more impactful lessons. We supply a range of Teaching and Learning Materials that enable more diverse teaching methods, enriching the learning experience of children towards improved attendance, attention span and learning outcomes. We collaborate with communities to ensure curricula in deprived areas is suitable and up to standard.
- **Proper School WASH.** Poor quality or lack of sanitation in schools can be a substantial barrier to attendance, especially among girls. Pragya trains local masons for construction of high-quality, siteappropriate sanitation that ensures cleanliness and privacy, reducing the physical health implications and anxiety experienced by schoolchildren where sanitation facilities are inadequate. We also facilitate schools for the collection and storage of safe drinking water, and deliver school hygiene awareness and training, improving health and thereby learning among schoolchildren.
- **Gender Equality in Education.** Girls face multiple barriers to enrolment and continued participation in school, including gender-based violence, child marriage and teenage pregnancy, a heavy burden of household duties, and lack of confidence in academic ability. Pragya works with communities to address the attitudes that underpin these social challenges, towards improved school attendance and achievement level among girls.
- **Vocational Awareness and Skills Building.** A lack of awareness of vocational routes and poor access to vocational training mean children in remote areas are left with few livelihood options. Pragya builds awareness of alternative vocational routes available to adolescents as they transition into adulthood, and provides certified vocational training courses in locally-demanded occupations, diversifying the skills base in the community and enhancing income security.
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## _Improving access to education and vocational skills for pastoral communities in Kenya’s ASALs_
Pragya has been working with pastoralist communities in Kenya’s ASALs since 2011. Our projects address urgent needs in the region for better education, diversified livelihood options, WASH management, and maternal and reproductive health services. Pragya’s education programme in the region was designed based on extensive consultations across Laikipia, Samburu, and Turkana counties, and to date has established educational resource centres (ERC) in Turkana and Samburu counties. In 2021-22, Pragya commenced work to deliver two additional ERCs in Samburu, and the project was completed in early 2023.
A series of introductory meetings were conducted at the start of the project to liaise with key stakeholders, namely government departments and officials (at the county and sub-county level), school authorities, and village-level stakeholders (village chiefs, sub-chiefs, and village council members). These in-person meetings introduced the project to the stakeholders and galvanised the required support for carrying out the specified activities and to ensure proper outcomes. The meetings also turned out to be very fruitful for shortlisting the potential intervention areas and getting the requisite permissions from the concerned government departments before commencing the project activities. At the national level, Pragya liaised with the Ministry of Interior and National Coordination, Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Gender & Social Services. At the county level, the project engaged with the Director of Special Programs, Deputy and Assistant County Commissioners, the Director of the Ministry of Gender and Social Services, and the Commissioner of the Ministry of Interior and National Coordination at the Sub-County level. These officials provided important information related to the educational status and interventions in the area. Community leaders, chiefs, sub-chiefs,
_Community members participating in the baseline survey_
and village administrators in different villages in Samburu County also extended their support. Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed with the concerned departments of the ministries that provided an additional official clearance for the establishment of the ERCs and training of teachers in the project area.
A baseline survey and needs assessment were carried out, involving formats that served to assess the capacity of ongoing education systems and gauge the availability of reading materials and ICT tools and technology as teaching-learning aids, as well as to identify bottlenecks in the existing ecosystem preventing delivery of quality education in the target villages.
The findings revealed that access to quality education is made difficult due to long distances to schools and poverty of user families, along with lack of skilled staff and adequate infrastructure and resources in schools that limit the teaching-learning environment.
The two best suited potential venues were identified based on interactions and consultations with concerned stakeholders including community members, as well as secondary research. Based on the preliminary observations and secondary information, the following two schools were identified as the best possible venues for setting up ERCs, since they possessed a large student body, good infrastructure and security status, stable power supply, and were at centralised locations relative to other villages:
- Loikas Primary School, Angata Rongai village, Suguta Mar Mar Ward
- Lkurroto Primary School, Baawa village, Lodokejek Ward
_Inauguration ceremony at Loikas Primary School_
_Inauguration ceremony at Lkurroto Primary School_
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## **Establishing the ERCs**
The Pragya team worked on creating a set of location-specific, modern ICT-enabled teaching-learning materials and aids, which were also in sync with Kenya Education Board curriculum. Thorough research was carried out on the existing curriculum as well as the educative content of the potential learning material to ensure they would further the age-specific learning of the students against the academic requirements. Suggestions were also elicited from the Ministry of Education, Samburu regarding the relevant books and materials.
The set of education resources and ICT tools identified and deployed in each ERC included: LED TVs, laptops, internet dongles, pen drives, desks, file cabinets, registers, Oxford Learners Dictionaries, white boards, and a collection of books including encyclopaedias and story books in English and Kiswahili. In addition, instruments for geometry and measurement (prism, magnifying glass, compass, etc.), science and math equipment (magnet bar, microscope, microscope slides), and ICT-based interactive learning software (DVDs of documentaries, inspiring talks) and AV materials. To encourage the creation of a balanced and inclusive environment, gender sensitization materials were made available in the ERCs along with books on women leaders and inspirational personalities whereby the students would be enlightened on the achievements of women from the region and around the world.
_Students reading story books at Loikas Primary School_
Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials such as flip charts, posters, and maps, along with digital knowledge materials like educational videos were also provided, alongside games such as Scrabble and Pictionary.
_ERCs visits: students at Loikas Primary School (left) and Lkurroto Primary School (right)_
## **Improving teaching standards and educational material**
A special Teaching Kit was developed to enhance the capacity of teachers and para-teachers in the target schools to deliver quality education in an engaging, diverse, and age-appropriate manner, thereby improving the learning outcomes for students. The kit consisted of a variety of teaching and learning aids such as age/grade specific learning-through-play materials (Alphabet tiles, Scrabble games, etc.), activitybased learning supplements (Fraction Kits, Volume demo items, etc.) and aids for developing motor skills (Modelling clay, Legos, puzzles, etc.).
A needs assessment was conducted of 36 teachers (20 teachers and 16 para-teachers from 18 schools) to gauge the current knowledge, capacities, and skill-deficits of the teaching staff in these schools, using in-depth interviews. The assessment resulted in mapping the needs, wants, and preferences of the teachers and para teachers to help shape the upcoming training program.
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A skills-focused training was conducted for 30 teachers and parateachers (17 male and 13 female) in the area in two different locations (15 in each location) - at the Loikas Primary School in Suguta Marmar ward and Lkurroto Primary School in Lodokejek ward, since both locations were at a central point, respective to their wards and associated teachers.
The education department officials provided the respective schools with permission for the teachers and para teachers to attend the training. The Ministry officials also provided recommendations for potential trainers suitable for conducting the capacity building program. Each was conducted by an expert resource person. The training content was co-created by Pragya and the expert trainer and included the following topics: teaching methodology, classroom management skills, ICT teaching tools and their usage, social skills, creative learning techniques, and gender sensitivity. The impetus behind the project along with findings of the baseline and needs assessment were also shared and deliberated with the expert trainer.
The 2-day training focused on adopting demonstrative methods of teaching accompanied by relevant conceptual inputs and discussions. The expert trainer provided a full-length demonstration of the ICT tools and other educational resources including the innovative kits deployed in the ERCs to the teachers and para teachers. The demo covered ‘How’ and ‘When’ to use the ICT tools and other educational resources including kit materials while teaching in school. The demonstrations were followed by discussions and hands-on-practice sessions and helped the teachers in acquiring an adequate understanding of the modern teaching methodology, which is a prerequisite for delivery of quality education. The teachers and para teachers who attended the trainings were additionally provided with ERC management skills training. The trainings included operational and management protocols of running the ERC; methods to ensure sustainability of the ERCs were also discussed. The training has enhanced the capacity of the teachers and para teachers, and they are also encouraged to train their peer teachers on the same skills.
## **Conclusion and way forward**
The two established ERCs are empowering the teachers in these schools as well as other neighbouring small schools to access and use modern educational resources. The teachers and students from neighbourhood schools have begun to visit the ERCs to make use of the available resources and facilities. The neighbouring schools are now planning regular ERC visits for their teachers and students to help them explore and learn using these latest resources and ICT tools. The Pragya team is working closely with the Head Teachers and those specially assigned for the management of the respective ERCs. As of now, the ERCs are kept open for an additional twohour duration for children from the neighbourhood villages, and community-specific promotional campaigns are being continued by the Pragya team.
_Teacher’s training at Loikas Primary School_
_Teacher’s training at Loikas Primary School_
Pragya aims to continue its fundraising to deliver additional ERCs in the region, building on the networks and experience gained in this recent work in Samburu and its earlier work in Turkana.
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## **Empowering women and minorities**
## _Prevention of trafficking of women and girls in rural Nepal_
In 2022-23, Pragya continued its ‘Prevention of trafficking and violence against women and girls in rural Nepal’ project, which was delivered among remote communities in Dhading and Sindhupalchowk districts. The project aimed to safeguard the rights of women and adolescent girls, enhancing responses of institutions and communities to not only prevent but also address these issues. The project was directed at women and girls from disadvantaged groups and informal/migrant workers in the target area who are vulnerable to GBV, including trafficking to other metros or for bonded labor within Nepal. It also involved providing supportive assertiveness and rights education to women and girls, promoting attitude change in men and boys, and mobilizing local change agents.
Through community mobilization efforts involving meetings with female community members in the selected villages, women and girls from remote villages were supported to form into women’s peer support groups (WPSGs, 4 in Sindhupalchowk and 4 in Dhading; with ca. 240 members). The members belonged to the age group of 18-59 years – female teachers, local health workers/nutrition workers, women members of SHG(s) and CBOs and women representatives in village governing bodies, were also included. The 8 WPSGs are led by 16 anchors selected separately from among the members. The Anchors possess an understanding of the local women’s problems and are willing to devote time to solving them;
_Women’s peer support groups_
know the local language and have effective communication and social mobilization skills; possess the capacity to motivate women for taking up issues with officials and liaising with government departments; and are keen to learn about gender sensitivity and women empowerment and related issues.
Local Gaunpalika (village council) members were selected from across the rural municipalities in which the project is working for sensitivity training towards combating GBV. A mix of male & female Gaunpalika members was ensured in the selection with the aim of facilitating a spread of the sensitivity developed among them to other eminent members in the target area. A series of sensitization programs were conducted in each district, towards building awareness of the selected Gaunpalika members on victimization processes, harmful traditional practices, and violence supportive customs. Led by a female Expert Trainer, the sessions educated these elected members about the underlying causes and adverse impacts of such practices. In addition, the programs guided them in formulating holistic approaches to combat trafficking and other forms of GBV. A total of 43 Gaunpalika members attended the training. Out of these, 21 were women and 22 men.
The above programs also facilitated the identification of potential individuals who could serve as Gender Equity Champions (GECs) in their respective areas, leading initiatives focused on promoting attitude and behaviour change. The GECs were selected from among the participants of the trainings, based on the individuals who displayed a strong engagement with the cause and a capacity to contribute strongly towards establishing a safe and secure environment for women acting within their existing job roles in the rural municipalities. GECs are intended to play a pivotal role in bringing about societal transformation by enabling prompt assistance and support from government agencies, civil society organizations (CSOs), and the broader community for rescuing and rehabilitating survivors.
The 10 Gaunpalika members (women) selected as GECs were thereafter trained further to help build and strengthen their anti-trafficking sensitivity and understanding of anti-trafficking services. Spread over two days, this was a skills-based training aimed at developing the GECs as ‘Agents of change’ while also building their knowledge on methods to combat human-trafficking.
A Women's Information & Assistance Cell (WIAC) was established within partner organisations in each district. The WIAC in Gajuri, Dhading was inaugurated by an officer of the Government Women’s Cell for that district and attended by people from various sectors including social workers, locally elected government representatives, and WPSG members and Anchors. The WIAC in Chautara, Sindhupalchowk
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was inaugurated by the Secretary of the Municipal Women's Network and attended by municipality ward members, journalists and civil society members.
Each WIAC was furnished with literature and databases on relevant laws and regulations. Each was also provided with the necessary resources for operating a Helpline offering referrals for necessary legal, medical, and psychosocial support to at-risk women and survivors of GBV. Each partner organisation allocated a WIAC Officer who was handpicked for her competence in the Gender domain and experience in working with women in the target area. An intensive training was conducted for the WIAC staff, who were also provided with a Manual of WIAC protocols as well as a districtspecific Resource directory. The latter comprises of names and contact details of potential referral institutions, including Women's Cells, Protection Clusters, Police Dept’s as well as NGOs involved in rescue, shelter homes and NGOs working on rehabilitation services, lawyers, and health centers.
A "Justice for Women" awareness kit was developed that comprises materials on women's rights and safety, and covers a wide range of topics related to GBV, including information on identifying human trafficking, various laws pertaining to women's rights and harmful traditional practices and guidance on recognizing and addressing these issues, guidance on safe migration. These kits are serving as valuable resources for the WPSGs as well as the WIAC staff in their efforts towards prevention of GBV and protection of women from trafficking. The informative graphics in the kits are also being shared widely with the women in the target area through WhatsApp campaigns.
_Awareness materials (above) and a training session with local authorities._
A GBV Watch was designed under the project for periodic data collection on the incidence of GBV in the area and the resolution and management of GBV cases. The GBV Watch is designed to involve the trained women leaders and WPSG Anchors, in addition to the WIAC staff, and contains several forms for the purpose of data collection for each of these participants in the process. Prior to implementing the Watch, the WIAC staff underwent an orientation process to ensure their familiarity with the approach and tools developed, and the methods for case documentation, recording incidence of GBV, data analysis, and finally the sharing of the GBV Watch findings. They have also been trained on ethical standards and safety measures with regard to data collection on GBV.
Four key transit points were identified from Dhading and Sindhupalchowk districts to the Indo-Nepal border. These points were Malekhu in Dhading district, Birgunj in Parsa district, Sindhupalchowk in Sindhupalchowk district, and Bhairahawa in Rupandehi district. The evidence-based selection of these points was done using a mix of secondary research and local consultations. Recognising that informal Responders can play a strong role and assist formal Responders towards a more effective trafficking prevention and rescue mechanism, the project sought to identify potential informal Responders at each of the key transit points identified. Field surveys were carried out to identify potential informal Responders, such as drivers, assistant drivers, and individuals employed in or managing shops, hotels, and restaurants at these transit points, assessing their interest and willingness to support the cause.
A total of 44 Responders were mobilised and trained through this initiative. The training sessions were conducted by trainers with expertise in the field of anti-trafficking. A comprehensive Training Manual and related training aids were created and shared with the Trainers. Significant emphasis was placed on victim identification and establishing a referral mechanism. This involved equipping the Responders with the knowledge and tools to identify potential victims and effectively share relevant information with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and law enforcement agencies.
_Pragya and local partner staff_
Pragya is continuing to fundraise for this programme through 2023 in order to scale its impact and generate further evidence of its effectiveness.
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## _Global Labor Programme: An Innovative Platform for Organising Marginalised Workers in Asia_
In late 2021-22, Pragya joined several consortium partners to deliver a ground-breaking platform to organise marginalised workers across 7 countries in south and southeast Asia. The consortium is led by Solidar Suisse, with Pragya delivering the programme’s India, Nepal, and Bangladesh components. Strongly based on principles of equity, inclusion, participation, and rights, the platform looks to address the multiple challenges faced by marginalised workers in the region, including: informal and vulnerable working conditions; growing inequality and wealth disparity; magnified vulnerabilities of women, marginalised groups; reduced spaces for bargaining, alongside marginalisation and exclusion; barriers to organising; and exacerbated health and safety vulnerabilities.
The overall objective of the project is to assess and promote new and innovative modes of organising for marginalized informal/precarious workers as a means to enhance workers’ agency and effective bargaining, regional solidarity and inclusion, and visibility of workers’ causes, while overcoming the impediments and restricted democratic space in their environments. Specific objectives include: the development of a regional platform for workers and/or their organisations in a participatory, 'bottom-up' process, comprising technological / virtual and on-the-ground networking; and participatory action research and evidence generation on alternative modes of organising, and their respective benefits in terms of agency, participation and access to rights.
The programme will be delivered over the course of 5 years, and will broadly work across the following thematic components:
- **Promoting marginalised workers’ agency:** The programme will follow the principle that marginalised workers are not passive ‘victims’ but possess the ‘agency’ to bring about positive change in their lives and work. By organizing into democratic organisations with ‘self’ leadership, these can become empowered and change-agents for their groups and can self-bargain to demand their rights. Organising will bring visibility to the workers and eventually lead to their inclusion and a process of change from below.
- **Enabling innovation in organising and bargaining to build collective grassroots power:** Through grassroots applied research, the project will create and study new and innovative means of organizing that can overcome structural problems and hurdles posed by reduced space, and respond to new forms of labor relations including various forms of informal work, as well as the ‘gig economy.’ The proposed innovation would help facilitate effective lobbying, and eventually, bargaining by marginalized workers regionally. Multiple forms of bargaining will be explored, varying by the power-centers they target, and will seek to understand how marginalised workers may develop sustainable democratic organisations with self-leadership.
- **Creating a tech-enabled, grassroots platform for sharing, organising, and negotiation:** The project will create an active sharing platform – comprising virtual/digital as well as offline (i.e. face-to-face) components – connecting workers from multiple sectors with a large informal worker base in each country, and at the regional level. The platform would anchor and propel a process of ‘shared learning’. Through the platform, otherwise dispersed fragmented groups of workers would experience solidarity, share organising experiences, discuss issues and strategies and aggregate for effective influencing and bargaining. The applied research will help in collection of valuable data and evidence to be fed back to grassroots bodies in the form of active tools for learning and capacity building.
The broader project is projected to have an outreach of 420,000 infomal workers, comprising an estimated 260,000 in South Asia and 160,000 in Southeast Asia, and will engage with over 30 informal workers’ organisations across the two regions, as well as 70 enabling institutions / actors towards developing crosssectoral advocacy alliances as well as communities of practice and knowledge-sharing.
The consortium partners were selected based on experience in developing agency among informal workers in the target countries, and will leverage Pragya’s track record in mobilising and training marginalised groups – particularly its past work to support migrant and informal workers. The project will harness learnings from these experiences, while also leveraging existing grassroots organisations and networks of workers towards the creation of a ‘regional platform’ to engage with key actors such as industry associations and government bodies. Networks we have supported will also be connected via the platform.
## **Progress in 2022-23: worker mobilisation**
Year I of the project in South Asia ended with a key change, as India was dropped as a participating country, resulting in increased coverage in Bangladesh and Nepal, with the addition of a district each in each of these two countries, and concomitantly, an additional Resource Organisation in each of these
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_Pragya • www.pragya.org/uk • Registered Charity No. 1082476 • Annual Review 2022-2023_
countries. The project coverage in Bangladesh was expanded to cover Sirajganj district, while the coverage in Nepal was expanded to Dhanusha district as well. Two new Resource Organisations, Rural Development Foundation (RDF) in Dhanusha district in Nepal and Bangladesh Pragati Sangstha (BPS) in Sirajganj district in Bangladesh, were provided with a thorough orientation which included the progress made during the first year of the project.
Research and mobilisation continued, with a total of 25,875 informal workers (13,092 in Bangladesh and 12,783 in Nepal) mobilised to date. Of these, 10,889 are women. These include workers from different sectors including agriculture, fishes, garment & leather, construction, tourism, and gig & delivery. Meetings and training sessions are carried out with the new members to understand problems with their living and working contexts. To date, 51 nonformal smaller groups have been organised, typically based on location and sector, and which have been federated into 13 larger collectives.
## **Design of CONNECT platform app**
_Digital literacy information sessions for informal workers in Bangladesh (above) and Nepal (below)_
Training modules for capacity building and legal support have been
developed based on six thematic priorities – Legal support, Local support structures, Occupational Health & Safety, Social protection programs and benefits, Financial literacy and Skills Training – and a wide range of educational resources have been developed by the South Asia Content Development Team. A range of scripts and narratives are being developed with illustrations towards developing audio-visuals for international laws, civil and criminal law processes, fundamental rights, the rights of arrested persons, local labour laws, immigration laws and laws pertaining to women and children, including trafficking and child labour for Bangladesh. For Nepal, the team is working on content related to trafficking, laws related to women and children, and the penal code, social security schemes for widows, disabled persons, and other vulnerable groups, basics of financial literacy among others. The platform will also offer online courses for informal workers to upgrade their skills. These courses are being developed keeping in mind suggestions put forth by informal workers during various interactions and surveys. The courses currently under development include Tailoring, Small Business Management, Climate Smart Agriculture, and Beekeeping. Apart from the course content itself, a series of short instructional videos and customized quizzes for checking the progress of learners are also being developed in local languages.
## **Initiation and handholding of platform**
A capacity building programme was delivered for developing leaders/representatives from grassroots worker organizations, with a cohort of 74 informal worker collectives' leaders (including 26 women) trained on use of the CONNECT App, and on using the online resources and modules available on the platform. The launch of the platform was well-received, and in Bangladesh was attended by representatives from BRAC, BCWS, Nablok, Awaj Foundation, BCWS, BLAST, American Center for Solidarity, and Solidarity Center Bangladesh. In Nepal, representatives attended from Aaprabasi Mahila Kamdar Samuha (AMKAS), EEBAC Nepal, Nepal
_A CONNECT kiosk in Khulna, Bangladesh_
Intellectual Foundation, Woman Development service center, Amnesty International (Woman Group), Janjati Mahasngh, BDS, Mahila Aatma Nirvarta Kendra (MANK), Centre for Labour and Social Studies Nepal (CLASS), FORWARD Nepal, Center for Migration, and International Relations (CMIR) and Woman Human Rights Defender Network. CONNECT Kiosks have also been placed in strategic locations in Bangladesh (Narayanganj and Khulna) and Nepal (Sindhupalchok, Kaski and Dhanusha).
Coordinator teams and the collective leaders/mentors have been propelling the platform’s usage, supported by the development of a network of service-providers for providing pro-bono legal and psychosocial counselling. Periodic training is being provided to build leadership skills among these key members,
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_Pragya • www.pragya.org/uk • Registered Charity No. 1082476 • Annual Review 2022-2023_
contributing to the spread of awareness and a cascade of training among collective members about their entitlements and an enhanced inclination towards collective bargaining. Additionally dedicated training sessions were also conducted on organising, negotiation, and collective bargaining. Membership and registration drives are also being delivered alongside the partner organisations, accompanied by introduction to the CONNECT App’s key features and usage and engagement building sessions which included familiarisation with the content and the utility of each feature on the platform.
_Psychosocial services training session_
## **Networking**
The programme is also continuing to identify institutions for worker organizations to network with for bargaining and facilitating linkages, identifying power-centres (government/industry) for worker organizations to target, and supporting collective bargaining. These include key government departments and industry associations identified in South Asia, which are being interacted with by the country teams and the grassroots Resource Organisations, with periodic inputs towards building a more responsive ecosystem. Consultations have identified key areas for discussions with power centres, and liaison is under way to discuss mitigation strategies to address marginalised workers' issues and pave the way towards more inclusive policies for informal workers, including recognition as workers and coverage under associated legislations. Engagement with other network institutions in South Asia, such as academia and civil society, continued through the reporting period. The programme is also engaging with media for enhancing visibility of worker issues, including periodic campaigns on various worker issues. Countryspecific information briefs titled "Informal Workers: Contribution and Needs" were published and distributed as part of a series of communications for enhancing visibility of workers' issues. These were disseminated to various stakeholders, including industry associations and institutions, civil society organisations, and academic and research bodies.
## **Next steps**
Going forward, along with scaling of networks of informal workers and links with key actors in the space, the programme will focus on generating evidence and knowledge development, including a Social Watch program for mapping worker organising activities and for mapping visibility of informal worker issues. Periodic studies on specific worker issues, organising and negotiating, visibility and solidarity will also be conducted, contributing towards the publication of research papers for dissemination. More broadly, the project will aim to develop a knowledge hub (digital, multi-lingual) for sharing country and regional experiences and good practices. The Technology Special Focus Team at Pragya is currently working on the UI development of the Knowledge Hub for ease of sharing experiences and learnings. The digital knowledge hub would be responsive (adapted across various devices), would have multilanguage capacity and a content management system (CMS) for uploading content by consortium partners. The team is exploring various website features and layouts for showcasing the knowledge resources, with emphasis on Participatory Action Research (PAR), and would collect feedback from consortium partners once the basic design is ready.
_Focus Group Discussion (FGD) groups in Narayanganj, Bangladesh (above) and Kaski, Nepal (below)._
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_Pragya • www.pragya.org/uk • Registered Charity No. 1082476 • Annual Review 2022-2023_
## **Health, safe water, and sanitation**
## _Safe water and sanitation for marginalised mountain communities in Nepal_
In April 2015, Nepal was hit by a devastating earthquake that killed thousands of people and caused widespread destruction of homes and damage to key buildings and infrastructure critical to the functioning of society, including health, education and WASH infrastructure. Severe poverty and marginalisation in Nepal’s remote rural communities have meant lasting impacts; government resources have been unable to match the scale of the devastation, with many household and community WASH resources remaining unusable, propelling open defecation and contamination of water sources that result in high levels of waterborne disease transmission in communities with the least resilience and poor access to healthcare. For the most vulnerable community members, this can prove fatal - over 430 children die in Nepal every year from diarrhoea resulting from dirty water and poor-quality toilets. Damaged or lack of school toilets also causes stress among schoolchildren, resulting in poor performance and absenteeism.
Since the earthquake, Pragya has been delivering rehabilitation and resilience programmes across Sindhupalchowk, Kavrepalanchowk, Nuwakot, and Dhading districts. In 2018, Pragya completed a WASH needs assessment in Sindhupalchowk and Dhading districts, which revealed exceedingly poor water access and sanitation infrastructure. This persisting situation demands continued support from the international development community, and Pragya maintains its commitment to serving those remote communities in Nepal that have failed to recover from the earthquake.
Pragya’s comprehensive WASH rehabilitation programme in Nepal addresses the immediate infrastructure needs whilst building local WASH management capacity:
- **Installation of robust and hygienic water storage tanks.** The tanks are fitted with high-capacity and low-maintenance water filtration technology, enabling nearby availability of safe water and reducing drudgery.
- **Construction of high-quality sanitation blocks.** The block comprises separate male / female units designed to ensure privacy, and are constructed to earthquake-resistant designs. They reduce open defecation and hence spread of waterborne diseases, preventing avoidable deaths among children and other more vulnerable community members, an promote improved environmental hygiene.
- **Community WASH awareness sessions** . The sessions cover common waterborne diseases and their transmission, household waste management, hygienic food preparation, household-level water purification methods, as well as menstrual hygiene sessions for women. The sessions have information for all the family, including content specifically oriented to children, learning in a fun and engaging way.
- **Capacity building for local WASH management** . This includes the formation and training of community Water and Sanitation Committees, with a mandate to manage all local WASH facilities and empowered to advocate for enhanced WASH management at the district level.
Its past work has included a £38,000 initiative, completed in 2019 and supported by the Overseas Aid and Development Commission, States of Guernsey, which supplied clean water, quality sanitation, and WASH awareness to over 3,200 people in schools and villages across four districts.
In 2021-22, with the combined support of the Eleanor Rathbone Charitable Trust, the Drinking Fountain Association, the Harbinson Charitable Trust, and the Southall Trust, Pragya completed an additional project cycle across 5 remote villages located in Tripurasundari Rural Municipality, Dhading District. The project outcomes included: water harvesting, storage, and filtration systems benefitting 50 households, comprising circa 229 residents, who have access to safe drinking water; community toilet blocks benefitting 50 households, comprising circa 259 residents, who have access to decent sanitation; WASH awareness campaigns benefitting circa 642 residents, who have a better understanding of community and family hygiene; training of grassroots WASH committees comprising 50 local community members, who have improved understanding of WASH needs and leadership skills.
Pragya is continuing to fundraise to scale its WASH programmes in rural Nepal, and in 2022-23 secured new funding for project work that will be completed in 2024.
_Awareness session (above) and community toilet block (below)._
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_Pragya • www.pragya.org/uk • Registered Charity No. 1082476 • Annual Review 2022-2023_
## _’ Community-based water resource management for pastoral communities in Kenya s arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs)_
Over 7 million pastoralists living in Kenya's arid-and-semi-arid lands (ASALs) face severe water insecurity due to the effects of climate change. Increasing rates of drought and irregular rainfall patterns have accelerated the depletion and degradation of limited water resources, threatening traditional livelihoods, resource governance arrangements and land tenures. Past research delivered by Pragya with support from the Overseas Aid and Development Commission, States of Guernsey – involving participatory hydrology studies of 96 water sources across the ASAL counties of Samburu, Turkana, and Laikipia – highlighted severe water stress due to increasing climate volatility, seasonal water shortages, overdependency per water source, and poor quality of water laden with biological and chemical contaminants. Pragya’s research also assessed how these circumstances impact pastoral migratory routes and resource-sharing arrangements, propelling conflict as communities compete for water.
Building on this research, Pragya has been implementing a WASH programme for pastoral ASAL communities that to date has benefitted over 7,200 people through the creation of Women’s Water & Sanitation Councils, water management training, spring revitalisation, regeneration of degraded pasturelands, and a range of community installations for improved water harvesting, de-silting of water sources, and improved transport and storage of water. A school sanitation intervention also involved provision of school toilets and hygiene awareness, whilst work with nomadic groups included distribution of portable water tanks.
In 2021-22, with the support of the JAC Trust, Pragya launched a project to scale this work among pastoral communities in Samburu County. This project has been addressing issues related to water stress due to increasing climate volatility, seasonal water shortages, over-dependency per water source, as well as poor quality of water, _Constructing staggered trenches_ through improved water conservation and management technologies. It is also designed to address the inter-ethnic conflicts due to the issues related to resourcesharing and water by fostering participation and collaboration around water resource management. The project has sought to enhance the capacity of water-stressed communities through targeted water management training, introduction of appropriate technologies, participative water conservation, and cooperative water budgeting.
In 2022-23, progress for the project included:
## **Community Engagement**
Consultative meetings were conducted with community members as well as a needs assessment using Key Informant Interviews a participatory baseline survey. These helped identify villages for the intervention and community representatives for forming Water Conservation Groups (WCG) in each of 10 selected beneficiary villages.
## **Water Management Training**
746 community members (428M; 318F) were trained via 40 sessions in four rounds of training, delivered by an expert trainer. These helped to strengthen the community representatives’ and other trainees’ knowledge of water governance, appropriate technologies for water harvesting, conservation, and reuse, and participative resource management strategies, including sharing and conflict resolution.
## **Participative Water Conservation Measures**
10 key water sources were identified using a 3-step scientific process and suitable revitalisation/management measures _Digging shallow tanks_ undertaken. Structural measures have included: trenches, semicircular-earthbunds, and lowland ponds near water sources to increase infiltration. Vegetative measures included: plantations of shade-providing species ( _Grevillea robusta, Melia volkensii_ ) towards reducing evapotranspiration; and soil-binding species ( _Cenchrus ciliaris,_
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_Cyprus papyrus_ ) towards reducing soil erosion. Community members participated in identifying sources, planning interventions, and carrying them out.
## **Community Water Budgeting**
A participatory water budgeting exercise was undertaken in each of the communities. Stakeholder groups (WCGs, other community representatives, CSO members, village chiefs/sub-chiefs) worked to estimate water requirements [drinking, household, livestock, agriculture] and availability [rainfall data, water resources]. Seasonal availability, deficit/surplus, and water management action plans were arrived at for dry and wet seasons. The WCGs agreed on a consensus proposal, which was signed/ratified and disseminated.
Community members, particularly the community representatives, have gained in capacity for water management, both in terms of techniques and methods via training, and through involvement in participative water conservation and budgeting exercises. The work of the community representatives and WCGs, the cascade trainings, and water conservation activities have also contributed to an attitudinal shift in the wider communities as they have become more aware of threats to the sources’ sustainability and the measures they can take to improve the quality and quantity of the water.
_Shaping earth bunds_
The development of community representatives and the capacity building inputs on conflict resolution have helped initiate community structures for water management and harmonious water-sharing. Government officials and other stakeholders were also involved, and a collaborative people-state approach has been initiated towards water conservation.
The water conservation activities undertaken have significantly improved community capacity on conservation techniques (both structural and vegetative), their design and implementation, relative costs, and benefits. The communities have also been discussing application of similar techniques to other water sources to further reduce the scarcity of water resources and improve the environment around them. Initiatives to start nurseries are being discussed to increase the number of trees and green cover along the water sources.
The WCGs and their activities are leading to increased communal harmony, with the communities coming together with the common purpose of safeguarding their water sources. WCG meetings and the water budgeting exercises have helped to build consensus on participative management of water resources, bridging inter-community barriers. The community is optimistic and keen to access the expected benefits of clean potable water, increased quantity of water, reduced water stress and conflicts, and improved ecosystems. Some of the measures that community members have adopted following the programme training and demonstrations are:
- Growing of crops/ trees with low water requirements
- Increased efforts for rationed use of water for livestock
- Adopting reuse methods: wastewater is used for irrigation
- Harvesting of rainwater at the household level: as most of the houses have tin/ iron roofs, they are harvesting rainwater in buckets or tubs, and are using it for watering of small plants, drinking water for livestock, washing dishes, etc.
The work delivered in 2022-2023 was assisted by a grant from The Peter Stebbings Memorial Charity, among other funders.
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_Pragya • www.pragya.org/uk • Registered Charity No. 1082476 • Annual Review 2022-2023_
## **Disaster management**
## _- - DMS Himalaya Strengthening disaster preparedness in the Himalaya_
The Himalayan region is extremely disaster-prone and subject to multiple types of hazards including flash flooding, landslides and glacier collapse, earthquakes, and forest fires. Global warming is having a disproportionate impact on the region, with warming at up to three times the global average, driving ever more erratic weather events, disrupting monsoon patterns and exacerbating the frequency and intensity of disasters. The populations affected are remote and marginalised communities that have little disaster resilience, whilst government disaster management authorities are hampered by lack of incident information and geographic constraints.
Pragya has pioneered the Disaster Management System (DMS)-Himalaya, an information and capacity building programme that enables remote Himalayan communities to reduce their disaster risk and to respond effectively in disaster scenarios. It reimagines the accepted (but ineffective) roles for disaster management, building capacity at every point in the disaster management chain and networking communities, responders, and government, fostering a collaborative community-state approach to disaster management, supported by appropriate technology.
DMS-Himalaya aims to address the prevailing issues with respect to effective disaster management (DM) in the Indian Himalayan Region through the implementation of a _Citizen-led Disaster Management System_ , uniquely adapted to the Himalayan region, its geography, and hazard profiles. The innovation establishes a network and infrastructure to link communities at the local level through to government authorities. It comprises:
**Disaster Response Teams (DRT):** These are in-community observation nodes and responders comprising local youth responsible for: weather and geological data monitoring and alerting communities; assisting in community evacuations; acting as first responders in emergency; and supporting post-disaster data collection and needs reporting.
**Points of Presence (PoP):** These are proximal communications points, typically police/army outposts equipped with satellite communications technology for disaster information relay from local levels.
**Local Disaster Management Units (LDMU):** Local government disaster management (DM) offices are equipped with a Resource Directory and connected with the DRTs and PoPs for information relay. These are also connected with scientific institutions for relay of regional weather warnings to the PoPs.
## **Two Pillars of Support for Effective Community Based Disaster Management:**
- Tools for Hazard Monitoring, Early Warning and Relief Needs Communication: This comprises local hazard monitoring frameworks including weather monitoring tools for local observational data. Recording and communication of the observational data is via the DMS-Himalaya App which comprises:
- Go-Risk: location-specific pre-disaster environmental alert tool using grassroots measurement grids
- RnR-Comm: a Relief & Response communication tool for post-disaster community use
- Capacity building of community / responders: Training for stakeholders (DRTs, village councils, government DM officers) to perform their functions; conducting of village-level Hazard, Vulnerability and Capability Assessments and mapping of hazards, safe spaces and evacuation routes; and conducting village-level disaster awareness drives and evacuation drills. This is enabled via a DMS-Himalaya Training Toolkit comprising modules for various stakeholder groups.
In Phase I, which culminated in 2019-2020, DMS Himalaya was piloted in 4 districts in the state of Uttarakhand in the central Himalayan zone in India. This pilot phase built an effective base for adoption of DMS-Himalaya across 800 villages - comprising 80 clusters with trained Disaster Response Teams (DRT) in each cluster, equipped with the DMS-Himalaya App’s digital tools (Go-Risk and RnR-Comm). Interventions during this phase built the capacity of the DRTs as well as key stakeholders across the 4 districts to enable them to carry out their envisaged role in community-based disaster management. The digital tools also proved their worth, improving early warning, response, and post-disaster relief.
Phase II of the project, which commenced in 2021, is expanding coverage to the eastern and western Himalayan zones in India. The expansion covers 8 new districts, comprising 4 districts in each of the 2 zones of eastern and western Himalaya. This phase of the project is supporting the modulation of the project’s tools to the variations in hazard profiles between the central Himalaya and the eastern and western Himalaya, thereby ensuring robustness and area-appropriateness of the tools. Demonstration of the efficacy of the model across all 3 zones, with an equal footprint for demonstration in each, will further prime it for uptake across the entire length of the Indian Himalaya.
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_Pragya • www.pragya.org/uk • Registered Charity No. 1082476 • Annual Review 2022-2023_
## **Key developments in 2022-23:**
In the Phase I areas, all key stakeholders – including the Disaster Response Teams (DRTs), Points of Presence (POPs), Responders, and Government Officials – received booster training. Capacity to effectively use the innovation’s technological features, equipment, and tools is also improving. Village-level preparedness councils are being supported to further grassroots capacity, particularly via leadership training for target sub-groups. In the Phase II areas, the system was initiated across all the target districts, including agreements with all relevant government bodies, initial training for all DRTs, hazard and vulnerability mapping for all villages, and deployment of all automated weather stations. Development of village-level awareness and preparedness also made notable progress via mobilisation of grassroots councils.
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Promoting community awareness of disaster
management
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## _Deepening support for established Disaster Response Teams:_
DRTs from the Phase I districts received booster training sessions, while all the 160 DRTs added in Phase II had received at least a round of training by early 2023. These continue to be delivered in partnership with the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) and respective State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMA), deepening links with key government bodies. Early impacts are visible in both the Eastern and Western Himalayas – in 5 extreme events in the Western Himalayas, the associated DRTs provided significant services for rescue and evacuation; in the Eastern Himalayas, in 4 extreme events, the DRTs provided early warning as well as support for evacuation.
## _Use of DMS-Himalaya Tools:_
The DRTs continued to monitor climatic parameters throughout the year using weather stations and the DMS Himalaya App and observation tools. The DMS Himalaya App now includes new hazards relevant to the new zones, and the DMS-Himalaya Manual has been updated and translated into Hindi, Ladakhi, and Assamese _._ Resource directories were also completed for the new districts. The data collection process also encouraged relationship building with the respective district government offices, and has given an idea about the availability and non-availability of specific resources within given areas. The Directories have been made available to all local stakeholders for their use.
## _Automated Weather Stations (AWS) installation:_
All planned AWS were installed in the new districts – a total of 63 – and these work together to measure, store, and communicate data on numerous essential weather parameters. During 2022-2023, over 150 valid alerts were generated.
## _Widening community awareness and enhancing preparedness:_
Broad and targeted awareness campaigns were delivered throughout the third year, involving partnerships with large, districtwide radio stations as well as smaller scale social media, SMS, and WhatsApp channels. These are estimated to have reached nearly 1 million people. Village Preparedness Committees (VPCs) continued to be supported. Training programmes imparted skills related to risk assessment and mitigation, as well as hazard-specific behaviour codes and seasonal preparatory activities. Pragya completed HRVCAs (Hazard Risk Vulnerability and Capacity Assessments) in all the target villages in the 8 new districts. The HRVCA maps have been displayed at a commonly visited and maximally visible site in every village.
_Village Preparedness Committee (VPC) meetings_
## _- Orientation and training on DMS Himalaya and network:_
Workshops conducted with key stakeholders in the new districts shaped the DMS Network in each district and oriented the stakeholders to their roles, linkages, and processes. These workshops had the participation of 114 key stakeholders from across the 8 new districts in the eastern and western Himalayas. Intensive training has also been provided on the AWS and the DMS App.
As in the Central Himalayas, DM leadership capacity is being developed for different target groups in the eastern and western Himalayan regions. To date 47 programmes were conducted for village councils, involving over 2000 members from over 300 councils, and 52 programmes were conducted for women’s
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groups, involving over 3000. Training is also being organized in schools, with over 250 children benefitting to date.
_Ecosystem-based DRR:_ village councils were facilitated to identify sites for conservation with risk mitigation in their neighbourhoods. To date, 4 such sites have been identified in the Western Himalayas (3 in Leh district and 1 in Chamba district).
_- Propelling the integration of DMS Himalaya with state DM systems:_
Arrangements made with all target district authorities, along with ongoing partnerships with disaster authorities and India Meteorological Department (IMD) have been crucial to advancing people-state linkages. These included the MoU’s, AWS inaugurations, and workshops, as well as the ongoing training arrangements, data exchange, and knowledge sharing. Active use of the networks in disaster scenarios is further promoting the entrenchment of the network.
## **Next steps: strengthening the wider stakeholder network**
Mobilisation and engagement, as well as the continued development and roll-out of targeted leadership building activities, are helping to
_HRVCA maps displayed in village centres_
build broader grassroots capacity and promote engagement with and ownership of the model from communities. Streamlining and troubleshooting data exchange among DRTs, AWS, and nodal agencies is also supporting the development of relationships essential to the network. These efforts will continue through to 2024, with further evidence generated on the programme’s scaling and impact.
## . Pra a UK: Global Network and Partner Or anisations 4 gy g
Pragya UK is part of a network of locally-registered Pragya organisations around the world with a common purpose and vision. The UK branch of Pragya is primarily a fundraising, communications, and project management function, and we do not have staff based oversees. Instead, to implement our programmes we work in partnership with our global sister organisations and where appropriate we leverage the expertise of experienced and carefully vetted third party NGOs with whom we have long-established MOUs. This set-up ensures our work is delivered by staff with a depth of knowledge and experience concerning the local context, whilst contributing to local labour markets.
In India, Pragya UK delivers its projects in partnership with Pragya India; founded in 1995, Pragya India is headquartered in Gurugram and operates across western, northern and eastern India via an extensive network of field offices. Pragya India has a substantial research and advocacy function, and delivers a wide variety of projects across the full breadth of Pragya programme areas.
Pragya UK has worked with Pragya in Nepal since 2006; based in Kathmandu, they coordinate the delivery of projects across rural districts, harnessing the highly localised expertise of NGOs situated in the vicinity of project sites.
Pragya UK began delivering projects in Bangladesh in 2018. We work in partnership with in-country NGOs to improve the desperate situation of river island communities facing multiple severe challenges. Following research and pilot work in 2018-19, Pragya secured grant funding in 2019-20 to launch its Bangladesh programmes, beginning with WASH interventions but with wider programming also planned across disaster management, livelihoods, prevention of trafficking and violence against women, and education.
In east Africa, Pragya UK works with Pragya Kenya, an NGO founded in 2011 and based in Nairobi and delivering projects in tandem with selected localised NGOs in Kakamega county in western Kenya, as well as in the northern Arid and Semi-Arid counties. Pragya Kenya are experienced in conducting research and development interventions encompassing water and sanitation, agriculture and livelihoods, healthcare, education, and inter-community conflict.
## Thank you to all our supporters without whose generosity and vision our vital work would not be possible.
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## **PRAGYA**
_**Development without Destruction Empowerment for Enabling Choices**_
## **FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
_**Charity No. 1082476**_
_1_
**PRAGYA** _**Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**_
**Reference and Administrative Details**
**_________________________________________________________________________________________________________**
|**R E F E R E N C E A N DA D M I N I S T R A T I V ED E T A I L S**|**R E F E R E N C E A N DA D M I N I S T R A T I V ED E T A I L S**|
|---|---|
|**Company number**|N.A.|
|**Charity number**|1082476|
|**Registered office**|The Foundry|
||17 Oval Way|
||London|
||SE11 5RR|
|**Trustees**|Gargi Banerji - Chairperson|
||Arasan Aruliah|
||Pratap Rughani|
|**Bankers**|HSBC|
||176 Camden High Street|
||London NW1 8QL|
|**Solicitors**|N.A.|
_**Charity No. 1082476**_
_2_
**PRAGYA** _**Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**_
**Contents**
||**C O N T E N T S**||
|---|---|---|
|**Report of the trustees**||4 - 7|
|**Report of the independent examiner**||8|
|**Statement of financial activities**||9|
|**Balance sheet**||10|
|**Notes to the financial statements**||11-14|
_**Charity No. 1082476**_
_3_
**PRAGYA** _**Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**_
**Trustees’ Report**
**______________________________________________________________________________________**
## **T R U S T E E S’ R E P O R T**
## **INTRODUCTION**
The Trustees are pleased to present their Report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023.
Reference and administrative information are set out on page 2 and forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Companies Act 2006, the Memorandum and Articles of Association, and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities.
## **STATUS AND GOVERNING DOCUMENT**
PRAGYA was registered as a charity on 20[th] October 2000.
## **Charitable Objects**
The objects of the charity are:
- i. to stimulate development in vulnerable and neglected communities, particularly in mountain systems and other ecologically fragile areas, enabling and empowering them through the use of appropriate technologies, traditional knowledge and indigenous solutions;
- ii. to encourage improved natural resource management, and conservation and sustainable utilisation of the natural and cultural heritage in sensitive ecosystems and communities;
- iii. to institute alternative, sustainable development forms in mountain systems and other ecologically fragile and pristine areas, through development action and policy change;
- iv. to conduct research in the development sciences with special reference to the target areas and groups (as above), develop appropriate models/products/tools/techniques, and document, publish and exchange the learnings acquired;
- v. to raise funds to support activities towards meeting the above objectives of the Charity.
## **TRUSTEES**
Trustees serving during the year and up to the date of this report were as follows:
Mr. Arasan Aruliah 4, Middleton Grove London N7 9LU
Ms. Gargi Banerji - Chair 102, Tower 4, The Palms, Sector 30 Gurgaon - 122001, India
Mr. Pratap Rughani 22, Sugar Loaf Walk Bethnal Green London E2 OJQ
_**Charity No. 1082476**_
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**PRAGYA** _**Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**_
**Trustees’ Report**
**______________________________________________________________________________________**
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT**
The Trustee Board meets two times a year.
## **Internal Control, Management and Risk Review**
Governance activities include maintaining ongoing controls and procedures to ensure effective stewardship of financial and other resources, and monitoring of annual objectives against an agreed strategic and business plan for the organisation. The Trustee Board receives regular reports from management staff and conducts an in-depth review at least twice a year. This review includes an assessment of key internal and external factors affecting the achievement of the charity’s general and specific objectives – and forms the basis of agreed updates and amendments to the strategic plan.
The systems of internal control are designed to provide reasonable, but not absolute, assurance against material misstatement or loss. They include:
- A strategic plan and an annual budget approved by the trustees;
- Regular consideration by the trustees of financial results, variance from budgets, non-financial performance indicators and benchmarking reviews;
- Delegation of authority and segregation of duties, and identification and management of risks.
The trustees are pleased to report that the charity’s internal financial controls, in particular, conform to guidelines issued by the Charity Commission. The trustees have reviewed risks and are satisfied that appropriate mitigating controls and actions are in place.
## **CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES**
## **Beneficiaries**
The primary beneficiaries of the charity include the disadvantaged communities living and/or working in Bangladesh, India, Kenya and Nepal. In addition, the wider public, policymakers and others that can influence and bring about a positive change in the condition of the primary beneficiaries are also targeted by the charity through its interventions.
## **Objectives**
The objectives of the charity include:
- i. Build the capacity of marginalised and disadvantaged communities to access their rights and achieve their own development goals.
- ii. Enhance the economic and livelihood opportunities available to disadvantaged communities.
- iii. Support vulnerable and disadvantaged communities to conserve and utilise their surrounding ecosystem in an environmentally and socially sustainable manner.
- iv. Conserve and promote traditional culture and knowledge.
- v. Utilise this traditional knowledge alongside new technology to improve the management of natural resources in the ecologically sensitive areas.
- vi. Advocate within the UK and internationally on the importance of supporting community-led development and environmental conservation.
Our objectives are achieved through:
- Mobilising resources and providing knowledge and monitoring inputs for projects being implemented by partners in disadvantaged regions.
- Documenting needs of communities and project learnings and sharing with stakeholders and the development community in the UK.
- Participating in various fora and networking for developing wider awareness and building a support base for target issues/region in the UK.
_**Charity No. 1082476**_
_5_
**PRAGYA** _**Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**_
**Trustees’ Report**
**______________________________________________________________________________________**
## **FINANCIAL REVIEW**
Our key financial objectives were to secure funding for current services and to increase our unrestricted reserves to expand and develop new areas of work. We were successful in enhancing resources for existing programmes as well as in scaling up new areas of work.
Total incoming resources for the year were £557,832 (2022 - £682,634); total expenditure was £841,675 (2022 - £501,056). A breakdown of expenditure by activity areas is on Statement of financial Activities (page 9).
Total funds during the year decreased by £ 283,843 (2022 - Increase of £181,578), bringing the funds carried forward to £ 29,876 (2022 - £313,719).
## **Reserves Policy and Going Concern**
Reserves are needed to bridge the gap between the spending and receiving of income and to cover unplanned emergency repairs and other expenditure. The trustees consider that the ideal level of unrestricted reserves as at 31 March 2023 would be at a level sufficient to cover three months' expenditure, i.e. £15,000. The Trustees have reviewed the circumstances of the charity and consider that adequate resources continue to be available to fund the activities of the Charity for the foreseeable future. The trustees are of the view that Charity are a going concern.
## **STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES**
The charity trustees are responsible for preparing a trustees’ annual report and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Charity law requires Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income or expenditure, of the charitable company for that period.
In preparing these accounts, the Trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP
- make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business
The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper and adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
_**Charity No. 1082476**_
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**PRAGYA** _**Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**_
**Trustees’ Report**
**______________________________________________________________________________________**
## **PUBLIC BENEFIT STATEMENT**
The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in section 4 of the Charities Act 2006 to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit, _‘charities and public benefit’._
Pragya’s charitable purpose is enshrined in its objects - to support and develop the disadvantaged communities living and/or working in the underserved regions. The Trustees ensure that this is carried out for the public benefit by delivering programmes and services that are of value to the participants of the projects. The participants are members of the public known to and/or identified by Partner organisations (e.g. NGO’s, Local Authorities, Aid Agencies) with whom and for whom Pragya develops the projects. These partnerships ensure that Pragya’s activities reach the right recipients and thus fulfil the charities core objectives.
Approved by the Board on 29 January, 2024 and signed on their behalf by:
Gargi Banerji Chairperson
Date: 29 January, 2024
_**Charity No. 1082476**_
_7_
**PRAGYA** _**Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**_
**Report of the Independent Examiner**
**______________________________________________________________________________________**
**R E P O R T O F T H E I N D E P E N D E N T E X A M I N E R T O T H E T R U S T E E S O F P R A G Y A**
We report on the accounts of the company for the year ended 31 March 2023, which are set out on pages 9 to 14.
## **RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUSTEES AND EXAMINER**
The trustees (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. The charity is required by company law to prepare accrued accounts and I am qualified to undertake the examination by being a qualified member of CIPFA.
Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under company law and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:
- examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
- to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
- to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
## **BASIS OF INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT**
Our examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S STATEMENT**
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
- i. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
- to keep accounting records in accordance with section 386 of the Companies Act 2006; and
- to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records, comply with the accounting requirements of the Companies Act 2006 and with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities have not been met; or
- ii. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Andi Dollia, CPFA Additude Ltd 9 Rhapsody Court Wakeman Road London NW10 5DF
Date: _25 January 2024_
_**Charity No. 1082476**_
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**PRAGYA** _**Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**_
**______________________________________________________________________________________**
## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (Incorporating income and expenditure account)**
||Note|Restricted
(£)|Unrestricted
(£)|**2023**
**Total (£)**|2022
Total (£)|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Income from:**||||||
|||||||
|Donations and legacies|2|552,232|5,600|**557,832**|682,634|
|Charitable activities|||||-|
|Investment and other income|||||-|
|**Total(Total Income)**||**552,232**|**5,600**|**557,832**|682,634|
|||||||
|**Expenditure on:**|3|||||
|Raisingfunds||15,939||**15,939**|16,596|
|Charitable activities||817,754|7,982|**825,736**|484,460|
|Other|||||-|
|||||||
|**Total(Total Expenditure)**||**833,693**|**7,982**|**841,675**|501,056|
|||||||
|**Netgains/(losses) on investments**|||||-|
|||||||
|**Net income/(expenditure)**|4|**(281,461)**|**(2,382)**|**(283,843)**|181,578|
|||||||
|**Transfer between funds**||-|-|**-**|-|
|||||||
|**Net movement in funds**||**(281,461)**|**(2,382)**|**(283,843)**|181,578|
|||||||
|**Reconciliation of funds:**||||||
|||||||
|**Total funds brought forward**||284,961|28,758|**313,719**|132,141|
|||||||
|**Total funds carried forward**||**3,500**|**26,376**|**29,876**|313,719|
All of the above results are derived from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above. Movements in funds are disclosed in Note 9 to the financial statements.
_**Charity No. 1082476**_
_9_
**PRAGYA** _**Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**_
**_______________________________________________________________________________________**
## **BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2023**
||**Note**|**2023**(**£)**|**2022**(£)|
|---|---|---|---|
|||||
|**Fixed Assets**||||
|Tangible fixed assets|-|**-**|-|
|||||
|**Current Assets**||||
|Debtors||**1,006**|**399**|
|Cash at bank||**34,017**|**319,543**|
|||||
|**Total Current Assets**||**35,023**|**319,942**|
|||||
|**Current Liabilities**||||
|Creditors: amounts fallingdue within oneyear|7|**5,147**|**6,223**|
|||||
|**Net current assets**||**29,876**|**313,719**|
|||||
|**Net assets**|8|**29,876**|**313,719**|
|||||
|**Funds**|9|||
|Restricted||**3,500**|**284,961**|
|General||**26,376**|**28,758**|
|||||
|**Total funds**||**29,876**|**313,719**|
For the year ended 31 March 2023 the company was entitled to exemption under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006; and no notice has been deposited under section 476. No members have required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question. The directors acknowledge responsibility for: i) Ensuring the company keeps accounting records which comply with section 386; and ii) Preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company as at the end of its profit and loss for the financial year in accordance with requirements of section 394 and 395, and which otherwise comply with requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far applicable to the company. These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime.
Approved by the trustees on 29 January, 2024 and signed on their behalf by:
Gargi Banerji Date: 29 January, 2024 Chairperson
The accompanying accounting policies and notes form part of these financial statements.
_**Charity No. 1082476**_
_10_
**PRAGYA** _**Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**_
**_______________________________________________________________________________________**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
## **1. Accounting policies**
- a. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standards for Small Entities (April 2008) and the Companies Act 2006. They follow the recommendations in the Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities (issued in March 2005).
- b. Voluntary income is received by way of donations and gifts and is included in full in the statement of financial activities when receivable. Volunteer time is not included in the financial statements.
- c. Grants are recognised in full in the statement of financial activities in the year in which they are receivable. d. Resources expended are recognised in the period in which they are incurred. Resources expended include attributable VAT which cannot be recovered.
- e. Restricted funds are to be used for specific purposes as laid down by the donor. Expenditure which meets these criteria is charged to the fund together with a fair allocation of management and support costs.
- f. Unrestricted funds are donations and other incoming resources receivable or generated for the objects of the charity.
- g. The costs of raising funds relate to the costs incurred by the charitable company in raising funds for the charitable work.
## **2. Donations and legacies**
|||**2023**||2022|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Restricted (£)|Unrestricted
(£)|**Total (£)**|Total (£)|
|Balbir Chowdhary|-|2,400|2,400|2,400|
|Brian Mercer Trust|10,000|-|10,000|10,000|
|CB and HH Taylor 1984 Charitable
Trust|2,000|-|2,000|-|
|Charles Hayward Foundation|15,000|-|15,000|-|
|Coles-Medlock Foundation|5,000|-|5,000|-|
|Eleanor Rathbone Charitable Trust|1,000|-|1,000|-|
|ELRHA|85,587|-|85,587|257,483|
|Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust|-|-||4,000|
|Foundation for the Third Millennium
(SDM),Switzerland|18,487|-|18,487|-|
|Guernsey
Overseas
Aid
and
Development Commission|-|-||23,729|
|Harbinson Charitable Trust|-|2,400|2,400|1,450|
|Hasluck Charitable Trust|1,000|-|1,000|-|
|JAC Trust|-|-||28,558|
|James Tudor Foundation|5,000|-|5,000|-|
|Margaret Hayman Charitable Trust
Fund|15,263|-|15,263|-|
_**Charity No. 1082476**_
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_**Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**_
## **PRAGYA**
**_______________________________________________________________________________________**
|Marsh Charitable Trust|-|500|500|-|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Navnat Vanik Association of the United
Kingdom|-|300|300|-|
|Other Trusts and foundations|-|-|-|180,868|
|Solidar Suisse,Switzerland|372,395|-|372,395|154,146|
|Souter Charitable Trust|5,000|-|5,000|5,000|
|Southall Trust|2,000|-|2,000|-|
|The Carmela and Ronnie Pignatelli
Foundation|2,500|-|2,500|-|
|The Gibbs Trust|2,000|-|2,000|-|
|The Haramead Trust|-|-|-|5,000|
|The KirbyLaingFoundation|-|-|-|10,000|
|The Peter Stebbings Memorial Charity|10,000|-|10,000|-|
|**Total**|**552,232**|**5,600**|**557,832**|**682,634**|
## **3. Total Expenditure**
|**Expenditure**|Cost of
raising funds
(£)|Cost of
charitable
activities(£)|Support
Costs(£)|**2023 Total**
**(£)**|2022 Total
(£)|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Staff costs(note 5)|13,054|26,108|13,055|52,217|55,059|
|Rent, insurance, utilities,
services|||11,540|11,540|10,020|
|Bank Charges|||1,690|1,690|945|
|Postage and telephone|||387|387|95|
|MembershipSubscriptions|||378|378|1,792|
|Independent Examination|||1,200|1,200|1,100|
|Consultancyfees|||600|600|600|
|Directproject expenses||773,663||773,663|431,445|
|**Total**|**13,054**|**799,771**|**28,850**|**841,675**|501,056|
|Add: allocation of support
costs|2,885|25,965|(28,850)|-|-|
|**Total expenditure**|**15,939**|**825,736**|**-**|**841,675**|501,056|
_**Charity No. 1082476**_
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**PRAGYA** _**Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**_
**_______________________________________________________________________________________**
## **4. Net income/(expenditure) for the year**
|This is stated after charging /crediting:|||
|---|---|---|
||**2023** (**£)**|2022(£)|
|Trustees' reimbursed expenses|-|-|
|Independent Examiner's remuneration|**1,200**|1,100|
## **5. Staff costs and numbers**
|Staff costs were as follows:|**2023** (**£)**|2022(£)|
|---|---|---|
||||
|Salaries and wages|52,217|54,218|
|Social securitycosts|-|841|
|Pension contributions|-|-|
|Total emolumentspaid to employees were:|**52,217**|**55,059**|
||||
|No employee earned more than£60,000 duringtheyear(2022 - 0)|||
|The average weeklynumber of staff(expressed as full-time equivalents)duringtheyear wa||s 1.8(2022: 1.8)|
||**2023(FTE)**|2022(FTE)|
|Raisingfunds|0.5|0.5|
|Charitable activities|1.0|1.0|
|Support costs|0.3|0.3|
|**Total**|**1.8**|**1.8**|
## **6. Taxation**
The charitable company is exempt from corporation tax as all its income is charitable and is applied for charitable purposes.
## **7. Creditors: amounts due within 1 year**
||**2023(£)**|2022(£)|
|---|---|---|
|Trade Creditors|**14**|-|
|Other Creditors|**3,633**|4,823|
|Independent Examination|**1,200**|1,100|
|Accruals and Provisions|**300**|300|
|**Total**|**5,147**|6,223|
_**Charity No. 1082476**_
_13_
**PRAGYA** _**Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**_
**_______________________________________________________________________________________**
## **8. Analysis of net assets between funds**
||Restricted Funds(£)|General funds(£)|**Total funds(£)**|
|---|---|---|---|
|Tangible fixed assets|-|-|**-**|
|Net current assets|3,500|26,376|29,876|
|**Net assets at the end of theyear**|**3,500**|**26,376**|**29,876**|
## **9. Movements in Fund**
||At the start
of the year
(£)|Incoming
resources (£)|Outgoing
resources (£)|Transfers (£)|**At the end**
**of the year**
**(£)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||
|**Total unrestricted funds**|**28,758**|**5,600**|7,982|-|**26,376**|
|||||||
|**Total restricted funds**|**284,961**|**552,232**|833,693|-|**3,500**|
|||||||
|**Total funds**|**313,719**|**557,832**|**841,675**|**-**|**29,876**|
|**Purposes of funds**||||||
|
**General funds:**These are the free reserves of the Charity, which can be used for any purpose within its
charitable objects.||||||
|**Restricted funds:**The restricted funding was received over the course of the financial year for use in the
‘Gender’ projects, ‘Food Security’, ‘WASH’, ‘Labour Welfare’ projects and for ‘Disaster Risk Reduction &
Management’ Projects||||||
_**Charity No. 1082476**_
_14_