Mr.C.S.Reddy, CEO,APMAS,

Dear Colleagues: It gives me immense pleasure to greet you and your families on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of APMAS. I can’t believe that APMAS has completed 10 years in support of the women’s self help movement in India. It has been entirely possible because of all of you, constant support from your families and the trust & support of many donors, collaborators, NGOs, State Governments, Banks and international organizations. I want to take this movement to acknowledge all those who have made it possible for APMAS to be what it is today – a credible organization responsive to the emerging needs of the sector, fearlessly taking the side of the poor & women and single minded dedication for the self-reliance and sustainability of the SHG movement in the country. The journey of APMAS has not been smooth, yet there has been a lot of excitement along the way, considerable learning and I sincerely hope that we made a humble contribution to the sector. Of course it is time for us to ask the question “If APMAS did not exist, what that have made any difference to the SHG movement in India?”.

When I look back and recollect the initial days of APMAS, it’s a nostalgic feeling. Starting to buy the first few chairs, tables and computers for APMAS and setting up office in Nirmal Towers of Panjagutta. I can not stop thinking about all those who made it possible to get started: Mr. Sukwinder Singh Arora (DFID), Mr. SP Tucker IAS, Mr. Vijay Mahajan, Dr. P. Kotaiah, Mr. K. Raju, Late Shri. Smarajit Ray, Mrs. Nandita Ray and many others who later became either Board Members of APMAS or joined as staff of APMAS. LB Prakash helped us register APMAS formulating the memorandum of association and articles of association of APMAS and Mr. Rama Reddy helped in formulating the articles of APMAS. Usha Rani, Anjaneyulu, Ravindranath, Rammohan Sharma, Nagasri and many others were involved in the study. There were many who were involved in the feasibility study of APMAS even before it got started. Many CARE staff helped in the initial days and years of APMAS in so many ways that I can not even mention, including coming to APMAS office after office hours and supporting APMAS work. Vsanth helped set up APMAS network system and helped with the website and other IT related needs. Murali helped in developing our annual plans and finalising our budgets.

APMAS was definitely born with a golden spoon: the first Board of APMAS had several eminent persons in the sector with Dr. Kotaiah as the founding Board Chairman, we had rock solid support from the Government of Andhra Pradesh and a committed funding for a period of 5 years from DFID and CARE. We moved from Nirmal Towers to the present APMAS rented building a year later and will be moving into our own building of 25,000 SFT in a year from now. We began being an organization supporting SHG movement in AP and expanded our support to many other states and now to some other countries as well. We now have field presence in 5 states and there is great demand for APMAS services in many states, including the North East. Under the guidance and support of Mr. Madhava Rao, the present Chairman of the Board, APMAS governance has become stronger, more engaged and have been providing the much required policy guidance and good governance. We have been able to establish strong internal systems that enable APMAS to receive funding from several Indian and International donors and meet their complex reporting requirements. Every year APMAS is audited by at least 6 different auditors appointed by donors and our own statutory auditors.

APMAS has done significant work in building capacities of the human resources required for the sector. We have been able to contribute to the livelihoods sector and now engaged in the implementation of the watersheds. In strengthening our internal capacities and in taking up livelihoods work, the support of Aga Khan Foundation must be acknowledged. The Ford Foundation has been one of our major supporter from the beginning. A few years ago, we had 3 ongoing grants from the Ford Foundation supporting our national network called ENABLE, capacity building of SHPIs and also in establishing our own training facilities. The Ford Foundation supported us in sending some of our staff for international training. Sir Dorabji Tata Trust really enabled us to expand our work by providing a 6-year funding for capacity building of SHPIs in Bihar and UP. We have been luck for having the support of DGRV & GIZ for taking up the work related to self regulatory system for the SHG movement. In the 10 year life of APMAS, we must acknowledge the partnership that APMAS had with SERP, Government of Andhra Pradesh. It enable APMAS in many ways to play a useful role in the sector. While APMAS was seen as being critical of the work of SERP, they always valued our input as we always had the interest of the institutions of the poor at heart. We have been lucky to receive excellent support from MEPMA which works on the urban SHG movement in Andhra Pradesh. The support of NABARD for undertaking studies and for piloting some innovations must be noted. More recently, NABARD has been inviting APMAS for all the policy forums and taking APMAS input in the policy formulation, particularly in the SHG federations related work.

Building on our practice, we have grown into the policy arena in India . ENABLE network, in which APMAS is an active member, is engaged in policy work. APMAS organised workshops and conferences contributed to the policy formulation in the SHG sector. APMAS has been deeply involved in the conceptualization and design of NRLM. The Planning Commission of India has also valued our contributions and input. While 10 years is a long time, it is not such a long time in the development sector. We are still an young adult. We still have a long way to go. The development context in India is very complex and ever changing. APMAS needs to more sharply focus on the niche area and enhance its internal capacities to add value.

The reason for our existence is the women of the SHG movement. They have given us an opportunity to work with them and allowed us to learn from them. We owe a great deal to the SHG movement in India . Several NGOs have been our collaborators and we would like to thank all of them for their engagement with us. There are many more who can not be mentioned year for want of time or space. We would like to acknowledge the support all those who have contributed to APMAS the past 10 years.

We are entering into a new decade with new thinking, new ideas, renewed commitment and to rededicate ourselves to the development sector in India . We want to make that beginning with the SHG representatives. That is the reason why we have the one day SHG leaders meet today to listen to them, to learn from them and to sharpen our thinking and strategy based on their inputs.

" Look forward to your engagement and support as we renew our promise to add value to the development sector in India and beyond."

Mr.Sachin and the DSC Team

Dear C.S., Congratulations to you and the APMAS team on completing 10 years. I am glad that from a single state presence APMAS has successfully expanded it to five states. Its only when I read your letter and the brochure that I realized this and also the fact that you have an indirect presence in many other states and countries through the networks. As a founder member, you must be quite proud. I am sure the journey so far has not been easy and nor will it be in the future. The micro finance sector is at cross roads and there are bound to be quite a few challenges ahead and one will need to see that the baby is not thrown away with the bath tub. Wishing you and the APMAS team the very best for the next ten years and looking forward to see you in your new campus!. . = Sachin and the DSC Team Mobile: +0960-128 -1121

Janet Seeley ,PhD Professor of International Development, School of International Development, University of East Anglia.

Happy Birthday!

Mr.Ranu Bhogal, Director, Programmes, Aga Khan Foundation ,(India).

Dear C.S and the APMAS family Congratulations for completing a very productive decade. C S has summarised it so well. May APMAS achieve even greater heights and continue to make meaningful contribution to the sector.

Kalamani

Dear All My hearty congratulations to CS, the entire team of APMAS and everyone who is associated & contributed to the growth of APMAS during the decade!!! It is absolutely an amazing and challenging journey… The coming ten years will be even more challenging given the current development scenario… The commitment of everyone who is associated with APMAS would definitely make it possible and my best wishes for the same!!!

Rajesh

Dear CS Congratulations! Well done, APMAS. It may be an interesting occasion to consider a more collective critical reflection on the trends in the society now, and therefore, the roles and contributions of APMAS in the next ten years.

N.Srinivasan

Congrats and good luck to APMAS on its completing 10 years. Please continue the good work.

Mr.Rajendra Prasad

Dear Reddy Garu, Awesome and great we could all meet up! what a mind blowing day we had and thanks to every one behind this thought. Hope you had meaningful retreat and would have come up with new combat plan to achieve APMAS`s goal. Have a great and proud days to come. Again, all the best for the season to you and the crew at APMAS.

Dr.P.Kotaiah, 102, Pooja Pride Apartments, Plot No.75, Srinagar Colony, Hyderabad - 500 073, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA.

My Dear CS, Well writter- hearty wishes and greetings for a glorious and golden sccond decade.

Mr.Srinivas

Dear Reddygaru Congratulations to you to all at APMAS, especially those who stayed for a long time and ensured the continuation of a good start, such as Rama Lakshmi, Murali, Raja Reddy, Venkatesh, CNRE, Vinayak to name a few.

Mr.Navin Anand

Dear CS, Congratulations for the great work done. I believe that promotion and support to community based microfinance models is one of the biggest contributions of APMAS. Creation of a system for self-regulation of MFIs is another good achievement of APMAS. I hope that under your able leadership and dynamism, APMAS will continue working for client oriented microfinance and livelihood promotion.

Vijayalakshmi Das

Dear C.S and entire APMAS team members, Congratulations for completing a decade successfully without losing the focus on the mission. I am proud to be one of the witnesses of this growth. I am sure the next decade will bring in more glory!

Dear CS, Congratulations to you and the entire team for completing a decade, without losing the focus on SHG. I would like to take Al's concerns further. How long the SHG's can survive under state patronage? Isn't it time to find an appropriate legal form for them to manage their own institution independently. There are very few examples of such institutions. We thought that Mutual Aided co.ops will be best suited, but it did not work out very successfully, even in AP. If APMAS can work on this it will be a great contribution. It will be a great challenge, but worth working on.

Mr.P V A Rama Rao

My dear Shri CS I am happy to learn that our APMAS has completed , very successfully , a decade of its service to promote the cause of SHGs. On this happy occasion ,I convey my hearty greetings and best compliments to the entire fraternity of APMAS. APMAS has made several strides in hand holding the SHGs , with its bold and pioneering initiatives in bringing about their empowerment thro' knowledge , organisational strengthening thro' their vertical integration and spreading its own reach to vulnerable areas and groups, far and wide. Its achievements are commendable and phenomenal.

Prof. (em.) Dr. Hans Dieter Seibel, University of Cologne, Hahnwaldweg 14, D-50996 Cologne.

Dear C S: APMAS would not be where it is today without you; in fact, it might not exist at all. This would have been to the detriment of the SHG movement with its emerging multi-layered self-help structure – in Andhra Pradesh and far beyond. Now that you have helped putting up the federation house for the SHGs, together with your very capable and committed staff, I am confident that for the next ten years you will put your energy into putting the roof on the building – the roof of “sector own control†: urgently needed to keep off the heavy rains that have recently started pouring on the SHG houses in India. And if I may speculate: you might soon start putting up similar SHG houses elsewhere in Asia and Africa. Keep going! Congratulations to you, your family and your staff!

Mr.MV Rama Chandrudu,Director, WASSAN.

Dear CS Reddy garu and other friends at APMAS Congratulations. It is good to see your involvement and contribution to rural livelihoods sector in AP and other parts of the country. I sincerely wish you and your team good luck and looking forward to continued partnership and association.

Deep Joshi,P-22, South City-I Gurgaon 122001.

Dear CS, I write to felicitate APMAS on completing ten years in supporting Self-Help Groups and other grassroots institutions. The SHG to my mind is easily among the most important development innovations of our times: it offers the disenfranchised a forum to learn and practice face-to-face, participatory democracy.

Mr.Nagi Reddy

Dear CS An excellent recollecion. But I was surprised that APMAS is only 10 years old. For the work done by APMAS and the fame, I was thinking that APMAS was establishes ages ago.

Smita and Sampark Team

Dear CS and APMAS team, Congratulations for what you have achieved, which is very significant in the face of an external environment where women's collectives are not really supported! Wish you many more years of success and growth.

Gayathri B. Kalia,Strategic Adviser-Public Policy

Wish you and all of APMAS many more fruitful and joyous years.

Dr. G. V. Ramanjaneyulu,Executive Director, Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, 12-13-445, Street no-1, Tarnaka, Secunderabad-500 017

Congratulation to Dr. CS Reddy and Team... ramoo

Dr. Sudha Kothari,(Director, Chaitanya, Enable member and Board member of APMAS)

APMAS has played a significant role in strengthening the SHG movement, especially as a resource organization and networking with like minded organizations through ENABLE.In a very short period it has created a unique place for itself. On completion of a decade I look forward to see APMAS contribute effectively towards an integrated model of socio-economic and politically sustainable development at the national level.

Irina Sinha,Project Director, WDC, Bihar.

Dear Sir, I extend a hearty congratulations to you and your team members on behalf of WDC family for your relentless work in the area of strengthening the SHG movement. WDC with your esteemed partnership has grown and we wish for a longer association to realise the objective that we all have aimed to achieve.

Rukmini,Gramya Resource Centre for Women, 12-13-440,Street no 1, Tarnaka Secunderabad 500017.India

Dear Friends at APMAS and specially C S Reddygaru, Congratulations on completing 10years of service to the community. It is your able guidance and ability to create excellent team work that has taken the organization forward. Look forward to work together whenever an opportunity arises. Wishing all of you the very best for coming years.