PLA Notes CD-ROM 1988-2001 9 Some reflections of a new PRA participant: the development manager

Document begins: PLA Notes CD-ROM 1988­2001 9 Some reflections of a new PRA participant: the development manager Manu N. Kulkarni Indroduction impossible to continue mapping everything about village life. Village life consists of June 28th 1993 - cloudy weather in Rayatwadi `village inside' and `village outside'. It may be and Dhaba villages, Betul District in Madhya difficult to map the components of `village Pradesh. Place - an 18th century resthouse inside' life, which include: without electric ity near these villages. Seven · of us were arguing over the various options personal problems; available for understanding the villagers' · diseases; problems and for coming to some possible · agonies; and, solutions to help them to help themselves. · sorrows associated with death and Several partners were involved: the disability. government (Forest Department, Woman and Child Development Department, Water Supply However social mapping is quite useful, and and Health and Education Departments and indeed essential, for depicting `village outside' others), the villagers themselves and the PRA life, which includes resources such as: facilitators. I was the principal orchestrator, whose role was to encourage the PRA · farmers' fields; enthusiasts to use the methods (social · forests; mapping, wealth ranking, transects and so ...