Watch Try not to die! Zero farmer’s suicide!

Just read this….

“The official figures for farmers’ suicides in UP Bundel­khand are 568 (2009), 583 (2010) and 519  (January-­May 2011). In MP, the corre­ sponding figures are 5,838 (2006-­10) and  348 (January­-May 2011) with a large  number from Bundelkhand” ( Source: Report of Mr. A k Verma on Farmers suicide in Bundelkhand; A K Verma teaches at Christ Church College, Kanpur)

Now watch a non-edited promotional film of HARIT PRAYAS by HARIT PRAYAS project team of JCSS-Jhansi & Caritas India and see how with HARIT PRAYAS we approach farmers and reduced farmers suicide in 3 districts of Bundelkhand region to ZERO!

Watch Try not to die! Zero farmer’s suicide!

http://www.youtube.com/watchv=szLAVyC6EhA&feature=youtu.be 

Caritas India with its development initiative in the form of HARIT PRAYAS in Bundelkhand region has able to reduce farmers suicide up to “zero” in 64 villages of Sagar, Chatarpur and Jhansi with concept of sustainable and profitable agriculture….now input cost in agriculture has gone down to 80% , where as average production has increased to 35%!

To do all this Caritas India has adopted a unique platform in the form of farmers club where in farmers from all caste and religion and gender are part of it. It also decreased the caste dynamics in Bundelkhand region.

Watch the promotional film on how a Dalit farmers are taking the approach of HARIT PRAYAS in the form of farmers collectiveness and sustainable profitable agriculture in entire Bundelkhand region. The film is been made with the support from JCSS-Jhansi team. An is with out any editing! It took almost a day to work on this and it is one of the initiative to promote Caritas India development initiative HARIT PRAYAS almost 100% result achievement (under sustainable agriculture able to reach to more than 7000+ farming households with low cost  organic cultivation) in  within 23 months of project implementation.

Call for Papers: International Conference

On  

 Cooperatives in Transition in the Era of Globalization

 

TISS-Mumbai & IIM-Khoziakode, in collaboration with Uralungal labour Contract Co-operative Society Ltd ( India’s 1^st cooperative ) has Call for Papers for International Conference on - Cooperatives in Transition in the Era of Globalization. The themes proposed for the papers are:

·                     Cooperatives: Kerala experience;

·                     Politics of co-operativisation;

·                     Neo-liberal reforms and cooperatives in India;

·                     Success stories on cooperatives in India;

·                     Accumulation, technological change and cooperatives;

·                     Experiences with credit cooperatives;

·                     Experiences with production cooperatives;

·                     Experiences with consumer cooperatives;

·                     Marketing challenges for cooperatives;

·                     Cooperatives and frontier technology sectors;

·                     Forms of ownership and cooperation;

·                     Management and participation in cooperatives;

·                     Legal frameworks for cooperatives;

I

As many of us have worked with Cooperatives or its similar forms and institutions in the form of CBOs, we could think on translating our experiences and submitting paper. Also this will give a platform to share our caritas experiences at larger platform.

 

Last date of submission of abstract is 15^th April 2013. for more log on to http://tiss.edu/call-for-papers-proposals/call-for-papers-international-conference-on-cooperatives-in-transition-in-the-era-of-globalization/call-for-papers-international-conference-on-cooperatives-in-transition-in-the-era-of-globalization

 

HARIT PRYAS in relation with strengthening GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) of the country

 HARIT PRYAS in relation with strengthening GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) of the country

The share of agriculture in Gross state domestic product (GSDP) has declined significantly during the last tow decades.  The agriculture sector in India accounted for 17.57 % of the GDP (at constant 2004-2005 prices) in 2010-11 compared to 18.9 % in 2004-05.  Like wise agriculture sector witnessed a growth of 2.1 %ccc during the Tenth plan.  The sector registered a growth of 5.8 % in 2005-06, 4.5% in 2006-2007 and 4.5%in 2007-08.  However, there was a slow down in agriculture growth in 2008-09 to 1.6 %.  Plan-wise growth rate of GDP and agriculture[1]

The impact of HARIT PRAYAS on sustainable agriculture can be easily visualize that  in last 18 months , 64 villages of HARIT PRAYAS  able to influence more than 200 village in the region (50 plus villages in Jhansi, 40 plus villages in Sagar and 100 plus in Chatarpur villages).  And not only this even community members from other districts are also visiting HARIT PRAYAS to see the impact on agriculture  where input cost has gone down by 90 per cent and  production has increased from 10-15%.  The journey of sustainable agriculture with low input cost to of HARIT PRAYAS approach has brought about recognition that future agriculture growth and productivity will not depend on market rather would be individual farmer driven  also this movement of HARIT PRAYAS will move to  strengthen the GDP of country through generating more interest amongst the farmers and  making agriculture a profitable occupation

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[1] Source: Kurekshetra April 2012 issue

Every Child has a Right to Her/His Father.

Gauri Shankar used to be a daily labourer. He spent most of his time outside his village and away from his family, looking for livelihood in the cities like Delhi and Chandigarh.

Although, he was a natural singer and a musician,he could not afford the luxury, with worries of bread and butter weighing him down. 

His growing children would soon need more than he thought he could provide.

Less than two acres of ancestral land was not even enough to provide food for his seven member family. Clothe and education stood in line. 

The Land's fertility was affected by excessive use of chemical fertilizers. In addition, the increasing price of fertilizers and pesticides brought an end to Gauri's wits.

This was a time, where India saw most of its farmers committing suicides, Madhya Pradesh being one majorly hit states.

The farmers had inadvertently lost trust in agriculture and began looking towards bigger cities for survival and livelihood. More than fifty percent of villagers from the region were forced to migrate.

It was at this crucial juncture in January 2011, Caritas India's Harit Prayas made an entry into Bundelkhand region (MP and UP), where Kota was the farthest and one among the twenty villages to be covered under the program.

Today, we have a different picture! 

Gauri Shankar lives with his family. He sings and plays music to communicate and motivate. He is a community leader. 

He is a CIA (Caritas India Agent) of change. He is successfully practicing total organic farming and influencing many others. Under his leadership, we proudly called Kota, a hundred percent organic village.

No, the struggle has not come to an end. But we have been able to restore the lost confidence, trust and hope.

The villagers have new ideas, new support system, strengthened panchayat, farmers club, micro finance system, women farmers, village tourism, major financial back up from NABARD and KVKs, information centers and round the clock support of Caritas India officers.

We are not just talking, we believe in showing it to you. Write to us to see the change as it happens now. Join us in a visit to the village.

You may start with this video now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY5dS9YpI-o

The following poster (also attached) narrates the joy of Gauri Shankar with his children.

In our joy of service to the nation, we take the joy of giving back 

Eevery children, their father,

Every wife, their husband,

Every parents, their son and daughter,

Lets unite India by uniting families!

By Mr. Amrit ( Communication Officer, Caritas India, get back to him @ amrit@caritasindia.net 

AATAM MANTHAN-2 :…a learning platform with community

“AATAM MANTHAN-2 would be a unique platform to have a project review meeting with the community rather than in a meeting hall it would be in a village”

From 25th-27th April 2013  at Sagar

“दिखा गई पथ, सिखा गई हमको जो सीख सिखानी थी,
बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,
खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी”

These are the few lines of Poet subhadra Kumari Chauhan who wrote this poem on the first freedom revolution in India started from Bundelkhand region in 1857. the lines describes how the queen of Jhansi fought with the east India company soldiers to save the Bundelkhand from the slavery….in the same way from 2011  HARIT PRAYAS has become a movement and revolution in the Bundelkhand region to combat underdevelopment in the 64 villages of Bundelkhand region…

1. Concept

Aatam-Manthan is a ancient Hindi word, first time used by a lord Krishna in Mahabhatha ,while preaching Arjuna in Geeta about realisation of the”truth of the world” so that to move foreward.

Probably with HRIT PRYAS the context of Bundelkhand is tougher than the battle field of Kurukshetra[1] in the form of issues related with poverty, migration, drought and combating on these issues are not few days task.  Few facts about the Bundelkhand region (till 2011) are:

• Sex ratio of all the districts  is lower than the state average
• Highest in Farmers suicide in last 10 years [2]
• The indebtedness among farmers can be understood by the official records that total amount of current outstanding bank debts in Bundelkhand is Rs 4,370.32 crore. This is 21% more than 2010 when the total bank debts stood at Rs 3,613.22 crore.
• 2 severe droughts in last 5 years
• Caste system is on its heights!
• Cost in agriculture is 76% of total income from agriculture
• Still more than 15% of villages are not electrified[3]
• Strong veil system for women
• Migration is up to 48% from villages[4]

With HARIT PRAYAS in last two we have initiated, generated and sensitised a movement amongst the community and different stakeholders to work on the issues and to have a better livelihood and life in the entire Bundelkhand region. Considering this last year we have initiated the concept of AATAMMANTHAN in the form of learning cycle meet along with the LIFE project partners (from Rajasthan) and in continuation with the same AATAMMANTHAN-2 would be a platform to learn and from the process and to see the  development changes brining in Bundelkhand region through HARIT PRAYAS.  It will also give community a scope to be the part of review meetings, share the progress and indeed take the progress further on.

2. Objectives of the Aatam-Manthan-2:

• To learn from the process adopted  and progress in HARIT PRAYAS project till date with special focus on last one year and strategically develop sustainable plan for the last year of the project implementation
• To engage community fully in the review process of the project and to train them on taking responsibilities to mange the project further on.
• To strengthen the partner organisation capacity in terms of new resources, Human resource and financial management

3. Expected outcome from AATAM-MANTHN-2

• Analysis & clarity on HARIT PRAYAS process and progress (including finance) amongst all the participants
• Capacity building of partner and the HARIT PRAYAS team on governance, programme implementation and 12^th 5 year plan
• Finalised concrete 3^rd year plan with focus on strengthening governance and sustain sustainable agriculture with community collectiveness
• Finalised end term agreement
• Partner specific plan for resource mobilisation and human resource capacity building

4. Who all would participate?

All the Directors, HARIT PRAYAS project team ( including Coordinator, Field Coordinator , Accountants and Cluster Coordinators) , along with  one each PRI member would be the part of the AAtam Manthan-2.

---

[1] A place now in Haryana state

[2] http://ibnlive.in.com/news/bundelkhand-519-farmer-suicides-in-5-months/167604-3.html  & http://ibnlive.in.com/news/bundelkhand-519-farmer-suicides-in-5-months/167604-3.html  & http://www.indianexpress.com/news/farmer-commits--suicide--in-bundelkhand/818639

[3] http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-02-21/lucknow/31082097_1_bundelkhand-separate-state-poverty-levels/2

[4] Planning commission report 2011 

Powerful HARIT PRAYAS to generate awareness on organic cultivation!

On March 14, 2013  we have organised a  programme on organic farming and has been withnessed by more than 2000+ community members. In the beginning of this month our team planned to step forward on “Organic Farming”. We thought why not to utilize the “Rahas Mela” A festival where farmers from all around the district get together and sell their livestock. This is a 15 days festival which was organized by MP givt the and special invite was  MLA of  Sagar district Shri Gopal Bhragav jee who is also the Panchayati Rajya Minister of MP.  In all these 15 days there are different critical issues directly or indirectly related to Farmers. On 14^th March, 2013 there was a “Krisak Samelan” and we HARIT PRAYAS team at MVSS-Sagar realized that it will be the best day for our event to take shape. We talked to the government officials and were able to get the schedule and time fixed. We scripted our dialogues on some of the important point on the organic farming like “Use of locally available Seed, Use of Bio fertilizers, Use of Amrit Pani, Use of Ancient Technique for weeding, Making of Vermi Compost and Impact of chemical fertilizer on soil and nature”. Team had also planned to sing a folk song on organic farming with same relevant issues. We have involved local community artist  for doing the puppet show. The event started and to our shock the crowd reported  was more than 2000 from different villages. We started our event with a brief description of Harit Prays & the role of  Manav Vikas Seva Sangh and then we presented about organic farming techniques.

During the puppet show we depicted a husband and wife who because of chemical farming in their land got fewer crops. And then the way Harit Prayas Team helps them to overcome the problem of scarcity.  After the puppet show we started the famous folk song on organic farming sung by the team themselves, with the lyrics as “Jaiwk khad apnaiyo; Kisan bhaiya upaj badhiyo” (adopt organic farming and increase cultivation). We got an opportunity to share with farmers’ the importance of organic farming by entertaining them and making them sing along with us. The Minister has acknowledged our effort and gave Momentous and certificates to our Team member and acknowledging the effort of MVSS-Sagar through movement like HARIT PRAYAS. He also requested us to continue our effort and to aware people on various others issues also. The entire programme of HARIT PRAYAS was live telecast on the City News Channel .

We are planning to continue this at village level also. Please listen the audio song that our team has made in bundelkhandi on organic farming.

Alok Tripathy

Project Coordinator

Harit Prayas(MVSS- Sagar)

Key activity & result achieved in HARIT PRAYAS project region in Feb 2013

1.      IGP: This month we trained MM members to do inter-loaning and with the little amount they receive and in which all ways they can do a Small IGA. With this effort we were successful in starting IGA in 3 MMs.

2.      RTI: spreading awareness among the village community of RTI was also the main objective of this month. RTI campaigning was done through demonstration at various place; our maximum efforts were to spread the awareness with the help of Sarpanchs and PRI leaders in many villages. With this we could remove the fears of the people.

3.      FCs: Our work with NABARD received a boost after the opened accounts, 10 farmers club received their check and few are awaited to receive their check latest by this month.

4.      MNREGA Awareness Campaigning: The biggest achievement and an awsumm experience that we achieved was an awareness campaigning on MNREGA through a NUKKAD NATAK at Jamghat Primary School in Rehli Block. Around 200+ people came to watch it. Our chief guest of that campaigning was CO of Rehli block Rajesh Patariya and guest of honor was head of all gram panchayat. It was an enriching event with both awareness and satire. The awareness campaigning included a nukkad natak and a folk song which we are going to launch on all india radio the song is attached to the report. This awareness campaigning was basically on how to get job card, how to get job and how to get Rs132.

  5.      Organic cultivation: In this month we got tie up with agriculture department so they are giving “Vermi compost” to our 14 farmers list will be attached to the report. In, monthly meetings held there was discussion on organic cultivation to be held and to get registered with government for organic farming. Agriculture department will do organic cultivation programme on our 5 villages when this vermi programme will get successful the names of village are Badgan, Kachi Pepariya, Samnapur kala, PeaprGaur and kadta

6.      Amrit pani: Furthermore the use of Amrit Pani is still continuing by10 farmers in their fields and being benefited thereby and looking at this 6 new farmers have adopted this technique in their fields.

7.      Demo-plots: with 48 demo plots at continuation, farmers have started to make more into it by adding Amrit Pani and required compost materials to add to the manure composition.

New initiative: We are planning for getting tie up with Pratham PACE Programme for youth empowerment in some of the villages of Rehli block. It will be a vocational course for Automation Training to our youth in the block. It will be a three months residential training in which youth above class 4 can join and they will get trained for doing mechanical work and driving of heavy vehicle, the certificate will be given by Pratham in collaboration with Tata Motors. The job is guaranteed but we are still looking to all its pros and cons and then will start the linkage process.  

By HARIT PRAYAS MVSS-Sagar team 

Regularizing Community Based & Managed Organisations meeting @Jhansi

Team HARIT PRAYAS has their regular follow up routine meetings with all Community Based & Managed Organisations (CBMOs) in the form of Farmers club and SHGs of HARIT PRAYAS  Farmers are now able to mobilize their community member and having valuable discussion. One more big change which has been seen now is that farmers are tackling their as well as village level problem through farmer club as it is used as a platform for suppressing their problem. In every village on a pre-decided date Farmers Club members along with other community members enthusiastically participating in meetings. And same is also seen with the SHG members they are now independent for their decision and building their confidence against the odds in society. They have adopted inter-loaning methods from which they are enhancing saving through simple interest. They are coming in front for the solutions of their personal as well as community/social problem with the help of SHG. Many have started self-employment like having small shops, confectionary etc for being financially stable to help and support themselves as well as family. Asst. Director Fr. Vinu George also interacted women and farmers in the village as his monitoring visit 

By HARIT PRAYAS Jhansi team 

Cooking classes on Bundelkhandi cuisine from the field of HARIT PRAYAS!

Are you fond of food?

Do have you ever tried Bundelkhandi cuisine?

If yes this is for you!

Bundelkhand is rich in its culinary culture with number of delicious food preparations. Once there was a time during Britisher’s when Bundelkhandi cuisine was equally valued to Mughalai cuisine, but slowly with slow development process and popularity and taste of Bundelkhandi cuisine has also lost. We work with HARIT PRAYAS project in the Bundelkhand region and our team from Chatarpur thought to bring out the popularity and taste of Bundelkhand cuisine (especially the cuisine which deprived and marginalised community is accessing). In one of our visit in Jan 2013 we have found one such interesting preparation in one of the village farm field. The dish is known as –“Bundelkhandi Aaloo Tamatar Sabji”. Preparation is quite simple with boiled potatoes or raw peeled potatoes, cut in to small pieces, add little oil ( preferably mustard oil) salt, turmeric, cumin seed, mustard seed, green chilli, green coriander and fry it for some time, then add boiled or unboiled peeled pieces of potatoes , fry it   for sometime and then add water to it, cook it for 30 minutes with continuous stirring and food is ready and you can enjoy this!

The said dish is mainly popular amongst the tribal poor  and they mainly prepare during harvesting season, marriages and other festivals and the dish could be taken along with different bread forms-roti, puri etc.!

This is just a one dish, there area many….lets promote Bundelkhandi cuisine, lets give identity to the food of deprived and marginalised community of Bundelkhand!

For more on preparation log on to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok8_K0BDSWk&feature=youtu.be  

HARIT PRAYAS is a community based initiative to enhance food security and ensure sustainable livelihood in the Bundelkhand region!

Regards

Vinod Pandey

Bringing social change in Bundelkhand through HARIT PRAYAS@Chatarpur

Karondia is one of the most backward villages of Harit Prayas project area. The baseline survey of Harit Prayas project reflected that:

• ·         There was not any community based organization in this village.
• ·         The community members were indulged in taking alcohol and other drugs.
• ·         Indulgence in alcohol consumption hampered agriculture badly.
• ·         Rather farming, community members were used to migrate as laborers.
• ·         The income of household was badly affected due to expenses on alcohol (mahua).

The objective of project Harit Prayas is to increase the income of households of poor and marginalized community. The strategic intervention by the team members of Harit Prayas project, SSSS, was made to eliminate the problems of alcoholism in the village and getting agriculture back on the track, in a phased manner.

·         First of all one farmer club ( Jatashankar Kissan Club) was formed. In this farmer club there are 12 members.

·         A series of meeting was conducted; the farmers were trained about negative impact of alcoholism.

·         The bylaws were formed by the farmers themselves. In the bylaws it was explicitly mentioned that any member who takes alcohol, a huge fine will be imposed on him. If somebody violates the rule repeatedly, he will be boycotted socially.

·         Apart from this farmers were trained on organic farming with help of resource persons and Harit Prayas team members, simultaneously.

·         Village level meetings have been conducted throughout the project duration in karondia village.

Outcome

·         Due the farmers’ club, training and regular meeting and generation awareness the community members have stopped consuming alcohol in this village. The social mobilsation against alcohol is working as a pressure.

• ·         Farmer’s club members are going to prepare 12 NADIB in next month.
• ·         People are inclined towards organic farming in this village.
• ·     Due to increased agricultural income, there is decline in rate of migration in this village.
• ·         The alcohol shop in this village has been removed due to the social pressure. 

       By HARIT PRAYAS SSSS-satna team

HARIT PRAYAS strengthening NREGA @Sagar

This case study is going to reveal how a villager because of lacking of work in the village was migrating from the village and our cluster coordinator “Jay Narayan Patel” motivated him and provided him path to find work in village. This case study belongs to Chura Village of Niwari Panchayat. The name of person who was migrating from village is “Dilip Ahirwar” his job card no is 171000904401/796. He has 3 more family members with one wife and two kids.

HARIT PRAYAS Impact:

This case study starts when one day our cluster coordinator saw this man on the road waiting for someone. He asked him for whom are you waiting here as he was a member of our farmer club name “Raj Hans”. Than Dilip Jee replied I am waiting for bus to go to sagar and for finding some work there. Our CC requested him to come for the monthly farmers club meeting next day and he accepted that. On the next day he came for the meeting. Our CC took an agenda for awareness of farmers on individual land development on MNREGA and how to apply for job under MNREGA. He asked Dilip jee do you have job card, he said yes I do have. Our CC with Dilip jee wrote an application for getting job under MNREGA to Deputy Sarpanch name Mintu Thakur of  niwari panchayat as he is the only active person working in the panchayat office.

Result

The result of this Dilip jee got a job in just 12 days to work in CC road of gram panchayat which was just 2km away from his home. He worked there for 11 days and now he is happy because for this month also if he don’t get job under MNREGA is going to write an application for it.  

 By HARIT PRAYAS MVSS-Sagar team

HARIT PRAYAS bringing social change in Bundelkhand!

JCSS, Harit Prayas is putting his full effort for social development. As Harit Prayas @ JCSS is not only confined to limited goal and objectives under projects but also working for challenging issues in villages. So one of them is Drug Addiction (ALCOHOL, GANJA, BIDI, and GUTKHA) because we are working for farmers and deprived section of society and only they are the one in villages who are ruining their life taking alcohol. We started a campaign through our Farmers Club to raise the issue. We initiated group meeting at village level where 120 people gathered to strengthen their self against this evil in the meeting we emphasized on following points.

1. Stop taking alcohol and drug in any form

2. Stop working on Local Liquor Factory (Daru Bhatti) and not to send their child to work there also.

3. Sending their children to school regularly.

4. If anyone disobeyed any of the above mentioned points he will be penalized with 1100 rupees fine first time and 2500 rupees second time with warning and lastly if he does not mend his habit, He will be ostracized (social boycott) from society. Nobody will have interaction with that person. This decision was taken by villagers unanimously. 

By HARIT PRAYAS JCSS-Jhansi team

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