Here or there?

With the mounting expenses and all the committments I had made to support the research ; it was obvious that I needed to find a source of funding for Nila Foundation.

1) One of the options was to set up an NGO and apply for funds from local funding agencies, Government or ask for individual donations.

OR

2) Find a well-paid job and fund the activities of the foundation.

The experiences I had working with both the donor agencies (UNDP, CAF India) had given me clarity in terms of the models that I wouldn't follow when it comes to funding. I didn't want to go around with a begging bowl to local people nor did we want to apply to funding agencies and be at their mercy to pursue our dreams.

Rather we preferred to dream on our terms!

Though the second option was suggested by many people; I was sure about NOT doing this. I wanted to ensure that my feelings and emotions about Nila was not just another infatuation, but a passion that was sustainable in the long run. I had a history of some emotional interventions earlier. (of which I will write at some point of time through these blogs). Though I might have made some impact here and there, I wanted to ensure that my involvement with Nila had to be:

stronger and
deeper!

If at all, the feeling for the river was just a romance or infatuation, I wanted to ensure that I wouldn't leave the movement in the middle. For this I needed to ensure that

-every single bill that I had to pay,
-every single meal I had to eat

had to come from the projects that I am going to be involved in!

It was a very simple theory : No work? No pay!

Now, when I look back after three years, I realise that it was a well calculated risk (and not really a suicidal one as many of my friends and 'family' had thought!)

© GP 2006