Helping hand- harboring hope

Women headed families / single women household families are different from poorest of the poor in terms of their needs and constraints. Absence of male support and having to live with other families or alone imposes special constraints and make them particularly vulnerable, as they get older for lack of assets.

When Sarbani Devi, 50 from Pithertoli village became a widow, the burden of looking after her family consisting of her three children came on her feeble shoulders. The small piece of land her husband owned did not help her survive through her financial needs. She used to depend solely on collecting and selling the forest produce like Mahua, tamarind, Lac etc to make a living.

“I struggled a lot to feed my children. On many days I used to starve and give leftover food to my children so that they don’t go hungry”, recounts Sarbani Devi.

She was merely curious when she attended a meeting conducted by Caritas India partner Naya Savera Vikas Kendra as a part of its Agrarian Prosperity Programme three years back in the village. One of the interventions of the programme was to offer livestock assistance to Single Women households. Understanding the poor plight of Sarbani, the villagers nominated her name for the same.

“When Naya Savera & Caritas India staff asked whether I was interested in rearing pigs for a living, I was very glad. Until then, nobody had come to offer me a favor. So I was too happy to take it up,” says Sarbani.

Initially she received 2 pigs through the programme. To equip her with livestock management skills, she taken on exposure visits and training on livestock raising from Caritas India partner Naya Savera Vikas Kendra. Now she has five pigs. After the first one gave birth, she sold them for Rs.13, 000. She regularly buys feed for the pigs, gives them proper shelter and keeps them healthy and disease free. Besides the pigs, Sarbani has bought 2 bulls and 7 goats from the profit she earned.

Since her other sons are married and settled elsewhere, all her hopes are pinned on her youngest son Jagdish Singh who is studying in high school in Palkot.  She wants to support his studies through her income and dreams of a better life for her son.

Changing the Face… of PDS

Bodadih is a small tribal hamlet located in Dahupani Panchayat, Palkot block of Gumla District, Jharkhand. For years, the villagers here had to travel by foot to Kurum village, about 4 kms away to fetch their monthly rations from the Public Distribution Shop there.

Sushma Devi, a community woman “We had to walk for hours crossing mountains and streams to reach Kurum village. It took us an entire day to get our ration supplies. Sometimes, we came back empty handed too as the shop used to be closed.”

When Sushma and other women in Bodadih were mobilized into Self Help Groups as a part of the Agrarian Prosperity programme by CARITAS India partner Naya Sawera, they put forth their constraints over accessing PDS at the Gram Sabha. As part of its revamp of the nation’s public food distribution system, running of village ration shops by women's self-help groups has been sanctioned by the government of India to break the monopoly of private agencies and empower rural women. 

Sushma’s SHG named Tara Mahila Samuh was selected by the villagers to open a PDS outlet in Dahupani village, close to Bodadih. The women decided submit their application for running PDS to the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) at Gumla. However, the SDO would not meet them. Sushma says, “We had to go more than twenty times to Gumla to meet the SDO, but he simply would not meet us. We were frustrated and clueless.” Finally, with the backup of Naya Sawera staff, the SHG women met him and submitted their application. As misfortune would have it, their application was rejected. But Sushma was resolute. She says, “We were very angry, but we didn’t give up. We filed a second application and submitted it to the SDO.” This time when they met the SDO, he shot them with bunch of questions to know their capability in running the shop.

Hilaria Keedho, one of the SHG members says, “The SDO looked at me and asked me what the color of a 1000 Rs note was. I smiled and told him that it was red. I knew he was testing us.”

After a year of constant follow up, the group was finally granted the license to run the PDS outlet in Dahupani. Their joy knew no bounds. They purchased 12 quintals rice and 500 litres kerosene using the money they had saved in their SHG. Additionally, the group had also incurred expenses for labour and transportation bringing the total amount to Rs. 24,000/-. Rati Kharia, one of the villagers in Dahupani offered them a room inside his house to store the supplies.  The shop opens twice a month- 15^th for rice and 25^th for kerosene. They sell rice at Rs 20 per Kg and Kerosene at Rs.10 per litre. It is now one year since the PDS facility was set up.

Sushma says, “We have invited the SDO to our shop. When he visits us, I’ll tell him even we women can run a shop. We faced your challenge boldly and proved our potential.”

From pigs to bigger things in India

At just 18 years old, Shiva Ram Kisan has experienced more of the ups and downs of life than some people will in a lifetime. He lost his mother when he was only 5 years old and his father when he was 14.  Loneliness, poverty and an empty stomach were no strangers to him.

kindly read more...

http://food.caritas.org/?p=776

IMPACT...

Sl No	Activities carried out in three years	Number
1	Total number of hamlets in ten villages.	54
2	Total number of hamlets has hamlet wise development plans.	50
3	Total number of Farmer Club.	42
4	Total number of water user associations.	29
5	Total amount of local contribution.	Rs. 25,08,623
6	Total number of Kisan Credit Cards.	143
7	Total number of new wells.	14
8	Total number of new community ponds.	13
9	Total number of wells renovated.	23
10	Total number of community ponds renovated.	8
11	Any other irrigation facilities (flow Irrigation)	2 Flow irrigations
12	Average water table at the start of the project.	18 feet
13	Average water table at the end of the project.	7 feet
14	Average distance from home to water source at the start of the project.	1.5  Km
15	Average distance from home to water source at the end of the project.	50-150  meters
16	Average water availability (how many months in a year) at the start of the project.	8 Months
17	Average water availability (how many months in a year) at the end of the project.	11 Months
18	How many farmers were involved in organic farming* at the start of the project? (*Organic farming is a form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control).	0
19	How many farmers are involved in organic farming at the end of the project?	626
20	How many farmers were involved in diversified farming system* at the start of the project? (*Diversified farming system is the practice of providing a variety of crops or animals, or both, on one farm).	0
21	How many farmers are involved in diversified farming system at the end of the project?	196 with Arhar & 177 with Maize
22	How many farmers were involved in SRI at the start of the project?	0
23	How many farmers are involved in SRI at the end of the project?	452
24	How many farmers were involved in SWI at the start of the project?	0
25	How many farmers are involved in SWI at the end of the project?	80
26	How many farmers had soil health cards at the start of the project?	0
27	How many farmers have soil health cards at the end of the project?	595
28	What are the major findings of the soil health testing?	Highly acidic due to huge imbalace application of Chemcial fertilizer
29	What action taken on the major findings?	Farmers applying Chuna (Lime) and Vermicompost
30	How many water testing carried out till date?	18 water bodies (1 hand pump, 1 Dari, 16 wells)
31	What are the major findings of the water testing?	Out of 18 wells only 1 hand pump well is drinkable and rest 18 is fully affected by Bacteria and not safe without treatment.
32	What action taken on the major findings?	Community using water only after boiling and bleaching power have been put.
33	Please define modern low cost farm technology.	Adoption of SRI, SWI, new agriculture equipments, Vermin compost, Azolla, diversified farming  & Nutritional Kitchen garden etc.
34	How many farmers were practicing this modern low cost farm technology at the start of the project?	0
35	How many farmers are practicing this modern low cost farm technology at the end of the project?	626
36	Rice (quantity) – average yield at the start of the project.	8 – 10 quintals in 1 acres of land
37	Rice (quantity) – average yield at the end of the project.	18 – 20 quintals in 1 acres of land
38	Rice (quality) – seed generation* of the plant at the start of the project. (*e.g. one rice grain produces a stalk yielding three grain, or 1:3).	Initially the Rice production was done traditionally in which tillering was 10 – 12 at maximum  per plant
39	Rice (quality) – seed generation of the plant at the end of the project.	Since the farmers adopted SRI system in which tillering is 40-60 per plant
40	Rice (stability of yield*) at the start of the project. (*able to withstand climatic variation).	In  traditional system it was lasting 6 months to 1 year
41	Rice (stability of yield) at the end of the project.	At the end of the project it was found 2 years
42	How many farmers were taking one crop in a year at the start of the project?	718
43	How many farmers are taking one crop in a year at the end of the project?	892
44	How many farmers were taking two crops in a year at the start of the project?	60
45	How many farmers are taking two crops in a year at the end of the project?	561
46	How many farmers were taking three or more crops in a year at the start of the project?	0
47	How many farmers are taking three or more crops in a year at the end of the project?	373
48	Farmers are taking what types of new corps now?	Vegetable (beans, French Beans, Cow pea, pumkin, bush type soybean, okra) Paddy, wheat, Arhar, Maize, Gram, Minor millets etc.
49	How many farmers were taking only one meal per day at the start of the project?	469 households
50	How many farmers were taking only two meals per day at the start of the project?	574 households
51	How many farmers were taking three or more meals per day at the start of the project?	124 households
52	How many farmers are taking only one meal per day at the end of the project?	0
53	How many farmers are taking two meals per day at the end of the project?	1111 Households
54	How many farmers are taking three or more meals per day at the end of the project?	855 Households
55	What types of food farmers were eating at the start of the project?	Rice, Sukti, Meat
56	What types of food farmers are eating at the end of the project?	Rice, Daal, Pulses, Vegetable (all kinds of seasonal vegetables), Meat, Fish, Poultry
57	How many months in a year farmers do not had food at the start of the project?	5
58	How many months in a year farmers do not have food at the end of the project?	0
59	Total number of vermin compost tank & vermi Beds in ten villages.	262 vermi Tanks + 452 vermi Beds
60	Total number of farmers using organic manure in their own field.	452
61	Total number of farmers is selling organic manure.	52
62	SHG –
	a) total number of SHG,	40
	b) total SHG members in all SHGs,	502
	c) total savings in all SHGs,	Rs. 7,39,185
	d) total loan issues till date in all SHGs,	Rs. 85,300
	e) total loan recovered till date in all SHGs,	Rs. 38,300
	f) total loan outstanding as on 24 June 2013 in all SHGs,	Rs. 78,000
	g) interest rate,	5%
	h) the purpose for loan taken,	Agriculture & Livestock
	i) leadership of SHGs (M/F) and	120 (F)
	k) Total SHGs with bank accounts.	21 SHG's
63	Total number of farmers with livestock.	209
64	Total number of farmers with income generation activity.	209
65	Total number of farmers with lac cultivation.	869
66	Total number of panchayats with water management strategy.	3
67	Total households with ration cards.	477
68	Total households who have applied for ration cards?	634
69	Total number of women leadership at project level – farmer association, water user group, SHG, etc.	163
70	Total number of women leadership at panchayat level.	7
71	Changes in NSVK due to gender policy.	Due  to this staff level we promote gender staff and administration level as well as in Executive bodies
72	Total number of villages with the community based disaster risk mitigation strategies.	10
73	Action taken as per the community based disaster risk mitigation strategies.	Grain Bank, Seed Bank, Linkage with the forest department for tackle with wild animal, formation of 3 Mahasamuh
74	Name of government schemes accessed by community/project.	Social security scheme (PDS centre), Roads, wells, house, in Agriculture sector agriculture equipments ( Cono Weeder, sprayer, seeds, and organic fertilizer, RSBY, Janani Suraksha Yojna, MNREGA, NABARD linkage etc.
75	Total number of households benefited through each scheme.	Social security scheme (PDS centre): 265 families of 2 villages
		Roads: 321 families of 3 villages
		Irrigation cum Drinking wells: 21 HH
		Indira Awas: 14 HH
		Agriculture sector agriculture equipments (Cono Weeder, sprayer, seeds and organic fertilizer: 215 Farmers
		Job under MNREGA : 234 Family
		RSBY CARD : 204 Family
		Janni Suraskha Yojna : 104 Family
		NABARD linkage : 7 Farmers clubs
76	Total amount of government schemes accessed.	Rs. 68 Lakhs
77	Total number of villages with equitable water access strategies.	9 Villages
78	Total land under cultivation using organic farming at the start of the project.	0
79	Total land under cultivation using organic farming at the end of the project.	198.6  acres
80	Total land under cultivation using diversified farming system at the start of the project.	0
81	Total land under cultivation using diversified farming system at the end of the project.	120 acres
82	Average percentage of soil erosion at the start of the project.	80%
83	Average percentage of soil erosion at the end of the project.	30%
84	Average income of farmer at the start of the project.	24,000
85	Average income of farmer at the end of the project.	50,000
86	Total number of farmers using chemical fertiliser at the start of the project.	718
87	Total number of farmers using chemical fertiliser at the end of the project.	136
88	Total number of farmers with crop insurance at the start of the project.	0
89	Total number of farmers with crop insurance at the end of the project.	150
90	Public Distribution Shops available at each village at the start of the project.	2 PDS centre in 10 villages
91	Public Distribution Shops available at each village at the end of the project.	3 PDS centres in 10 villages
92	Major achievements of elected women leaders in panchayat in last three years.	Regular meeting of Gram Sabha, Awareness and access of Govt. Schemes,
93	Average migration at the start of the project.	80%
94	Average migration at the end of the project.	30%
95	Total number of training organised for Panchayat members during the project lifespan.	8
96	Training subjects.	Empowerment, roles  and responsibilities, and strategies to access Gov. Scheme, Role of Gram Sabha
97	Total percentage of women leaders at Panchayat level at the start of the project.	0
98	Total percentage of women leaders at Panchayat level at the end of the project.	60% (Out of 12 Members 7 are Women)
99	Total community contribution (year wise).	1st year Rs. 463599
		2nd year Rs. 544727
		3rd year Rs. 1500297
100	One case study. (Name of the beneficiary, Village name, Family information, Situation before support, Type of support and Situation after support).	Name of the beneficiary: Shiva Ram
		Village name: Sundridih
		Family information: Orphan boy married 2 years ago with the help of community. He lost his parents at the age of 14 years. Once he lost his parents he had to go through lot of difficulties. The community had great concern towards him therefore lot of moral supports rendered by the villages.
		Situation before support: Meal taken only once a day and lacked knowledge of decent living style.
		Type of support: Firstly appointed village point person in NSVK, a pair of pigletes accessed and training organaized.
		Situation after support: Today is most successful in systematic livestock rising and Lac production. He sold livestock fare 40000 thousands recently yet has 8 piglets.
		However, he sold Lac rupees of 80, 000 (eighty thousands rupees only) started saving in bank (After joining with the project he opened bank account) and bought 600 hundred kg's of fencing iron wire with the rupees of 26, 000 thousands. He is fencing his whole area and start systematic cultivation and livestock rising.
		Moreover, taking 3 meals in a day, having bank balance, planning to plant Lac production plant, fishery, duckery and piggery in mass base.