Activity Update July 2013: Kanha

Team: Amit Awasthi – Conservation Officer

            Sampathlal Dhurve – Field assistant

Highlights

·      3 awareness programmes on improved paddy farming techniques

·      1 vermi-compost pit prepared at Manegaon  

·      10 wells cleaned in 4 villages

·      2 anti-plastic programmes

·      2 unemployed youths placed in resorts 

·      2 capacity-building workshops for SHGs

·      Environment education programme conducted in 11 schools - attended by 330 students

Conservation

During July, our team organized programmes in 3 villages to spread awareness on improved techniques of paddy farming and treatment of seeds. This will help farmers improve their yields in the coming season. Details of the programmes are given in the table above.

Chapri - Sampath and Ajiwika co-ordinator inspect result of improved
farming technique taught at our workshop

Patpara - Amarsingh implements improved farming technique 

learned at our awareness programme

Kutwahi - Sampath and Ajiwika coordinator Khemkaran Janghela
demonstrate improved technique of cultivating maize

During July, we also organized programmes to clean 10 wells used to draw drinking water in 4 villages. We collected medical/cleaning agents from the government’s health agencies and distributed these to farmers who needed to get their wells cleaned. The details are as follows: Bhagpur (2 wells), Manegaon (3 wells), Dhamangaon (2 wells) and Chapri (3 wells). This work is particularly important for villagers as the risk of water-borne disease is higher during the monsoon.

On July 28, our team organized an anti-plastic programme at Patpara. Amit spoke to the students of the village school about the harmful impact of plastic/polythene on the environment and motivated them to remove such litter from the village. The students went around the village, collecting plastic and polythene litter/waste, which were then buried in a pit on the outskirts of the village. A similar programme was organized on July 30 at Samaiya.

Samaiya - village children cleaning up plastic trash

During the month, our team also updated the socio-economic survey of Bhagpur village and carried out a survey of the unemployed youths in the village in order to work out a strategy for alternative livelihood options.

As part of our strategy to reduce the impact of chemical fertilizers on areas adjoining prime forests, we promote organic farming. On July 8, we assisted Harisingh Markam of Manegaon prepare a vermi-compost tank to generate organic fertilizer.  

Manegaon - Vermi-compost tank being prepared in backyard 

of Harisingh Markam's residence

Education

During the month our team organized environment education programmes in 11 schools in the villages in our area of operations.

Employment Cell

We helped two youths get jobs during the month of July.

Amarlal Uikey of Chapri, who got a job
at an upcoming resort with our help

During July, we organized 2 capacity-building workshops for a total of 8 women’s self-help groups (SHGs). Of these, 4 have received “revolving funds” of Rs 10,000 each while the others have received approval for the same amount. Our workshops focussed on teaching the SHGs how to maintain documentation for the funds and how to effectively utilize the funds. Officials from Ajiwika and Amit conducted the workshops.

The first workshop was on July 12 at Samaiya and was attended by  members of Aarti SHG of Samaiya, Sita SHG of Samaiya, Sarada SHG of Bhagpur and Durga SHG of Bhagpur. 36 women attended this workshop.

Samaiya - Amit speaks to participants at the SHG workshop

Samaiya - meeting of Aarti Women's SHG

The second workshop was on July 13 at Kutwahi and was attended by a total of 36 women from Roshni SHG of Kutwahi, Laxmi SHG of Kutwahi, Deep SHG of Kutwahi and Indrawati SHG of Chapri.

 Kutwahi - Capacity-building workshop for women's SHGs