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website for rural and tribal development

Vikas Maitri

Voluntary Development Society in Jharkhand

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The Programme Centre building of Vikas Maitri is located near the commercial centre of Ranchi, the capital city of Jharkhand. It has a conference room, guest rooms, dinning and kitchen facilities ideal for holding conferences and short term training programmes.

Rev. Michael Schaper of the Ev.-Luth.KK Emden, KDA & Berufsschulpfarramt, West Germany visited Vikas Maitri on 4th November, 2008.

Institutional visit  by Claret Institute, Ranchi

On 13 September, 2008, a group of trainees from Claret Institute of Employment Training, Ranchi had an Institutional visit of Vikas Maitri.  On this occasion a training session was organized by Vikas Maitri from 10.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m..  In this session some aspects of leadership traits and concepts of project planning were discussed besides giving information on Vikas Maitri's approach to development in Jharkhand.  The programme was organized by  Mr. Felix Tirkey,  Course Coordinator of CIET.

Sitting from right to left:  Mr. Felix Tirkey, Miss Binita Dangwar, Sr. Suchita Panthenal CFMSS,
Standing: Fr. Michael Lakra, Anjlita Lakra, Shanti Ekka, Prawin Topno, Fr. Pradeep K. Minj

German family visits Adivasi villages

Mr. Eckhard Bitterich along with his uncle Rev. Dieter Hecker and his three children visited some villages in our project area in early January 2008.  Mr. Bitterich is himself a farmer in Germany and is an Agricultural Engineer.  He wanted to see the life and condition of farmers in adivasi villages.

Threshing paddy after harvest              Explaining sacred grove

Village women welcoming guests at one of the Community Centre

Mr. Dominic Bara with Parha Raja Sanicharai Munda and his wife

See earlier Bulletin

Who are we?

Vikas Maitri is a composite of two Hindi words - "Vikas" means development and "Maitri"  means friendship or alliance.  Maitri also connotes amity , fellowship and solidarity.  It is striving to work in solidarity with the adivasis of Jharkhand in India.  

Vikas Maitri is a union between the three major churches (Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church, Church of North India and Roman Catholic Church) and a few others founded in the late 1960s for socio-economic development of the tribal regions of the then Bihar State, more particularly in the Chotanagpur region of India.  

Today Vikas Maitri is known by the people it is working with as a movement towards solidarity and  development.  Its main areas of concern are motivation and training of the people, assistance in self-help micro projects for a group of people, promotion of organic farming, production of organic fertilizer, social forestry, women activism and community organization.  It has been able to inspire the people to start and consolidate a three- tier people's organization, starting from the village councils.One of the unique endeavours of Vikas Maitri  is the floating of a duly incorporated public limited company owned by the ordinary Adivasis of the villages.  The main objectives of this company  are "to carry on business to invite, accept and receive deposits at interest or otherwise for fixed periods from members and to lend the fund on terms and conditions formulated by the company to promote different saving and financial help and benefits to its members or to carry on the business of being a finance company".  

Members of the Governing Body

His Eminence Telesphore P. Cardinal Toppo
Most Rev. Nelson Lakra
Most Rev. Basil Balliya Baskey
Most Rev. Charles Soreng s.j.
Most Rev. Felix Toppo s.j.
Rt. Rev. Nirdhosh Lakra
Rt. Rev. A.S. Hemrom
Most Rev. Gabriel Kujur s.j.
Rt. Rev. Sunil P. Tirkey
Rev. Jolen Marshal Topno
Most Rev. Stephen M. Tiru
Rev. P.P. Suren
Most Rev. Julius Marandi
Rev. Emmanuel Minz
Most Rev. Joseph Minz
Most Rev. Paul Lakra
Mr. Premanand Soreng
Rev. J.H. Baskey
Fr. Sebastian Tirkey
Mr. Atal Khess
Fr. Alex Ekka
Mr. Pawal Xalxo
Mr. Dominic Bara

Staff

Mr. Dominic Bara M.A.,LL.B 
Dip. in Social Leadership (Canada)
Mr. R. Prasad B.Sc., PGDRD
Mr. S.K. Lal M.A., LL.B.
Mr. P. Choudhary Dip. in Egg.
Miss Kiran Bala Minz BBA (Australia)
Mr. Mathew M.C. B.Com. PGDM
Ms. Jaya Kujur, B.A.
Miss Roseline Kujur
Ms. Valsamma Joseph
Mr. Daud Bage
Mr. Lucian Horo

Training on "Fundamental, Food and Tribal Rights"

A training was organised by Society for Participatory Action and Reflection (SPAR) Jharkhand from 19-21 November 2008 at SDC, Ranchi.  The theme of training covered were: fundamental rights, NREGA and RIT concepts and application, Tribal development and tribal rights and food rights.

Mr. Dominic Bara, Vikas Maitri was invited as resource person on tribal development and rights for two afternoon sessions on 20th.

Mr. A.K. Singh, State Coordinator of SPAR Jharkhand chaired the sessions.  About 40 social workers attended the training programme. 

Participants of the wokshop organised by Rev. N. Gagrai Regional Secretary, Skill for Progress Central Region from 20-21 Oct.2008. Resource Person: Mr. Dominic Bara

This site is designed by Dominic Bara, Vikas Maitri