HARIT PRAYAS: EMPOWERING WOMEN FARMERS IN BUNDELKHAND REGION

Today, the face of the afflicted farmer is almost always that of a man’s; the woman farmer has been all but forgotten. While we are still talking about women, let us spare a thought for those who do not appear on the pages of our newspapers or on television channels; women who seem invisible even when the subject under discussion relates directly to them. Forgotten most of the time is the fact that the bulk of work done on farms across India is by women. Just statistics never tell the full story but the fact remains that while 79 per cent of rural women are agricultural workers, fewer rural men, 63 per cent, work on land. Despite this reality, where the bulk of the workers on land are women, only nine per cent of women own agricultural land. The untold story of Indian agriculture is not just one of mismanagement — of water and other resources — but also of the refusal to acknowledge women’s contribution to agriculture. Despite numerous studies that have established beyond doubt that the bulk of the work to produce the food that all of us consume is done by women, they are still not recognised as farmers in our official agricultural policies. As a result, whenever the government announces schemes for farmers, the women who are actually doing the work are left out of it.

HARIT PRAYAS empowering women farmers…

With all this situation in India with HARIT PRAYAS effort in Bundelkhand , Caritas India is able to train about 117 women farmers and are engaged in farming practices from soweing, ploughing , weeding and harvesting . recently in HARIT PRAYAS review AAtam Mantahn-2 ( In Jamghat village of Sagar) a women farmer named Kusum shred her experiences with male farmers….

“Kususm a women farmer from Kanwar village ( a HARIT PRAYAS project village) of Chatarpur district after initiation of HARIT PRAYAS project in village get trained on agriculture and allied practices and technologies and formed a women farmers collective and did first time in her life entire practice of farming including ploughing and harvested highest production in year 2013 ( for rabi crop) . Now Kusum shares her experince with male farmers of not only of her village or of her native district but also shares her experience of cultivation with farmers of other districts.....now Kusum is happy and her family members especially her mother in law is proud of her that her daughter in law is a change agent in the entire region and is not less than any male farmer”

Watch Kusum educating male farmers on sustainable agriculture practices: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OvK6_TEPC8&feature=youtu.be

For more on HARIT PRAYAS log on to www.haritprayas.blogspot.com or www.caritasindia.org.

Aatam Manthan-2   

Rehli block Sagar ( MP)

HARIT PRAYAS Review meet in village

The concept of AAtma manthan – 2 was to see the change that has taken place in the Bundelkhand region by Harit Prayas. It started with a new concept of conducting the “Review meet” in the village. For the first time in the history of Caritas India any Review Meet has taken place in any of its project villages. Review meet was scheduled in Sagar District at Jamghat panchayat of Rehli block. We were supposed to say in a primary school of Jamghat village which was near at the center of the Project area. The reason behind this Review meet was to feel the “Real Rural India” closely and which actually happened with the involvement of PRI members and the community of village.

We started our first day event with discussion on the works that were done in the respective project villages of the partner Diocesan organizations and then on the same day we went to see two project villages of Harit Prayas namely Kadatha and Juna. In Kadatha we discussed on the issue of including women in the Farmer’s club membership and empowering women to do sustainable agriculture practices, we also discussed the importance of inter-loaning in Mahila Mandals and initiated them to do collective farming. In Juna we discussed on the issue of practices in Organic farming with a farmer who is doing organic farming in all his land by the initiation of Harit Prayas. We were able to interact with the PRI members of village and we discussed on the issue of work that has taken place under MNREGA. At night we had a discussion among our team and with the community on the issue of “Gunghat System” prevailing in most villages and on the various other prospect of the village.

Next day we started our village visit in two more project villages of Harit Prayas named Semra Gond and Samnapur Kala. In Semra Gond we had a discussion on importance of organic farming and various other tools and technique that can be involved in doing improvised organic farming. We also discuss on the need of doing savings with the Farmers club and empowering the women to speak in front of men. The best part of the village was Mahila Mandal and Farmers club were sitting together discussing with us different issues of village. In Samnapur Kala we saw total support of PRI members to the Farmer’s club and Mahila Mandal both the Secretary and the Sarpanch of the village was their during the meeting, they shared the MNREGA work in the village and how they are hand in hand with Harit Prayas team trying to provide benefits to villagers. An important achievement that we saw of Harit Prayas field was availability of CFL in the village an initiative that is taken to save energy and to reduce the cost of electricity for the villagers.

When we came back we shared our experience of entire 4 project village and what are the measures that needs to be taken to make this Harit Prayas project successful. At night we had a rejubinating cultural programme from the other partner NGOs and from the community of jamghat which was worth to see. The most important thing about this village stay was to feel the true India, we ate what they were eating, we slept how they are sleeping, we drank the same water which they were drinking. The only reason for this two days village Review meet was to feel the sufferings and trauma that they suffer regularly and this was important to take measures and make Harit Prayas impactful.

By MVSS-Sagar HARIT PRAYAS team                        

                                     

Aatm-Manthan 2: HARIT PRAYAS review meet @ Sagar ( in village) from 24th-26th April 2013

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.

5. Plan schedule:

1st Day: 24th  April 2013 (Wednesday) in Project Panchayat
Timings	Plan	Remark
9.00- 9.15 am	Welcome by MVSS-Director, lightening lamp and	Probably in one of the gram Panchayat of HARIT PRAYAS at Sagar
9.15-9.30 am	Sharing of purpose and scope of AATAM MANTHAN-2	By Caritas India team
9.30-10.00 am	Theme Presentation by JCSS-Jhansi HARIT PRAYAS team (Read Notes)	Facilitation by Caritas India Team
10.00-10.40 am	Project Presentation by JCSS-Jhansi HARIT PRAYAS team
10.40-11.00 am	Discussion on both the presentation
11.00-11.20 tea break and visit to HARIT PRAYAS Fair
11.20 am-11.50	Theme Presentation by SSSS-Satna HARIT PRAYAS team (Read Notes)	Facilitation by Caritas India Team
11.50 PM-12.30 PM	Project Presentation by SSSS-Satna HARIT PRAYAS team
12.30-12.50 pm	Discussion on both the presentation
12.50-2.00 pm: Lunch Break and visit to HARIT PRAYAS Fair
2.00-2.30 pm	Theme Presentation by MVSS-Sagar HARIT PRAYAS team (Read Notes)	Facilitation by Caritas India Team
2.30-3.10 pm	Project Presentation by SSSS-Satna HARIT PRAYAS team
3.10-3.30 pm	Discussion on both the presentation
3.30-3.40 pm tea break and visit to HARIT PRAYAS Fair
3.40-4.10 pm	Combined analysis of all presentation	Caritas India team
4.10-5.00 pm	Visit and discussion at HARIT PRAYAS mela	Facilitation by MVSSS-Sagar, SSSS-Satna and JCSS-Jhansi
After 5 discussion with community and community meetings
2nd day: 25th April 2013  (Thursday) Field Visit to 2 project villages –three team  and caritas India team members would be divided in to two teams. Field visit will start from 8.30am till 2.00 pm.
2.00-3.00 pm	Lunch
2.40-4.00 pm sharing by both the team members , their experiences
4.00-5.30 pm	Session on Micro-planning	By Caritas India West Zone manager
7.00-8.00	Cultural evening with community
3rd Day: 26th  April 2013 (Friday) in MVSS-Sagar meeting hall
9.00-10.00 am	Session on 12TH 5 YEAR PLAN AND  HARIT PRAYAS	By Caritas India team/Expert from NABARD/other
10.00-10.50	Data collection, End term agreement of Project and scope for sustainability	By Caritas India project team
10.50-11.10	Tea break
11.10-12.30 pm	Working with each team on third plan	With Support from Caritas India
12.30-1.00 pm	Presentation of plan by JCSS-Jhansi team
1.00-1.15pm	Discussion on plan
1.15-2.15 pm	Lunh break
2.15-2.45 pm	Presentation of plan by MVSS-sagar team
2.45-3.00 pm	Discussion on plan
3.00-3.30 pm	Presentation of 3rd year plan by SSSS-Satna team
3.30-3.45 pm	Discussion on plan
3.45-4.00 pm	Tea break
4.00-4.30 pm	Sharing on learning & open discussion forum	Facilitation by Caritas India
4.30 Vote of thanks	By Zonal team  west Zone Caritas India

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[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