|  Dakshinayan
was set up in 1991 by Siddharth Sanyal who volunteered to take
over a rural development project in Jharkhand,
which was being managed by Service Civil International - India
(SCI), the Indian branch of an International volutary service
organization.
Siddharth had agreed to assist in the winding
up operations when SCI decided to close down the project in 1985.
Instead of closing down the project, he stayed on and continued
to work in the area. In 1991, he registered a new organization
called Dakshinayan.
Dakshinayan (pronounced "Dak-she-naa-yun")
is registered as a non-profit Trust managed by a Board
of Trustees, comprising a group of concerned individuals who
are mostly involved in policy formation and fund raising. However,
Dakshinayan's C.H.E.O Project is managed entirely by a team of
local villagers. C.H.E.O is an acronym for Child, Health and Education
Organization but it is also the name of the village where the
project started in 1979 by SCI.
 Dakshinayan,
in Sanskrit, is the winter equinox. The period when the sun moves
towards the southern hemisphere. In India, it heralds the beginning
of a pleasant period: the start of the festive season, harvest
and cool, disease-free weather. Dakshinayan, literally translated
means, 'coming south'.
Dakshinayan believes in need-based development
as opposed to fund- dictated development. Instead of receiving
funds from major funding sources that often set the pace and agenda
for development, Dakshinayan raises necessary funds for specific
activities from individual donations, contributions, consultancy
services and the Development Education Programme.
Dakshinayan also supports and encourages other
small, grassroot projects to undertake localized need-based development
activities. It helps them utilize available resources so that
they can remain independent of large donors. Dakshinayan's experience
has been that large development schemes with huge amounts of financial
input create dependence rather than promote self-reliance.
 The
Development Education Programme is a volunteer placement programme
which endeavours to provide exposure to concerned individuals
about the realities of rural India and development issues. The
programme also generates funds to finance the activities of Dakshinayan's
own project in Jharkhand
and other similar small projects in the newly formed states of
Uttaranchal and Chattisgarh.
Dakshinayan is not totally opposed to project
funding. But believes that the emphasis should be on encouraging
small, intimate projects with a high content of people's participation.
Funding should encourage people to improve their own communities
at their own pace; and not at a pace dictated by donors.
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