Laya’s journey began in 1985, when the current directors set foot in a remote adivasi area of East Godavari
District in Andhra Pradesh. Ever since, the Laya team has traversed a long and winding road, parts of which
were
arduous and parts that were comfortable to tread. However, the path taken has been full of lessons learnt
along
the route and the way forward has always been exciting…
Over time, our involvement comprises various phases of engagement:
The years 1984 to 1989 could be considered as the first phase, during which the entire Laya team
was based at Addateegala, East Godavari District. The initial learning of the world-view of the adivasi
communities came from day to day interactions with the local representatives. We began to understand the
nature of the symbiotic relationship of land and the well-being of adivasis. Laya has been involved in
identifying
issues of concern for local communities, such as:
- Learning and responding to issues of land alienation
- Access to forests
- Depletion of water resources
- Lack of access to government programs
- Issues related to agricultural credit
- Lack of access to education.
During this time, various initiatives on health, primary education,
social forestry and local empowerment were being set-up.
The second phase, between 1989-1995, saw Laya being independently registered as a society. It was at
this time
that the Laya Resource Center was established at Visakhapatnam. Various initiatives and concepts were
developed
during these years:
- Evolution of the youth agenda
- Alternative education processes
- Engagement in herbal based health care
- Exploration of a field base in the remote adivasi belt in Visakhapatnam district
- Campaign on displacement along a major river belt in the Eastern Ghats
- Introduction of the decentralization process in the management of various Laya program initiatives.
Post 1995, the third phase, Laya was registered under the Foreign Contribution and Regulation Act. This
registration made it relatively easier to access resource support from external agencies based outside
the
country. In the process, we developed systems of management and governance mechanisms and systematic
intervention strategies through the unit approach. Today, the units are the backbone of the structural
growth of
the Laya Resource Center and they embody an effective decentralization process.
FIRST PHASE
Learning from ground realities
- Established Project LAYA under Society for People's Action for Development(SPADE), 1985
- First Office, Located in a thatched hut in a remote village, Tungamadugula
- Early beginning on issues of land, 'de-certifying' of powerful non-tribal families
- Intervention in relation to social forestry government programme, non-formal education, health,
agricultural development, work with youth and women, thrift and micro credit
SECOND PHASE
LAYA is registered as an independent
organization
- LAYA is registered at Visakhapatnam
- Established LAYA Resource Centre
- Campaign against repeal of protective law for Adivasis Regulation 1/70
- Decentralized units for thematic areas of work established
- Initiated youth training programmes at the central (Yuva Parichay) and regional levels (Youva
Sikshna and Yuva Chaitanya)
- Thatched centre established in Sirsapalli, Paderu
- Established ‘Mannemlo’, a news letter in Telugu
THIRD PHASE
Initial involvements as a network on
climate change begins
- FCRA registration
- Management and Governance Systems established
- Early deliberations on Climate Change
- Executive Director becomes a member of Ethical response Team, Climate Change, WCC Geneva
- INECC founded, Executive Director of LAYA as Convener of INECC
- Initiation of ‘EcoEthic’ a newsletter on climate and environmental issues
phase IV
Vanantharam centre as an identity of
alternative health care established
- LAYA-INECC organizes an alternative event on Climate Change during Conference of Parties (COP)8,
UNFCCC, New Delhi
- Jointly promoted Indian Institute of Paralegal Studies (IIPLS)
- Established Vanantharam to legitimize Herbal Based Health Care systems
- Crash literacy programme for Adivasi Women Leaders established
- Adivasi Samvaad III, a national event organized at Addateegala
Fifth Phase
Focus on Climate change and
Decentralized energy issues at the local level and linked to global process.
- Associate Director, elected as member of the Executive council of ASPBAE, bringing insights on
lifelong learning to LAYA
- Setting up of decentralized energy clusters
- Key micro-hydro project set up at Pathakota, East Godavari district
- Laya Receive observer status at UNFCCC
- First Carbon credit programme registered under the Gold Standard
- Registration of a pharmacy in Vanantharam
Sixth Phase
Engagement of laya team members in
resource roles initiation of the community college idea to transfer learning process
- New Laya office at Visakhapatnam
- 10-dya crash literacy documented in UNESCO library of the Institue of Lifelong Learning(UILL)
- Consultative status to UN Economic and Social Council(ECOSCOC)
- Paderu office cum training centre established
- Health Award of Excellence received by Herbal Based Health Care Unit
- First course on Herbal Based Health care as a part of the community College idea initiated
Ongoing Phase-Current
Change management and succession plan unfolding
- Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Conserver Award
- Begin documentation of Stories of Change of Laya’s interventions
- Change Management Committee established and Succession Plan put into place
The key units comprise of:
The Directors of Laya focus on linking micro concerns with macro issues; on networking and resource
raising
measures. An unintentional involvement of one of the Directors with climate issues in 1993 has now led
to a
full-fledged involvement of Laya Resource with climate change concerns, nationally and internationally.
Laya
Resource Center acts as the secretariat of INECC, of which it is a founder member and the Executive
Director, its
Convener.
Journeying through years of experience, Laya Resource Center is now grappling with conceptualization
and
engagement of ‘education for sustainable development goals’ in the context of a paradigm shift of
development
concerns. Laya is also promoting meaningful interventions which are related to social enterprise as part
of its
efforts towards becoming increasingly sustainable in the years to come.
