Reena Ramteke lives in a forested village in India with just 60 other families.
The local government school produced good food for the children, with squeaky clean kitchens and neat storage facilities.
However, a local teacher managed all financial transactions for them, withdrawing money into a special account for paying off the bills they presented him.
For 2 years beginning March 2012, the teacher began making excuses for not transferring money to them. Matters reached a head when their grocer refused to give rations due to unpaid bills.
“I want to learn more about the country’s laws and the work that lawyers do so that I can be more adept at dealing with people’s grievances,” said Reena Ramteke, a community correspondent the women's group approached for help.
She advised them to approach the Block Education Officer, who ordered an inquiry. They soon found he was submitting fake grocery bills and pocketing the money for himself, leading to his suspension.
“Earlier, we knew all these problems existed, but barring multiple trips to administrative offices, we couldn't do very much. Now having a camera in hand really shakes up the way people view a situation. They take it more seriously. This camera helped us change the lives of over a 100 people in Simaria,” said Reena.
The teacher acted with impunity thinking the poor and illiterate women would not hold him to account. By purchasing this report, you send a strong message against corruption and the belief in a community monitoring its leaders.
Impact Analysis
Value of employment for Women's Collective: $1,500 per year
Value of nutrition and school attendance: $0.5 per student per day for 100 students, $183 * 100 = $18,300
Increased Accountability : $1500 per year (estimated salary of the suspended teacher.
Awareness among 100 people in the village at $20: 100 * 20 = $2000
Total Benefit: $1500 + $18,300 + $1500 + $2000 = $23,800 per year
True Benefit: $11,900 assuming that Reena’s work only speeded up resolution of the issue by 6 months (since the women had already filed a complaint at a public hearing)
Cost of Story: $1,470 , obtained by dividing the annual budget for video volunteers in 2014 ($306,281) with the total number of impact reports they produced in that year (209).
Benefit Cost Ratio: $11,900 divided by $1,470 = 8.09
Meet the Reporter
Reena Ramteke lives in Ghariaband (Chhattisgarh), a forested region home to the Kamar tribe. Her work as a correspondent led her to focus on the cause of women emancipation.
“I have learnt a lot because my work takes me to different places and broadens my horizons,” says Reena. “Earlier, in our family we had a mindset that girls should not go outside the home. But today, I go out for training sessions for 10-15 days and my family doesn’t say anything. They might ask which place I am going to but they’ll never question why I’m going out.”
Reena has reported on the lack of maternal healthcare and other corruption related issues in her area. By supporting this report, you let her continue with the fearless reporting and shine as an example for how women can make their voice heard.