Dear Dr Sati, I am happy that Prof Anandswarup is ready to support Microloans in Bihar. He is the one who helped me to expand Microloans in Andhra. I am surprised when you say that I offered Rs.25,000 thru Ambedkar Scholarships for Bihar. It seems you misread my email and so I am reproducing my May 25, 2009 email for clarification (see point 1 and 4). I am sorry if I am not clear. Currently we do not have any balance in Micorloans account. As informed, we distributed loans worth Rs. 1.5 lakhs just two weeks ago. Moreover, Friends for Education International is undergoing a change of leadership in India and waiting for the settlement of accounts. Till it is finished, I am not clear how much balance is left in the account. So, please do not curse me if I ask you to start the project with Rs.50,000 offered by Prof Anand. If everything goes well and we get more funding, we will help you in future. Sorry for the misunderstanding. Thanks Ben ======== My July 25, 2009 email is reproduced here: Dear Dr Sati, Thanks for your lengthy email. As always, you sounded very academic. But, things on ground do not be so easy and systematic. Managing people (however courteous and democratically you may deal with them) is the most difficult thing I am facing from time to time. My humble reply in brief (without discrediting any of your views) is as follows: 1. I do not have any money left now for microloans. Can you find some donors? 2. I am ready to start in Bihar or anywhere if I have a reliable person whom I will be able to rely on. If you take 100% responsibility of the money we invest, I am for it. Can you? In addition, I need a person in Bihar (Mr. Irfan Ahmad or someone else) who can provide me information as required. Sometimes, I may demanding (but never aggressive) in order to provide timely and proper information to the donors. He/she should be able to put up with me :). 3. We have already a time-tested and working organization and we need not reinvent the wheel, if everybody involved do their job diligently. Too many cooks spoil the broth”. Since our project is small, I do think such a multi-layered setup is needed complicating the matter. Managing so many people (with egos of their own) is not a small issue, Bit, if it grows leaps and bounds, we may think of it. 4. I prefer to start with Rs.25,000 in any new place. Once it is proved that the project us handled good, we may increase the amount later. 5. We cannot pay anyone at least for now. We may think of it at a later stage. Though I am for paid employees, I do not have resources. Any more questions, please write to me. Thanks Ben ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ An educated man without character and humility was more dangerous than a beast. If his education was detrimental to the welfare of poor, he was a curse to society. -Babasaheb Dr B R Ambedkar Please visit www.friendsforeducation.org or www.ambedkarscholarship.org
________________________________ From: Satinath Choudhary <satich...@yahoo.com> To: ANANDASWARUP GADDE <anandaswar...@gmail.com> Cc: Benjamin Kaila <benjamin_ka...@yahoo.com>; Krao <r...@verizon.net>; AmbedkarScholarshipGroup <ambedkarscholars...@yahoogroups.com>; Dalit Group <da...@yahoogroups.com>; ZestCaste <ZESTCaste@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 11:26:06 AM Subject: [E-Forum] Re: microloans Dear Anandaswarup jee, Thank you so very much for your kind commitment. That solves our problem. Ben (head of Ambedkar Scholarship program) had offered us Rs. 25,000 to start the program. However, my associate Mr. Irfan Ahmad was thinking that with this small amount the project will look like it is being run as a personal charity to help a few persons. On the other hand we would like to create a self-sustaining system capable of increasing its scope. For that we would like to start with a board of about five people committed towards social change. However, there must a paid individual (a young committed social activist) who will have to invest more time in managing the micro-loans than we are willing to invest at the present time. We were thinking that such a person may not feel fully satisfied if the number of people he is managing is too small. Your offer of contributing Rs. 50,000 towards the project plus Rs. 25,000 from Benjamin Kaila, plus Rs. 5,000 contribution from me brings the total commitment to Rs. 80,000, which appears to be more than adequate to get the project rolling. I have just now given the good news to Irfan Sahab. He was elated to hear the same. He said tomorrow he would identify eight individuals (five for the board plus three more to deal with the bank) and set up a meeting, which I will have to attend as well. We would then hope to receive the funds from you and Br. Ben before we would be making a public announcement regarding the program. We would try to publicize the program in the media as well. At this point it would be apropos to learn from Ben about what will be the part of 12% interest that we would be able to keep in Bihar towards the management of the micro-loans, e.g., for payment to the paid person who would be in day-to-day touch with the borrowers to ensure their success in the venture for which they borrowed the money as well as to ensure periodic pay-back of the principal loan plus 12% interest. Once again thank you very much for your commitment. We will let you know of further details as soon as possible. With best regards, Satinath ============ "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead --- On Tue, 28/7/09, ANANDASWARUP GADDE <anandaswarupg@ gmail.com> wrote: From: ANANDASWARUP GADDE <anandaswarupg@ gmail.com> Subject: microloans To: satich...@yahoo. com Date: Tuesday, 28 July, 2009, 9:03 PM Dear Sri Choudary, I saw your note in Ambedkar forum. If you are starting a project I would like to contribute. Please let me know some details and how much you plan to raise. I got the impression that the minimum amount needed is one kakh rupees. I can contribute about half of iy. With best regards, Swarup
