MOBILIZING PRO-POOR TECHNOLOGY FOR DEVELOPMENT
Friend-in-Need Trust (FIN) seeks to motivate, support, facilitate, monitor and evaluate the introduction of innovations in the form of new structures, new technology, new management routines and new social norms, to attain environmental and socio-economic security in the marginalized zones of India. Our present focus is on sanitation coverage (or simply toilets) and waste management. From the time of its creation, FIN has been working in the fishing village of Kameshwaram in the Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu, India.
See also our brochure.
Inadequate and inefficient sanitation and waste management systems are causing health problems in nearly every village in India. By studying and solving the problem in one village, our aim is to generate knowledge and practical models that can be replicated elsewhere in India and in the developing world. Our mission is to contribute to a cleaner and safer world and in the process empower women and semi-skilled masons employed in rural works.
The originality of FIN is that it is led by an economist, Shyama V. Ramani, based in France, and it functions as a research-action unit with the strong participation of students and volunteers from various walks of life. We apply our knowledge of economics to make a real impact on development.
Dr. Ramani was one of the laureates of the trophy 'Women of the Earth' in 2008, awarded by the Institut de France and Yves Rocher Foundation. The Government of India designated Kameshwaram as a model village in 2008 and granted it the ‘Nirmal Gram Puraskar’ award for the successful adoption of the ecosan toilets that FIN helped put in place.
For pictorial summary pdf file available (July 2009): friend-in-need-may-2009.pdf