LACIM PRACTICAL DIRECTIVES FOR WORK
1. Gifts are not allowed except in emergency cases (sickness, natural disaster, etc.,). If any they should be limited in amount and frequency. If a gift is granted, the beneficiary and the motive of the gift have to be clearly explained in the book of accounts.
2. In projects for family development (loans, goats, milk cows, etc.,) the beneficiaries have to reimburse with a small interest (for example 12% per year – 1 Rupee per month per 100 Rs.).
3. If cattle are given to a family, the help has to be transmitted to other families later on. For example, the beneficiaries can reimburse the price of cattle; in case of a goat give a calf or a kid to another family, according to the <<continuous chain>> principle.
4. The beneficiaries who receive help for their education (crèche, tuition center) or professional formation (tailoring course, help for technical studies, etc.,) should repay it according to their possibilities. They can repay while undertaking their studies, for example they can pay a small fee for the crèche, tuition center or tailoring center, or they can repay afterwards when they have a job. This money in turn to the LACIM committee will help other children or youth.
5. LACIM does recommend the formation of a revolving fund in the twinning. However, these revolving funds should be accessible even to the poorest. LACIM can encourage these structures by an incentive bonus proportional to the repaid amount. The LACIM participation shouldn’t be more than 25% of the repaid amount by the revolving fund members.
6. A local LACIM committee is compulsory for the starting of a twinning. The committee has to be representative of the helped people. It has several tasks to accomplish such as organizing the project, keeping the accounts, writing letters to the French Group, writing down what is decided during its meetings i.e., the minutes, etc., These tasks should not be done by one person but it is important to share these responsibilities among the other members of the committee. The Project Holder is responsible for the overall running of the projects, the Treasurer can keep the accounts and a secretary can do the correspondence.
7. The Treasurer in the local Committee responsible for the accounts has:
· To keep a say book of all expenses.
· To monthly sum up these expenses in a ledger.
· To keep a yearly list of all beneficiaries who have received gifts or loans (with the amount).
· The committee members and the LACIM Representative must sign these documents once a year.
8. In order to be self sufficient, the Lacim Committee will plan an income-generating project (IGP) as soon as possible. For such projects, the Project Holder sends to the LACIM Representative a budget for the first 3 years. After checking and modifying if necessary, a draft of contract with the French Group will be established. The representative sends all these documents to the French Group by the Project Holder and simultaneously to the Head Office. After mutual agreement, the Indian Committee and the French Group sign a contract. This document will allow the Representative to check, that all the commitments are respected as planned, and particularly the use of the profits.
9. Besides Income Generating Projects, the Developmental Projects have priority (drinking water, education, animal breeding).
10. A letter has to be written to the French Groups every quarter (4 months), which includes every time the Lacim Committee receives money. The received amount has to be specified in the letter in Euros and Rupees. This allows detecting any problems or anything abnormal in transfer of money.
11. Regarding the Indian way of life and the importance and cost of a marriage, it is not forbidden to help a woman when she gets married. But this should be reserved to very poor girls and the given money should not exceed 500 Rs. Beyond this amount, the money should not be given but lent (with a small interest). All members of the committee have to agree before granting such gifts.
12. Every time a loan is granted a voucher has to be signed by the beneficiary. The loan doesn’t need to be registered for small amounts (less than 500 Rs). The contract has to specify following pieces of information: loan amount, rate of interest, dates and amounts of reimbursements.
13. The reimbursement of a loan has to be guaranteed by a witness. If the beneficiary doesn’t pay back the guarantor will have to do it instead of the beneficiary.
14. When a project holder can’t continue to take charge of the project, he or the committee has to immediately inform the LACIM Representative. Money will no more be sent before the representative has given his agreement after checking the accounts and the acceptance of the LACIM rules by the <<new>> project holder. The <<old>> project holder has to give the LACIM documents to the <<new>> project holder.
15. The Project Holder will send to the representative a copy of all the letters he writes to the French Groups.
16. The Project Holder can take some advice from the representative to organize the project, especially when difficulties arise. This is particularly true for income generating and development projects. LACIM strongly encourages the sharing of experiences between the twinning.
17. The committee meets as often as necessary. It is recommended to write a report of these meetings. These reports can also be in the local language and need not be too long. They should specify the different tasks of each member of the committee before the next meeting.
18. The Project Holder keeps an annual summary of the utilization of LACIM money on the prescribed form given at the end of this document. This document has to be sent to the French Group and to the LACIM Representative before the 15th of February every year.
19. During his visit to the twinning the LACIM Representative writes a Field Report. The committee members read it and counter sign it. The Project Holder has the responsibility to look into the remarks mentioned in the Field Report whether positive or negative.