NGOs’ Contribution to Tribal Development: A Catalyst but Not a Magician Abstract

• For a variety of reasons, the tribal tribes’ home lands in India frequently draw a diverse range of outside agents and organisations. Development and change of tribal communities are frequently listed as the primary goal by a significant portion of these organisations. The agency of planned change falls under the “official” category, and it has the duty to carry out its tasks in line with the institution’s or job’s profile.
• In addition to this, there is another significant category called “social worker,” whose participation is, at least in theory, voluntary. The majority of the latter is well-known as a nongovernmental organisation (NGOs). In recent years, attempts have been made to coordinate government and non-governmental organisation (NGO) initiatives in order to maximise the advantages for tribal people and hasten the process of social and economic reform. Governmental and nongovernmental organisation (GO-NGO) collaboration become more popular. When compared to the projects carried out by the government agency alone, the results of these partnerships were found to be favourable. Many NGOs achieve success by developing local adolescents as resource people in accordance with the demands of development efforts. However, not all of the development initiatives they undertake have to be successful. The article analyses NGOs’ contributions to tribal development in this setting by looking at both their actions and outcomes.

Introduction :

• Since the beginning of time, nonprofit organisations have been essential to the growth of society. During the ancient and mediaeval periods, voluntarism “worked freely and solely in the domains of education, medical, cultural promotion, and even acted as succour in crisis like droughts, floods, plagues, and foreign invasions,” according to Inamdar (1987). (p. 422). Voluntary groups are well-known as nongovernmental organisations in the modern period (NGOs). A non-profit organisation, or NGO, can take many different forms and operate in a variety of ways. For economic and social development, they should ideally follow a democratic and decentralised approach. “NGOs can succinctly support true ideals that emerge, addressing genuine needs and filling knowledge gaps,” said Vannucci in 1989. (p. 11). Nevertheless, there is misunderstanding and mistrust among the populace regarding the nature and objectives of voluntary organisations. With participative methods, the NGOs are generally successful in eliminating such suspicions. These organisations benefit from hiring self-driven and altruistic individuals. The assistance and resources are crucial to the operation of NGOs.
• The mission statement of the website for NGOs in India, www.ngosindia.com, states that “We are committed to social justice, sustainable development, and human rights.”
• Depending on their level of orientation, there are various types of NGOs. They are the following: the empowering orientation, the participation orientation, the service orientation, and the charity orientation. NGOs, or non-profit organisations, can be categorised into a variety of groups according to the types of tasks they perform. Based on the strategies adopted by the organisations, Sinha (1989) divided volunteer organisations into seven groups. They are human development, socioeconomic environment development, welfare, relief, rehabilitation, and services. Sinha (1989, p. 16) defined four tactics of the volunteer groups based on these methods. They are simple acts of charity that support the welfare state; they promote public participation in government programmes for the greater good of the community or village; they involve the public in programme planning, resource raising, programme implementation, and the sharing of development’s fruits; and they unite the populace to demand and carry out the planning and implementation of development programmes that will benefit them. The credibility of these organisations in the public eye is increased through a strategy built on the aforementioned values.
• The requirement for curriculum creation (for nonprofit organisations) to meet manpower demands in accordance with the government’s established policy is correctly noted by Chaturvedi (1989). (p. 7). NGOs may complement and support government organisations, but they cannot take their place.
• Through its plan documents, the Indian government guaranteed that NGOs would play a significant role. In accordance with the first five-year plan, “public cooperation through voluntary service groups is capable of delivering valuable results in channelling private efforts for the promotion of social welfare” (as cited in Sinha, 1989, p. 19). In a similar vein, NGOs have become crucial players in the modern development age, especially in our nation following the 1990s. “GO-NGO collaboration” has quickly established itself as the government’s catchphrase for all of its development programmes. 1 The central government’s many ministries, agencies, and organisations take part in the cooperation system with NGOs. According to the website on the NGO partnership system, the Department of Higher Education, the Department of School Education and Literacy, the National Aids Control Organization, the Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology, the Central Social Welfare Board, and the Department of Youth Affairs are all involved. To improve the collaboration system with NGOs, state governments are working in the same spirit. To facilitate communication between NGOs and the government, the Andhra Pradesh government established a committee with the chief minister serving as its chairman. 2 As a result, the role played by NGOs in the development process became significant.
• In India, tribal development is frequently viewed from the viewpoint of the “other.” The other can refer to a wide range of individuals and groups, including politicians, social workers, and researchers. It is not necessary for the ambitions of tribal communities to match the perception of “nontribal” development practitioners towards the well-being of tribal communities. The people from indigenous communities were not sufficiently involved in the development plans, which had a negative impact on their engagement. From the perspective of the participants, the development programmes’ gaps are not well identified. The reproduction of the authoritarian and stratified caste system in Indian society has debilitated the panchayat raj institutions. Because of this, achieving the goals of democratic decentralisation and equitable sharing of development’s benefits remains a fiction. The execution of the programmes is influenced by the sociopolitical dynamics of a town. In such a case, the NGOs commit to bringing development programmes right to the doorsteps of those in need. Since the country’s independence in 1947, foreign NGOs (INGO) funders have partnered with Indian NGOs to carry out development work of one kind or another. Indian NGOs have also played a significant role in government programmes. (p. 1).
• But do they pretend to be magicians and fix every issue facing vulnerable communities?
• NGOs play a crucial role in the wellbeing of India’s tribal populations. They support the government’s efforts. They attend to the wants and needs of the populace. They are adaptable and creative. They operate with modest resources but guarantee greater community involvement. They find young people in the community and train them to accomplish the organization’s goals. They help people develop their confidence. The establishment of strong NGOs fosters a double security system that allows governments to voice their needs and demands, according to Vannucci (1989). (p. 13). The expertise and dedication of NGOs aid in increasing the accountability and transparency of the implementation process. The same is investigated in relation to Chenchus, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) from the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

The History of Chenchus :

• The Ferishta’s History of Dekkan (Scott, 1794), which details the inhabitants of Nallamalai as of 1694, is the earliest description of the Chenchus. But Chenchu’s name was not mentioned. A tribe living in the Madras forests is known as Chensu Carir, Cat’ Chensu, Cad’ Eriliguru, or Chensu, according to Buchanan (1807). He claims that they reside in tiny cottages and that they conceal their nakedness with a piece of cotton cloth or a thin blanket. Chensu speaks a dialect of Tamul with a few words from Telinga or Karnata thrown in here and there. They claim that the Animalya forest beneath the Ghats is where they are from, and their dialect supports this claim. (1807, Buchanan, p. 106)
• Chenchu is first mentioned in the Kurnool Manual (Chetty 1886). It states, “The Nallamalai Hills are home to a feral tribe known as the Chenchus” (Chetty, 1886, p. 158). Chenchu was identified as a division of Yanadis in the 1891 Census Report. The Chenchus or Chentsus are a Telugu-speaking Jungle tribe that lives in the hills of the Kurnool and Nellore districts, according to Thurston and Rangachari (1909). (p. 26). Chenchu, Chanchukulam, and Chanchalwad are non-Aryan tribes that live in mountainous areas that constitute the southern frontier of the Hyderabad Dominions and run parallel to the Kistna river, according to Siraj-ul-brief Hassan’s note on the Chenchus of Hyderabad from 1920. (p. 149). “The Chenchus who lived in caves; even now, here and there, are some who use caverns as places of temporary dwelling,” Hodson (1922) wrote (p. 31). They are referred to as a “semi-wild, slothful group of brigands” by Aiyappan (1948). (p. 150).
• Four exogamous groups were identified among the Chenchu people. Adavi Chenchus, Krishna Chenchus, Bonta Chenchus, and Telugu Chenchus are their names (Siraj-ul-Hassan, 1920, p. 149). Although he stressed the same typology, Haimendorf (1943) believed there was no real connection between the Chenchus of Nallamalai and other forms of Chenchu. Chenchu was divided into the Konda Chenchu, Ura Chenchu, Yanadi Chenchu, Bonta or Botua Chenchu, Chenchu Dasaries, Koya Chenchu, and Krishna Chenchu by Bhowmick (1992) and Gangadhar (1996).
• Chenchu is currently a “pre-agricultural” or “hunting-gathering” community that is in transition rather than a fully nomadic or hunting-gathering village. They live primarily in the forests and Nallamalai hills of the Andhra Pradesh districts of Kurnool, Prakasam, and Guntur as well as the Telangana districts of Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda, and Rangareddy. The Chenchus, according to Haimendorf (1943), “are not only ethnic but also cultural survivors of most ancient India” (p. 4). In 1975, they are classified as a PVTG. A small fraction of the population lives a semi-nomadic lifestyle and relies on hunting and gathering food for survival. The Chenchus were hired as labourers in the Nallamalai forest’s outlying areas. There are hardly any Chenchus who engage in cultivation. The many needs and aspirations of the Chenchus must be met by both government and nongovernmental organisations.
• Tribal development is a hot topic among academics from many disciplines as well as social activists, managers, and politicians. Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, placed a strong emphasis on the advancement of tribal groups. In the early years following independence, the programme was governed by his “five principles” for tribal development (Elwin, 1959). However, the administration for tribal development did not truly implement Shri Nehru’s vision. Without consulting the stakeholders, a wide range of initiatives and policies were developed for the development of aboriginal people. Both the top-down and bottom-up approaches did not provide any noticeable results. As a result, the quality of living in the native villages did not improve as expected. It is appropriate at this point to comprehend not only the development programmes, but also the reasons behind and effects of either their success or failure in the tribal territories. Creating effective programmes requires an anthropological grasp of the beliefs and aspirations of the indigenous populations.

Development Projects :

• The Krishna River divides the Nallamalai, the Chenchus’ natural habitat. Nizam was in charge of one portion, and the British government was in charge of the other. These governments had various effects on the Chenchus’ social, cultural, and economic life. As a result, throughout time there has been a growing cultural gap. Numerous initiatives for the Chenchus’ welfare have been put in place by the British, Nizam, and Indian governments. The full 6100 acres allocated by the British in 1932 as enclosures were surveyed and the borders of the forest were established, according to Sastry (1993). (p. 93). The Nizam administration made similar attempts by establishing a Chenchu reserve in 1942.
• The chenchus received grazing lands, dwelling sites, and permission to clear the forest for farming. Haimendorf oversaw the establishment of a Chenchu Reserve (1943, p. 376). “Stereo-typed programmes have been established without taking into consideration the felt needs of the people” after independence (Pratap, 1972, p. 232). However, as noted by Subbarama Raju, Sugunakumari, and Sudhakar (2006), the Chenchus’ reliance on forested produce as their primary source of food has been swiftly replaced by income-generating activities that promote sedentary lifestyles. The cultural change has been mostly observed in issues of family welfare, size and type of family, rituals like marriage, festivals, eating habits, and dressing patterns due to their sedentary lifestyle. (p. 10) The shift of culture had little effect on people’s quality of life.
• The state and nonstate actors are both affected by some grave issues. In contrast to other communities, Chenchus do not experience an increase in population. According to Chatterjee (2006), “Over a period of 100 years (1881 to 1981), the population of Chenchus increased by a factor of four, with an annual growth rate of 1.6% compared to the national annual growth rate of more than 2%.” (p. 504). Malnutrition, a lack of access to clean water, a distance from medical facilities, a lack of knowledge, and education all crucial in this regard. Another significant factor in the failure of many development efforts is the chasm between policymakers and stakeholders. Subramanyam (2006) identified a number of mistakes made in the creation of PVTGs. According to him, “There are a variety of factors, such as poor planning, bureaucratic failure, a lack of funding, implementation-level weakness, tribal peoples’ naivety and ignorance, and pervasive corruption” (Subramanyam, 2006, p. 596). The initiatives and policies occasionally have a detrimental effect. NGOs are essential in such situations because of their bottom-up methodology. The volunteers for these groups are people themselves, thus they are aware of their true needs. They reduce implementation waste to a minimum. These organisations’ strengths are their community-sourced volunteers and interactive methods.
• NGOs’ function
• Numerous NGOs are attempting to improve the lives of Chenchus. They promote awareness of enduring issues and serve as change agents. Sakthi, the Department for International Development (DFID), the Center for People’s Forestry (CPF), the Red Cross Society, the Conservation of Nature Through Rural Awakening (CONARE), the Nandi Foundation, the Nallamalai Foundation, the Andhra Pradesh Right to Eyesight Society (APRESS), the L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), the Andhra Pradesh Child Right Society (APCRS), the Vanavasi Kalyani Parishad A small number of these NGOs operate independently, while others collaborate with other NGOs or government agencies. The following areas of the work of the NGOs for the development of the Chenchu community are covered: educational development, health care, livelihood improvement, vocational training and women’s empowerment, agricultural development, economic development, development and religious promotion, environmental protection, awareness campaigns on rights and privileges, and legal support.

Education :

• For the growth of any community, education is crucial. Additionally, it is crucial for the growth of tribal groups. Before India gained its freedom, the governments of Madras and Hyderabad made attempts in this regard. Between order to provide the Chenchus with formal education, the then-British government founded a school in 1904–1955. (Thurston, 1909). 1917 saw the appointment of an educational superintendent. In 1918, the forest department built a new school in Bairluty Gudem, a Chenchu village in the Kurnool district (Mohanty, 2004). Following independence, the Chenchu region saw the establishment of numerous schools. In this sense, 1972 is a turning point. The management of the Chenchus was entrusted to a separate Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA). There were many new schools built, however most of them are elementary or higher elementary institutions. In recent years, there has been a gradual rise in the number of students. The ITDA has created various school types. Despite the institution of education having existed for more than a century, there has been no appreciable increase in the literacy rate.
• According to Census 2011, there are 40.6% of people who are literate overall, with 47.3% of men and 34.0% of women (Ministry of Tribal Affairs, 2013).
• The Chenchus are being encouraged to send their kids to school in a big way by the NGOs. The Vanavasi Kalyan Parishad (VKP) works to improve Chenchus’ access to education. In reality, its main goals are cultural preservation, stopping religious conversions, and encouraging Hinduism among the Chenchus. However, it is in charge of running a dormitory for Chenchus in Achampet, Telangana’s Mahabubnagar district. There are 150 beds in the dorm. Children in third grade through intermediate are housed there. The charity gives away free food and housing. Under the moniker Education and Technology Services, Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL&FS) promotes higher academic standards in educational institutions (ETS). ETS and the government are working together to advance high-quality education in rural areas. This group has taken over the Appaipally Ashram School in the Mahabubnagar district. Students from the Chenchu community are the program’s main beneficiaries. The Learning Enhancement Programme (LEP) and the Quality Improvement Programme are two programmes that this organisation runs (QIP). The NGO has provided toolkits and instructional materials for the school as part of the programme. Although they are in English, the instructional materials are incredibly creative and simple to understand. The difficulty with the language medium makes the teachers less open to new resources. The teachers weren’t trained by the organisation. The instructional materials were thrown away by the teachers without any attempt to incorporate them into the teaching-learning process. As a result, an innovative project was unsuccessful.

Health Initiatives :

• The conventional medical system is essential to the Chenchus in the interior forest. However, the Chenchus who live in the plains make use of government-run hospitals. the initiatives taken by the government to build hospitals close to the Chenchus. In the Telangana districts of Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda, and Rangareddy as well as the Andhra Pradesh districts of Prakasam, Guntur, and Kurnool, 43 primary health facilities have been built. One community health volunteer was established by ITDA in each Chenchu hamlet. They have a responsibility to report cases to the closest medical facility and treat the ailing person with first assistance or simple medication. With the aid of the ITDA, they should continue to raise awareness of health and cleanliness. With the involvement of NGOs in the advancement of the Chenchus’ health, these efforts have been intensified.
• By providing the Chenchus with better health care services, the Red Cross Society, Nice Foundation, LVPEI, and DFID in Collaboration with Andhra Pradesh Right to Eye Sight Society (APRESS) are playing a crucial role. The health camps in the hamlets of Chenchu are frequently organised by all these groups. Red Cross society routinely holds health camps as part of its rural health initiative. A doctor and three paramedical staff members from the Indian Red Cross Society’s mobile dispensary make at least monthly trips to the Chenchu hamlets. They provide free medical exams and prescription drugs to the Chenchus. The company keeps track of the health cards of Chenchu pupils attending Ashram schools. Even in the hamlets in the forested centre, the Red Cross Society and Nice charity conduct medical camps. With its mobile dispensaries, the Seva Bharati organisation offers health services to the Chenchus in the Kurnool district. In partnership with ITDA, DFID and APRES perform cataract surgeries and provide medical assistance with regard to eye care. In the area under ITDA administration, they have performed 4,378 cataract procedures on both Chenchus and underprivileged members of other communities. These groups provide a large amount of medical assistance. In schools, LVPEI arranges eye care and health camps. They provide eyeglasses and free treatment for children’s minor eye issues. They provide care for the serious sickness at their institute in Hyderabad, Telangana, with a 50% discount.

Project for Chenchu Livelihood Enhancement (CHELE) :

• This project was cooperatively carried out by the government agencies ITDA, Girijan Co-operative Corporation (GCC), and Andhra Pradesh Forest Department, as well as the NGOs CPF, CONARE, and CHRD. At the local level, CONARE and CHRD are active. There aren’t many Chenchus on staff. The initiative aimed to train the Chenchu women in the sustainable gathering of non-timber forest products such Adda leaf, amla, tamarind, and soap nut, and the Chenchu men in the sustainable and safe collecting of wild honey. 101 Chenchu women were trained as part of the project in the value addition of tamarind, 271 women in the value addition of amla, and 102 women in the production of leaf plates. In order to close the gap between the joint organisation and the community, the Chenchus were also trained as resource people. With the assistance of NGOs, this project aimed to close the gap between government initiatives and the general public and fully exploit the potential of both. For the purpose of giving the project’s beneficiaries training, educational materials, and toolkits, two support centres were set up in the districts of Prakasam and Mahabubnagar, respectively, in Achempet and Dornala, respectively. The project was carried out in 92 Chenchu villages, 65 of which were in the forest’s core and 27 of which were buffer villages.
• A training session on sustainable and safe honey collecting was held as part of this effort to improve the Chenchus’ ability to support themselves. “Livelihood Enhancement through Sustainable and Safe Practices of Rock Bee Honey Harvesting through GO-NGO Collaboration” is the name of the programme. One of the Chenchus’ most significant sources of income is beekeeping. It has the potential to generate a lot of employment. The programme aims to instruct the Chenchus in secure and reliable honey harvesting techniques. If the new techniques were used, it was predicted that the collection would rise by a factor of two. In the districts of Mahabubnagar, Guntur, Kurnool, and Prakasam, the programme was held in 17 Chenchu clusters. In the commencement of the programme in 2006-2007, seven Chenchu men were taught for 20 days as Master Trainers. In the period between 2006 and 2009, 919 honey harvesters from the districts of Mahabubnagar, Guntur, Kurnool, and Prakasam were trained, according to the Impact Assessment Report of the CHELE project (Narasimha Reddy, 2010). Additionally, the CPF educated 50 Chenchu honey harvesters with funding support from the GCC and the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED). All the Chenchu beekeepers now have identification cards. Additionally, the kits were given away free of charge.
• The Chenchu men received instruction on how to gather honey without harming the bees. Compared to other established techniques, this one is less dangerous. The participants received the stipend during the programme. The training lasted between 10 and 15 days. Insofar as the Chenchus participated, it was a success. However, few few Chenchus were able to maintain the kits’ usability and adhere to the new practises. Even after the training session, many others still gather honey the old-fashioned way. Major issues include a lack of follow-up and damage to tool kits. The cooperatives for honey production underwent formation. However, they are unsuccessful.

Value-Added Education :

• The CHELE project also includes this programme. This programme includes training on tamarind, soap nut, and amla value addition. Due to inadequate training and awareness, this was a failure. In each village, the resource people led a training session for a few hours. They only had a short time to persuade the Chenchus. They don’t teach excellent practises or raise awareness of them. All it was was a ritual. Even after completing the training programme, the Chenchus continue to use the conventional techniques. Not a single instance of using a novel technique is seen. The knowledgeable resource people were unable to have an effect on the trainees.
• This programme won’t be successful among the Chenchus because they never pay attention to anything valuable, according to a resource. Such a preoccupied idea is a significant barrier to the program’s effectiveness.

Customizing Education :

This programme is put on by the APCRS and the ITDA. A few villages in Telangana’s Mahabubnagar district saw the implementation of the scheme. In the same district’s Appaipally village, there is one training facility. In this centre, there were 30 trainees. Each trainee receives a daily stipend of 30 rupees. The three months of training are. After the training is successfully completed, the NGO delivers sewing machines to the trainees. It has some degree of success. Due of the lack of a daily stipend payment, not all of the women participated consistently. At the conclusion of training, the stipend was granted. Some trainees were unwilling to sacrifice their daily wage of 50 rupees for training. They just enrol in the programme to receive a sewing machine. The coordinator of the programme is not Chenchu. More so than its effects, he was worried about the program’s continuance. He believes that paying trainees a regular salary could result in their departure at any time. If not, at least for the stipend, they consistently attend the training programme. But this was shown to be false. The majority of trainees forego regular training. Only when the coordinator is at the training facility do they attend. Although the coordinator is aware of it, he disregards it because the fund can only be approved by the ITDA if a certain number of people attend the training. After 2 12 months of instruction, only four women in the Appaipally hamlet were determined to be potential tailors.

Various Programs :

The government’s efforts to promote agriculture were not very effective. The most important factor is the misalignment of agricultural activity with cultural elements. Due of the Chenchus’ lack of acceptance, the NGOs are also not particularly engaged in these activities. Very few NGOs have dabbled in agricultural-related activities. According to the beneficiaries’ ability to pay, Nandi Foundation arranges training programmes and gives seeds to Chenchus on a subsidy or for free. The Nallamalai Foundation provides educational activities to foster an interest in agriculture. However, its primary goal is the protection of biodiversity in the Nallamalai forest with the aid of the Chenchus, not agricultural growth.

A campaign to raise awareness of Chenchus’ rights to water and other forest resources was conducted by Sakthi NGO. In order to protect their ownership rights over the water sources in the forest, the Chenchus in the Mahabubnagar and Kurnool districts receive legal assistance from the Nallamalai Foundation. People have been made aware of the Forest Rights Act of 2006 and the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act of 1996. They actively advocated on behalf of Chenchus and brought their issues to the attention of the relevant government officials. Cooperatives for fishing have been started by them. But these cooperatives failed because of a lack of follow-up.

As a result of urbanisation, the relocation of habitats, and changes in livelihoods, the oral literature of the Chenchus is progressively vanishing. Folk tales and songs are slowly fading away, and the new generation is unaware of them. In this situation, the Nallamalai Foundation helped two teachers from the Chenchu community compile the traditional songs, and the book containing the collection was released. Both modern writers of Telugu literature and educated Chenchus have praised the book Giriginja Girimallelu.

Conclusion :

NGOs that have a thorough understanding of the community use a culturally sensitive strategy to effect the desired change.

Such a strategy fosters relationships with people that are trustworthy. To inform the public about the anticipated effects of an action, this is essential. NGOs send volunteers to live among potential beneficiaries and engage them in both formal and informal interactions. This makes them trustworthy and aids in the efficient execution of the projects.

But none of the NGOs are successful. The way the initiatives are carried out is one of these NGOs’ biggest flaws. It was discovered that the goals of the government organisation force grassroots organisations to adopt short-term strategies without significant follow-up actions in the collaborative initiatives. However, it takes more time for native groups to accept any initiative. Due to a lack of follow-up, successful programmes are also having trouble maintaining their results. Other limitations include a lack of qualified and devoted employees and inconsistent funding. Some instances imply that there is widespread mistrust of a select few NGOs’ actions. They are either under suspicion by the populace or by the legal systems. An organization’s goal may be defeated as a result of such mistrust of any stakeholder. The NGOs must be transparent and persuade people of the value of their work, even though doing so can be challenging in some circumstances. By actively advocating on behalf of the public, they should also serve as a link between the government agency and the populace. This would be beneficial for both the general public and the NGO in order to carry out the initiatives successfully. Currently, a large number of NGOs are working independently throughout the nation’s tribal regions. They frequently spend limited resources very sparingly on comparable tasks. If they worked together based on shared interests, it would provide better results. A network of NGOs on both a national and global scale is required. An organisation that streamlines NGOs’ operations will be very effective. However, such an organisation shouldn’t eliminate any NGO’s autonomy. Despite the flaws, there is no denying that NGOs serve as a safety net and are essential to the advancement of tribal communities. While they lack the magical abilities to instantly fix every issue, they can nonetheless serve as excellent development catalysts.