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VISION 2020: The Right to Sight India. Activities April-June, 2008

The First Quarter has been an exciting and productive beginning to the Fiscal Year 2008-09 for VISION 2020: The Right to Sight-India.

In the last quarter of FY07-08, the Six Teams of Competencies (TOCs) had come up with strategies in the areas of Advocacy, Policy and Program Development, Quality Eye Care, Resource Mobilization and Sustainability, Resource Center and Organization Capacity. Based on the prioritized strategies, activity and budgeting was done for FY08-09.

Some of the key decisions taken during the quarter were : conducting the 4th AGBM at Jodhpur, Rajasthan, inviting His Excellency, ex-President of India and Global Ambassador of VISION 2020, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam to be the Chief Guest at the AGBM.

The focus of the current quarter (Q1, FY08-09) has been on strengthening partnership with the NPCB, updating and following up on the membership database and subscription, and providing programmatic support to VISION 2020 India members and completing the 3-member team at the National Secretariat by identifying and recruiting an Administrative Executive.

Board Meeting:

The 18th Board Meeting was conducted at the National Secretariat in New Delhi.

Organization related activities:

During this period, application for seeking registration with the Central Government under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976 was submitted, and the preliminary investigation by the Home Ministry Official was conducted. This will enable the organisation to accept foreign contributions.

The Annual Audit (FY07-08) was conducted.

Working in Partnership with the National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) of Ministry of Health, Government of India.

Member Organizations of VISION 2020 India are located in 47 districts of 13 states of India (http://www.vision2020india.org/membership.asp). VISION 2020 India has worked on 3 key issues, i.e., (1) Various clauses requiring amendment to the Transplantation of the Human Organs Act, 1994, (2) Streamlining the Grant In Aid Scheme, and (3) XIth Five Year Implementation Plan.

Data received from its members have been shared with the NPCB. Subsequent to the approval of the 11th Five Year Plan, a National Level Workshop will be conducted to review the Guidelines for District Blindness Control Society and NGO Participation. VISION 2020 India also worked in the design of a Pilot Project in three states on a Sight Guarantee Program (Project ANMOL) - it focuses on a paradigm shift in eye banking, moving beyond a sympathetic and philanthropic activity and numbers to Rights-Based Approach (RBA). It means a post-donation scenario of sight restored to the recipient.

Membership: Apart from support in the form of grants from the Founder INGOs (CBM, Operation Eyesight Universal, ORBIS International and Sightsavers International), membership subscription from its various categories is a crucial source of revenue for the organisation. Membership dues have been pending, and a drive was initiated to strengthen this source of income. At the end of the first quarter, 65.5% of the projected revenues from Membership were obtained. 20 of 66 member organisations (30.3%) still had their subscriptions pending by the end of first quarter. This will again be followed up in the next quarter.

Programmatic inputs: VISION 2020 India Team assisted the Lions Group (East and North East India) in organising a Regional Workshop (Sahayogita) to strengthen Public-private Partnerships. http://www.vision2020india.org/KolkataWorkshopReport-Final-May-19th2008.pdf