Past projects

Thank you! R.O.S.E and our community members are grateful to you for your kind-hearted efforts in helping with these past projects andhelpingthe less fortunate.The most recent completed projects are:

Fair Price Community Farm Shop

A fair-price shop was constructed in November 2011. It is housed on the main floor of the community centre. The aim is that it provides affordable, locally sourced and ecologically sound produce for local families. The produce are bought locally from Haldwani, and are sold to the villages with a low margin.
The produce cost 20-30% less than normal shop prices as there are no additional charges for rent or electricity. This provides the poor some relief so that they can put the 20-30% savingstowards medical aid and clothing and other essentials to improve their lifestyle.

The total project cost was £3000 for capital revolving fund.
£1500 for 2 employees for 1 year running shop as 1 shopkeeper and 1 helper to maintain the shop.
£6000 for buying a small vehicle for transporting produce from Haldwani to Kanda

Building twin-tank toilets

R.O.S.E. has researched and developed a twin tank composting toilet that is easy to build and maintain and yields nutrient-rich compost that can safely be used in the fields. A grant in the 1980’s allowed R.O.S.E to construct 40 of these latrines in the Kanda community which was, and continues to be, a great success. In addition to sanitation, these latrines offer privacy to women who are dangerously taught to wait until the cover of night to relieve themselves, no matter how many hours away that may be. With adequate funds, R.O.S.E hopes to continue with this important project.

“I don’t think I could have learnt as much about the culture of India and Indian people if I hadn’t come to R.O.S.E. Living as part of an Indian family in a small and very friendly Indian community has been life changing for me and I have come to really appreciate my own family and my standard of living back at home. You don’t realize how easy our lives are until you come here and get back down to grassroots with basic tools. When you undertake any labour tasks you can’t help but think…..If only I had that tool then I could do this so much more efficiently and it would make people’s lives a bit easier to do the task.” Chris McMenaman (UK)

The Human Problem – Life after Sunset

For the millions of villagers, life comes to a grinding halt at sunset — with no electricity, there is no light, so no ability to work or study or play. Having spent the major part of the day in the fields, the villagers can do little in the darkness. There is no light for children to study or for any family entertainment.
India has over 140 Milllion Rural Homes. Out of this some 87 Million still burn kerosene for lighting. Each family consumes between 100-150 liters of kerosene per annum.
Each liter of kerosene generates 2.6 kgs of Carbon Dioxide. Annually, this is over 22 million tons of pollution.
Carbon Dioxide is a major greenhouse gas and contributes to global warming.
Combining the sun’s energy with modern technology has now provided mankind with a better way. We try to increase the villager’s useful hours after sunset by providing them lights powered by solar energy. This digital lighting is non-polluting and eliminates the carbon dioxide being emitted from rural homes.
Technology has provided us a key part of the solution in the form of high efficiency low energy Light Emittng Diodes (LED) and Thin Film Solar solutions which can power these lighting systems even in cloudy weather situations.

In February 2009, two US volunteers called Justin and Ethan arrived in Sonargon, Kanda, Bageshwar, Uttarakhand. They stayed in Jeevan’s paying guest unit and supported the work of ROSE (Rural Organisation for Social Elevation) in Sonargon. Many poor families in the area had no electricity and lighting, due to financial reasons they cannot afford electrical connection and the monthly bills. Many activities within the household were in difficulty such as the children doing their schoolwork, cooking, washing, cleaning etc… Elderly people and very young children are the most affected.
Justin and Ethan solved this problem by providing 8 families with solar powered home lights. (The 8 families include 3 widows, 1 abandoned and 4 others). After the works have been completed and the lights installed the families are now much more happier as they now feel. Their day to day activities have been made easier by providing these lights.
Justin and Ethan also provided 4 street lights (3 for the community centre which is being built and 1 for Jeevan’s paying guest unit), many people are benefiting from these lights including the locals, volunteers, tourists and other visitors. The Volunteers also provided a further 4 solar powered home light systems for the community centre where ROSE has a school/creche for the community’s poor children, a fair price shop, community meeting centre, training centre, communication centre, pilot demonstration centre, library and other activities.
The community members and all those who benefited from these works are very happy and satisfied/ ROSE and all the members of the community are very grateful to Justin and Ethan and wish them all the Solar Energy Lighting best in the future.
Join this movement to improve the quality of life for millions — bring light to those in darkness and help clean the environment in the process.Together with your help, we can make a difference.
Dignity through Electricty Program — brings light to familes in darkness and creates a cleaner environment.

Help increase the useful, usable hours of a village – with digital LED lights, their daily activities no longer need to halt at sunset.
Help the really stretched village housewife to perform her daily chores better — cooking, stitching, children and home management.
Help the village youth get better education. Help villagers who want to learn new skills after working all day in the fields.
Provide opportunity for new village businesses to develop.
Help improve personal safety, especially during monsoon months.

Use the calculator below to get an estimate for the donation required to get a specified number of products installed. The amounts are in US$, and the Total is also presented in Indian Rupees, using an approximate conversion rate of Rs.40 to US$1.[[NOTE to SS -There is no calculator on this page – should there be?]]

Some examples of previous activities of R.O.S.E include:

installation of twin-tank toilets
construction of earthquake-proof homes
community educational programmes on sanitation
opening a fair-priced shop (see note below)
construction of a temple
eco-development work
organic farming promotion
micro dairy
poultry rearing

Past projects have included

The construction of a bio gas system
Traditionally energy for cooking is provided by burning of locally sourced wood, which has many negative implications. In 1999 ROSE started work on a demonstration project using bio gas technology which safely uses a common waste product – cattle dung. The plant was completed and fully operational by April 2000.
Cattle houseA much needed concrete cattle house for the protection of livestock was constructed with volunteer funds in 1999.
Low cost housing for poor families ROSE constructed a two room house with a solid floor and concrete block walls for a mute women and her three children who previously lived under steel sheets.
Community centreThisongoing project is intended to provide emergency shelter to families whose houses are unusable due to the seasonal flash floods/mud slides. It is also intended to be a meeting place and cultural centre. The upper storey of the community centre will be comprised of a fair price shop.
Fair price shopThisongoing construction will be housed in the community Centre, its aim is to provide affordable, locally sourced and ecologically sound produce for local families. Therefore keeping money in circulation within the community.
ToiletsR.O.S.E. has researched and developed a twin tank composting toilet that is easy to build and maintain and yields a nutrient-rich compost that can safely be used in the fields. A grant in the 1980’s allowed R.O.S.E to construct 40 of these latrines in the Kanda community which was, and continues to be, a great success. In addition to sanitation, these latrines offer privacy to women who are dangerously taught to wait until the cover of night to relieve themselves, no matter how many hours away that may be. With adequate funds, R.O.S.E hopes to continue with this important project.
Paths and infrastructureTransportation through the Kanda village is solely by foot. Women carry large loads up and down the hills from the fields and valley area and children walk the paths daily to school. For this reason safe footpaths are very important to the community. R.O.S.E. has, in the past, constructed and maintained paths and will continue to do so in the future.
Soil conservation (eco development)R.O.S.E. supports the regeneration and improvement of the environment both directly and indirectly in all of its projects. Deforestation has led to erosion, low soil fertility and water shortages. The results are direct and clear. Consequentially K.S.S./R.O.S.E. has initiated a forestation effort which also serve as a means of educating the community. In addition six international volunteers, two youths and members of the Verma family worked to level sloping fields by use of locally sourced stone in a wall. This will conserve the topsoil in heavy rains.
Construction of Water WellSix international volunteers, two locals and members of Mr Verma’s family leveled a field, dug an 8 foot well, completed a wall of stones to conserve soil and cemented a concrete foundation and wall for the well. It now provides clean drinking and washing water.
Irrigation Canal ConstructionCommunity members, including Verma family members, and volunteers constructed a canal by breaking and carrying stones to make a stone and earth wall.
Temple Site WorkVolunteers helped locals to level and clear the land on which the local temple is built.
Income Generation for the PoorLocal unskilled people are employed, when funds allow, on many of the above projects and all skilled labour is sourced locally, thus providing much needed income to the poor. In addition the Verma family generate work for a local deaf mute woman every day, providing her with an income.
Clothing DistributionROSE receives packets of clothes, stationary supplies, toys, bags and shoes from kind donors (typically parents and friends of former volunteers) and distributes them to the locals in need.