Creating Liveihoods

SCIAF's local partner, Gram Vikas, is helping some of the pooest and most oppressed people in the drought prone area of Thuamul Rampur to work their way out of poverty. SCIAF's Asia Project Officer, Percy Patrick reports.

In this highly populated, rural district, many people belong to the Khond and Paraja tribes. Originally forest dwellers, they traditionally moved from place to place, hunter gathering and clearing small areas of the forest for subsistence farming. But changes in government policies on the use and control of forest resources have forced them to settle, and left many without access to land.

Extreme poverty is everywhere, and tribal culture is weakening as many young people turn away from their rich traditions. Malnutrition and starvation are on the increase, women are becoming marginalized, and alcoholism is widespread amongst men. Many people face mounting debts and have been forced to hand the few resources they have over to money lenders.

SCIAF and Gram Vikas are working with tribal communities teaching sustainable farming techniques to ensure they get the most from their plots of land. New water conservation and irrigation methods are providing families with safe drinking water and protecting their fields from drought. Farmers are now able to grow a greater quantity and variety of crops including fruit, vegetables and flowers, which they can sell on.

Lochan Gauda, a farmer in his mid 40s, cares for his parents, his wife and their four children. He has 16 acres of land, half of which is protected forest. The irrigation and water conservation work carried out in his village has made a huge difference to him and his family. The better quality of soil allows Lochan to grow a wide variety of crops and produce a greater quantity of food which he is able to harvest three times a year. His hard work provides his family with a varied and nutritious diet and he is able to sell what is left over. He now earns four times as much as he did before. He has stopped collecting wild fruits and firewood from the forest to sell at market and his wife Sumana no longer has to work long hours for little money in order to make ends meet.

Narayan Gouda, a field supervisor with Gram Vikas is helping to implement the changes. He said: “I feel satisfied that my effort has been useful when I see the smiles on the faces of the tribal farmers when their fields yield good crops.”

Gram Vikas also teaches villagers how to manage their money and resources to ensure that there is always enough to eat, and encourages people to play an active role in their community. Men, women and young people are offered training in masonry and can use their new skills to find well paid jobs. Some women have taken out loans which they have used to start up their own businesses. The money they make has improved their status within the community and helps to provide a better quality of life for their families.