TIST
September 2006
Have you told your relatives/friends in the neighboring village about TIST? Tell them; let them also enjoy the benefits from TIST.
CHEZUMAI ©
TIST India Seminar
On August 27th TIST India conducted a seminar in a simple manner by reaching more than 10 small groups invited from every Node Center. The ultimate reason to conduct this seminar was to, (a) To report the achievements of the Small Groups and commendation for the same (b) Questions & answers and to share knowledge, (c) Discussion on why TIST India Pays for trees.
Participants were asked to discuss and come up with the specific successes and achievements of TIST India. Members reported the below points wholeheartedly one by one:
The achievements of the members
1. Understood the importance of planting trees. Trees are the prime factor for a healthy environment
2. Our villages are becoming greener. Several of the TIST villages that had very few trees before TIST are now so much greener and have thousands of trees.
3. Straightforward and open system. Our rewards are at our door steps
4. All the benefits from the tree is enjoyed by the member, chances to erase the poverty line
5. Brotherly-hood developed among the members through formation of and working as Small Groups.
6. Additional source of income for villagers through continuous voucher payment – timely as well
7. Sharing of knowledge and best practices 8. An increase in awareness on planting trees and their benefits
9. Gained knowledge on banking infrastructure and on savings.
10. TIST Is helping meet the India government and the UN meet its goals of reforestation
11. Gained knowledge on conducting training. Several SG members now able to train others on various aspects of TIST.
12. Gained knowledge on various technology issues such as computer, palmtop and GPS.
13. Those who have never planted trees, got an opportunity to plant trees through TIST.
Participants then decided to come up with a list of questions that the seminar will try to answer. Some participants said that answers have to come from the management. There was a lot of discussion about who has the information in TIST to answer these questions. Who are the experts in TIST? There was agreement among participants that the Small Groups themselves have a lot of information that will help answer these questions.. The answers for all the below questions will be published in next Chezhumai.
Questions from members
1. Is there an office for TIST India in Chennai (India)?
2. Is there any condition that certain species of trees should not be planted?
3. What is the life span of Casuarina trees
4. When long term tree species are planted, they are generally planted with much higher spacing and so less number of trees are accommodated in one acre and so the member would get very less voucher payment – this seems unfair, what can be done?
5. Jetropha is a tree or shrub – When will we get reply for this?
6. Will TIST India have fulltime permanent employees?
7. Should TIST India grow? 8. How do we get new small groups for TIST India?
9. Even after meetings and quantification, why few small groups have not got their voucher?
Small Groups who have planted Eucalyptus – What should you do?
It is understood that Eucalyptus trees have tremendous capacity to absorb water. These trees absorb distant and deep water to survive the drought. Members were happy to plant eucalyptus in the drought affected area, because these trees absorbed the deep water and survived. In the future, we will loose our deep water too due to eucalyptus. . TIST strongly emphasizes every Small Group which has planted eucalyptus to do some thing to maintain the ground water level. The simplest way to maintain the ground water is to capture the rainwater. But how to capture the rainwater? We have already published in Chezhumai, October 2005 that Farm Pond will be an ideal project to maintain the ground water. We are getting good rain now and would be getting more. Make use of the season. Dig a farm pond and maintain the ground water.
Job Opportunity TIST
India needs more Quantifiers and Coordinators in your area. Those members who are interested in becoming a TIST coordinator or a quantifier may contact a TIST staff person. You can also reccmmend your friends or relatives who are TIST Small Group members for these positions.