High handed treatment of NGOs by funding organisations

[Guest guest]

High handed treatment of NGOs by funding organisations

Dear Forum,

For the past 1-1/2 months we are emotionally tortured and harassed

by the Tamil Nadu AIDS Initiative/ Voluntary Health Services

(TAI/VHS) Project Director Dr. R. Lakshmibai.

Due to her personal vengeance against me she stopped our project

with gates foundation after just a year.

I underwent humiliation for one year yet I tolerated with the good

intention to continue our work. This has taken on my health to a

large extent and still I am suffering.

It is time that we share our feelings on this FORUM trusting that

the members of this FORUM will also be a redresser.

SFDRT has been awarded with a funding from Tamil Nadu AIDS

Initiative/ Voluntary Health Services (TAI/VHS) TAI/VHS through

the `avahan' program to work for 2500 sex workers both male and

female in the district of Vellore. The program was signed for a

three year (2004-2007) contract

However, suddenly without any notice at the end of the first year

June 2005 we got a project termination notice. TAI/VHS took their

own unilateral decision in closing the project resulting in job loss

of 19 staff members/sex workers. Although we do have full proof of

technical soundness with the project, the team of evaluators were

planned and sent for termination.

This was expressed by the community advisor who was also sent for the

same task.

Further, to the same while we went for a representation on the 11th

of July with the community representation since the program was

called community driven prevention program(CDPP) accompanied with

the staff of SFDRT, in front of me the TAI/VHS Project Director, Dr.

R. Lakshmibai, addressed the community with a false allegation that

SFDRT misappropriated 32 lacs given by TAI/VHS.

While I attempted to question the flaw that was expressed on purpose

I was asked to be lifted by the security and thrown out. I, with my

staff was humiliated by the high handed treatment rendered by

Ms. Lakshmibai.

We were all unethically photographed (photographed without our

permission) and along with statements of having to convince the

community was sent to all funding organisations. Although we have

had given the right and truthful reply to the latter.

The community was instigated to question SFDRT on the fund allotment

and the expenses for the same, where in the proof of the auditors

statement (9months of TAI audit and 12 months of audit by SFDRT

statutory auditors) was given to the community of having sweared

To have received only Rs.14, 99, 785.50ps from TAI as against the 32

lacs that was purposely thwarted upon. The community on hearing and

assessing the truth, then wanted to question TAI for which the staff

and the community applied for a permission to carry out a `Dharna'

to be staged to the Police Commissioner to demonstrate the unethical

and unprofessional way of handling the NGO.

This resulted in a written rejection by the Commissioner stating

that they have had authenticated information that if SFDRT stages

a `Dharna' the TAI supporters will also demonstrate. The anti vice

squad had rounded several `aravanis' in the city and put them in a

home for the next three days. There had been a few `aravani'

supporters who left the city fearing that they would have to face

their own communities in distress by the force put in by Ms.

Lakshmibai.

While finally yesterday a group of 25 `aravanis' from Vellore had

gone to TAI to question them on their wrong statements they were

insulted and kept out stating that they cannot be seen.

They were all once again video graphed and photographed. This

clearly showed the mismanagement of TAI by Ms. Lakshmibai and the

timely ways of her escape. The press was present and interviews from

both sides were taken.

It was shocking that SFDRT and the communities from Vellore inspite

of being genuine, had no soul to listen to us.

Mr. Ashok , Country Director of Avahan and Ms. Padma

Chandrasekhar the southern representative of Avahan on repeated

requests, had turned a deaf ear to our appeal.

Therefore we ended up yesterday in representation of the same to the

Chief Minister Dr. Jaylalitha, on the high handedness of TAI and Ms.

Lakshmi bai, that was continuously used on SFDRT.

We as a civil society was able to stand the continuous stress of the

incident because we were straight and clean. Expressing the above we

are shocked the way the community has been used to the benefit of

the funding agencies.

I will keep you informed about the progress of this case.

Thank you for your attention

Shyamala Ashok

SFDRT.

E-mail: E-mail: <aabinand@...>