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Goat Rearing Program for Nomads
Program for the controlling of Malnutrition (Health Nutrition &Kitchen Garden Program)
There has been far reaching changes in their economic life. Some of their traditional skills have lost their relevance, in few other cases, the traditional professions the reward are too less to fulfill the survival needs. Hence the recent generation is looking for the alternatives. The education level of these communities is so low that it is hard to get employed as a skilled labor. The only avenue open to them is the wage labor. For making themselves reliant one needs to give them vocational training. But again this is possible only if they receive the minimum level of formal education.
The program of goat rearing was designed in order to provide an "income generation" activity to nomadic women. The goat-rearing programme was implemented by 5 Voluntary Organization's covering 50 beneficiaries, distributing each beneficiaries 2 goats. This program basically started with training on 'goat rearing practices' etc. The program turned out to be very successful in enhancing the economic status of the women folk. In order to multiply the program and provide an opportunity to enroll more beneficiaries in this program, the program had feature of rotation. Due to the rotation nature of the program 50 beneficiaries were newly selected. Where the goats multiplied to 100 in number. On going training, quarterly review meetings, monitoring visits by the AFARM staff all this has added to the quality maintaining of the said program.
Presently program is in its third rotation were the beneficiaries, have multiplied to 150 and goats distributed in the program are 300.
ads
The Nomadic community is far behind from the Mainstream of the development and the society because of their ill literacy and kind of life style they live. Most of the Nomads are 'gypsy' in nature and spend their life in isolation away from the main village or wadi, rather many a times NRI's (Non Resident Indians) because they are not qualified citizens of the state. Their names are not enrolled in the election lists. All this has resulted into ill literacy of the children. Poverty, Lack of employment, Gypsy kind of life style, health hazards and de-notification of some nomadic tribes has kept them away from the main stream of development and education.
Education thus emerges as one of the key Issues in their development. The education of the children is the most neglected issue of the nomads. The literacy among the settled nomads is much higher than the dispersed population in the rural areas. As the nomads are mostly occupied with the livelihood problems, education remains a low priority; there are several other problems, which hinders the spread of education in these communities. 'Language problem', 'Social discrimination', 'Migration' is the major reasons of increased illiteracy among the nomads.
Language problem in early childhood is one of the reasons for ill literacy among the nomads. Most of these communities have specific dialects, which they use in their households. Though they use Marathi to interact with their clientele population, parents use this dialect while interacting with their children. When the child comes to school, it faces the language problem and as a result it's comprehension level remains low and hence the school becomes dis-interesting matter for the child. This relative disadvantage in the initial year develops into absenteeism in the successive years, and finally the child drops out of school. Another reason for ill literacy is social discrimination in the school. There is a need to ensure congenial or favorable atmosphere to the children of these communities in the school so that it will help in retention of the child. Considering these areas of constraints, in order to provide an opportunity to enter into mainstream of development through education. AFARM took up the Balwadi program for the children of nomads.
AFARM has initiated Balwadi
Program for the children of Nomads. Presently NGO's from the Marathwada
region of Maharastra have participated in the program. The balwadis are
exclusively run for the children of Nomads from Banjara, Paradhi, Kolhati,
Dombari, Gosavi, Nandiwala, Joshi, Beldar, Sikkalgar, and Vidhu community.
The Balwadi program has
created liking towards schooling among the children and parents too. Every
year around 40 to 50 children are admitted in the local primary school.
This program aims at controlling of the Malnutrition in the Tribal communities. This program is implemented for almost last 10 years in the tribal belt of Maharastra. The tribal families are provided with the seeds of vegetables (14 varieties) and training for its plantation and survival. The families are expected to plant this seeds and harvest the vegetables, which are to be consumed by them in their daily diet. The additional daily diet of green leafy vegetables helps in controlling of the undernourishment. The regular additional diets of fresh vegetables are helpful to Lactating mothers, pregnant mothers, Old people and growing children in the families. The tribal communities are also given training on the subject of Bio-Pesticide and Seed preservation. The program of Kitchen Garden starts with training and distribution of seeds in the month of May. The families who participate in the program start harvesting the yield by month of August. The plantation of vegetables provides nourishment up to the month of January. In the area were some water can be speared for Kitchen Garden, the beneficiaries also make Summer Gardens.
This program was designed in order to save the tribal from the clutches of the Money Lenders and problem of Under Nourishment. During the off seasons and in the times of heavy rain and summer many a times, due to poverty and lack of employment opportunity, the tribal have no option than to starve. The lack of work opportunities and poverty compels them to migrate in search of work. The other option left with them is to lend money from the moneylender at a huge interest rate. This rate is never repayable. The vicious cycle of the moneylender never ends.
The program of 'Grain
Bank' was initiated to solve their problems of Malnutrition, Migration,
Vicious circle of Money Lenders & Starvation. During the formation
the grains were given by AFARM. In course of time they collected the grains
for the Bank. The members operate the Bank.
The committee does the
documents and the accounts of the bank and also the maintaining of the
collected grains.
Voluntary Organizations from the state are running the program of 'Grain Bank'. The program is no more limited to tribals, nomads communities have also taken up this program. A documentary film on the 'Grain Bank' program (Annapurna - Kahani aaka Dhanayya Banke chi in Marathi and Hindi Language, 45 minutes ) is made by AFARM.
This program was designed in order to make seeds accessible at the right time of the season. The Tribal communities were given an idea of making a 'Seed Bank', which would furnish them seeds in the right time. The programs of seed bank also save them from the clutches of the Money Lenders. The seed bank program is run through the committee made among the members. The committee maintains the documents and the accounts of the Seed Bank and also the maintaining of the collected seeds.
In the initial stage seeds for the formation of the Bank were given by AFARM. In the process the seeds were collected from members as shares. The seeds, which were distributed, were collected again from the members. Voluntary Organization in Noth Maharastra implements the program of 'Seed Bank'.
State level Workshop of
Voluntary Organization Implementing Balwadi Program.
State level Workshop
of Voluntary Organizations engaged in Nomads Development Program.
Project Planning: -
Seed Bank program for
Tribal communities
Grain Bank Program for
Tribal Communities
Health, Nutrition and
Kitchen Garden Program
Balwadi Program for Children
of Nomads.
Goat Rearing Program
for Women of Nomads.