FOOD, NUTRITIONAL AND LIVELIHOOD SECURITIES FOR MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES

Bhuban and Tulasi are amongst the 1050 farmer couples who participate in Agragamee’s efforts for Eco-village development in some of the remotest and most poverty stricken regions of the country. A collaboration between Agragamee and Karl Kubel Stiftung, Germany the effort covers 25 villages of Kashipur Block in Rayagada District, Thuamul Rampur Block in Kalahandi District and and Tentulikhunti Block in Nabarangpur District in the Eastern state of Odisha in India. These districts are part of the KBK (Kalahandi, Balangir, Koraput) region identified as extremely underdeveloped by Odisha as well India Governments. Over 85% of the population in this region is below the poverty line. 47% of the children in this region are stunted, with 20% being severely stunted. The Project seeks to address Food, Nutritional and Livelihood Securities for marginalized communities affected by Displacement, Distress Migration and Chronic Poverty. The main objective is to promote sustainable agriculture and improved land use through appropriate inputs and support for value addition.
The project addresses the multiple and complex set of problems through close consultation with village communities, combining indigenous knowledge systems with perma-culture design principles for the establishment of a successful model that can be scaled up to other upland tribal regions.
Thus far, the project has enabled the reclamation of 700 acres of family farm and 200 acres of common lands, helping 1050 women and men farmers ensure better livelihood security for their families, and set an example for other tribal farmers and villages, as also for other donor groups for supporting conservation and ecological regeneration in the denuded tribal regions.
Thus far, the project has enabled the reclamation of 700 acres of family farm and 200 acres of common lands, helping 1050 women and men farmers ensure better livelihood security for their families, and set an example for other tribal farmers and villages, as also for other donor groups for supporting conservation and ecological regeneration in the denuded tribal regions.
He used to cultivate only hybrid maize on his one acre plot during the monsoons. This hardly gave him any profits, as most of the income went for repayment to the seeds agent. After the harvest Bhuban migrated to far off places to supplement the meagre earnings from his land. His wife Tulasi Jani was always upset, as managing the household single handedly was a big challenge.

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Stories of Change by
Dhanu Patra

Dhanu points to his wife “She wanted to plant trees. I thought she was mad. However she insisted, and with the support from Agragamee people, we fenced our land, and grew mango and cashew. Now, four years later, we have an income of 35000 from our family farm. We plan to extend this plantation and fencing to more land on our own, now that we have learnt the design and methods.”

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In 2016, with Agragamee’s help, Bhuban and Tulasi developed a mixed fruit orchard on his land. He was also able to ensure year long irrigation through a farm pond, and a lift pump. The change was dramatic! Their income increased from Rs.1250 to Rs.32500 per year. Bhuban’s children began to attend school regularly, he stopped his annual journeys to Andhra construction sites, and was able to repair his dilapidated hut. The smile on his wife Tulasi’s face perhaps sums it all as she says, We have gone back to our own seeds. We have learnt to improve the soil with home made manure and control pests with local herbs. We spend less, and earn more now. I am so happy, my husband has stopped migrating, and my children’s health has improved!”
A joint Effort by Agragamee and Karl Kubel Stiftung in Tentulikhunti Block of Nabarangpur,one of the most Underdeveloped District of Odisha. The Project seeks to Address Food, Nutritional and Livelihood Securities for Marginalized Communities Affected by Displacement, Distress Migration and Chronic Poverty. Tentulikhunti block of Nabarangpur has a tribal population of nearly 55%. Total 10 villages in two Gram Panchayats in Nabarangpur are included in the project.
The project duration is from 1st Oct. 2017 to 31st Dec. 2020

PROJECT OBJECTIVES:

Overall Objective :

  Increased self-reliance of poor tribal communities in Nabarangpur District of Odisha.

Specific Objective :

  350 farmers from 10 villages will improve their livelihoods and capacity to cope with the impact of climate change with special focus on increased and sustainable agricultural production and value addition, income and development of Community Based Organisation.
  Through the project 300 new farmers from 10 villages will benefit from improved agriculture and market linkages and improve their capacity to cope with changing climatic conditions.

WHO WILL BENIFIT:

Target group and relevant stakeholders benefiting from the project

The project targets a total population of 1976 with 993 women, and 983 men, constituting 490 households in 10 villages in Tentulikhunti block of Nabarangpur district of Odisha. Among the total households of the project 83 are marginal (16.93%), 268 are small farmers (54.7%) and 24 belong to big farmer category (4.9%). Total land less families are 115 which accounts to (23.47%). The total literacy of the population is 37% against a district average of 46.43, with male literacy of 42.4% against a district average of 57.31 and female literacy is 31.5% against a district average of 35.80.
Within the target group specifically 350 households will be supported for agriculture and livestock based activities to improve their income levels. The project will help the target population increase productivity of their lands, on a sustained and long term basis, through integrated multi-cropping systems comprising of seasonal, rain-fed as well as perennial crops of marginalized families through a composite development of family farms. As a result various government programme will be implemented in the targeted villages and with maximum benefits. Overall the land and water management skills of the target tribal communities will be enhanced. The productivity of crops like finger millet and pulses is proposed to be increased by 60% through targeted crop management practices, seed improvement and pest management. This will result in increasing the nutrition security and family income. Agragamee’s efforts will help target families to improve soil fertility, control erosion, and adopt better techniques for agri-waste recycling and mixed-cropping. These efforts would combine traditional farming practices with present day know how, and also help reclaim degraded land under hilly shifting cultivation areas through sustainable livelihood practices and plantations that will generate income. Both farm and non-farm based activities would help to increase food security and economic self reliance.

DETAILS OF OPERATIONAL VILLAGE:

Sl.No. Village Name G.P. No. of Household
1 Bageipadar1 Pujariguda 66
2 Chalanmunda Pujariguda 29
3 Kadamali Pujariguda 30
4 Kandraguda Pujariguda 49
5 Kapatsil Pujariguda 24
6 Kapatsil Lamtaguda 40
7 Talagodi Lamtaguda 51
8 Uppergodi Lamtaguda 70
9 Padaunli Lamtaguda 59
10 Tagapali Lamtaguda 72
Total Tagapali 2 G.P.’s 490

SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES AND IMPACT:

TThe project sets to achieve impact at three levels as mentioned below
Result 1: 300 small farmers have successfully established family farms according to promoted model

  Mobilizing and planning with 300 farmers
  Land preparation and fencing
  Pit digging, nursery raising and plantation of cashew and mango saplings
  Supply of seeds and bio-fertilizers
  Inter-cropping of vegetables and pulses, Cropping of Annual crops like Ragi through System of Millet Intensification
  Land development activities like trenching, bunding and gully plugging
  Survey for water resource development
  Creation of Water resources – 40 farm ponds, shallow wells and irrigation pump sets
  Training village level user groups on water resource management, operations and maintenance
  Formation of seed bank management committee
  Construction of seed bank / grain storage structure in 10 villages
  Provide matching grant for 10 seed banks
  Conduct 60 training camps for 10 Farmer Field schools in the operational villages

Result 2: 350 cashew farmer families of 10 villages are mobilized and organised in community based and apex organization for increased income, food security and socio-economic development

  Formation and strengthening of 10 Mahila Mandals having 350 women members
  Training and capacity building of Mahila Mandal members on group management, accounts management, business plan development and leadership training
  Training of Indravati Mahila Mahasangh (Federation) members on Government schemes, social security schemes and health schemes and empowering them to leverage resources
  Identification of 50 vulnerable women headed households
  Supporting 50 households for goat rearing
  Training on goat management, care and feed management practices
  Identification of 50 youth for agriculture training
  Agriculture training on nursery raising, vermin compost and para-vet services for 50 youth
  Formation of one Farmer Producer Organisation in current location involving 300 cashew farmers, training them in business plan preparation, identifying markets and traders and collectivization of produce and institutional development

Result 3: 350 families use “climate smart” household amenities.

  Survey of current stoves, firewood consumption and time of cooking
  Training on installation of smokeless stoves
  Installation of stoves in 350 households

SUSTAINABILITY

Social

The training, capacity building events, exposure, institution building and allied activities will address the equity and gender justice aspects as well as ensure increased access and demand for amenities and benefits with ample scope for participation in decision making. Through this project several infrastructure will be created like farm ponds, live stock, pump sets, grain bank etc. which will also enhance the skills and capacities of the people. through regular training and awareness programmes, people’s knowledge and capacity enhanced and they will be aware of their entitlements. several options for livelihood enhancement will be given to the people what will help them to take appropriate decisions in the future. once these are in place, we hope that people’s access to financial institutions will improve and they can make use of this in enhancing their livelihoods.

Economic

Maintenance fund and income from Agro-Farms, Community Assets and Institutions like Nursery, Grafting work, Training and Processing works. The scope of continued income from the developed sources will also ensure sustainable economic up rise among the beneficiaries. There will be scope for market promotion through Farmers’ Producers’ Organisation, Women Federation that will contribute towards promotion and sustainability of economic ventures, income nursery and family farms will continue as source of income for all the direct beneficiaries with assured scope of income, source for the people associated with that in allied work like packaging, transporting, marketing etc. at village and market level

Environmental

Reduction in felling of foreign plants along with treatment and development of commons will ensure environmental stability of the region. Exploring natural resources in useful manner do have abrupt impact on environment. this will also help in promoting the health of the users as well. prohibition of application of Chemical Fertilizers and Pesticides and promotion of Organic Inputs in the farming practices will ensure environmental sustain ability.

Technical

Local fabrication and simple technology coupled with training of local youths for operation of enterprise, handling the farmers field schools, supporting the community in collection and marketing of forest producers will not only help economically but also technically to the beneficiaries.

Cultural

The Farmer Field School will promote scope of agricultural technology, cropping pattern, management for the farmers. The continued effort in Farmers Field Schools through community support, will sustain this culture supportive act in a well managed manner. Education, awareness generation and participation in technical and associated aspects of Agriculture, Technical Management of Assets and Sharing with Convergence Agents etc will ensure socio-cultural up rise of tribal people to a good extent. The development interventions will be taken up by Indrabati Mahila Mahasangha. The marketing and business activities will be taken by Farmers’ Producers’ Organisation (FPO) which will be form during the project period in a proper time frame.

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