NUTRITION GARDENS
The Nutrition Gardens Project was launched on 15th of January 2020 in 23 villages of Chikiti and Patrapur block of Ganjam district. As many as 500 marginal women farmers from 23 villages were selected and trained on model kitchen garden and promoted kitchen garden in their backyard and roof top kitchen garden in 12 months. To sensitize the women farmers, VIEWS conducted training on organic Kitchen garden in village level with the SHG Members. As well as also VIEWS conducted training on production vermin compost in household level. After conducting the series of training at village level.
Erratic rainfall during the past few years has badly affected the agriculture sector in southern Odisha. Under the impact of losses, male members of the farming community have been migrating to cities in search of jobs in non-farm sectors often leaving the entire farming responsibility to women folks. Women farmers who were until now contributing their physical labour during sowing, weeding and harvesting of roles are slowly taking up the role of farm managers -an additional burden apart from their daily household chores causing them more drudgery and tiredness. Of late, more and more women in the farming communities have started complaining of health problems such as back ache, shoulder pain and anemia. While there are scores of affordable agri equipment that can lessen the drudgery in women, none of them have access to it. The women farmers are also unaware of the modern method of sustainable agriculture practices and use of agri technology.
The project aims to enhance communities’ nutrition and livelihood security by means of building farmer’s capacity to sustainably manage farm based resources and popularize SOCCs model by doing good deeds in these villages.
INITIATIVES
Community
Livelihood
Environmental
LOCATION: Odisha, Maharashtra, India
PARTNERS: VIEWS, DBPM
CO-FUNDER: FRAUEN POWER
PROJECT FEATURES:
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10 villages in the Gajapati district.
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300 women farmers empowered.
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300 households improved nutrition and incomes.
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150 compost pits created.
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10 villages making organic manures.
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30 villages holding cleanliness drives.
This project contributes to 8 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Community Mobilization and Strengthening SHGs:
In order to implement the project, VIEWS promoted Self-Help Group and reviving the old SHGs, those are defaulted. Women Self Help Groups have been playing a vital role in implementation of this project since its inception. VIEWS has facilitated these women Self Help Groups in villages thus helping the locals to come together and solve their individual problems collectively and participate in SoCC activity.
There are 45 SHGs have bank account in their nearest bank and they are depositing their month savings in their bank account and withdrawal for internal lending. There are 500 SHG members are the beneficiary of this project and they are directly involve in SoCC activities.
Capacity Building Training: Training programs on promoting organic kitchen garden, and model kitchen garden has been conducted among 500 beneficiary to understand the concept and the benefits of kitchen garden. VIEWS team conducted a series of training at village level with the SHG members in our operational area to mobilize the marginalized women farmers to promote organic kitchen garden in their backyard. Staff also provide training on preparation of organic manure and vermin compost and the application of organic manure in their kitchen Garden. This Skill training provide knowledge on preparation of and initialization of vermin compost.
Low cost Vermi Compost Pit: Vermi-compost the decomposition process using various species of worms, to create a mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste, bedding materials etc. It contains water-soluble nutrients and is an excellent, nutrient-rich organic fertilizer and soil conditioner. It is used in farming and small scale sustainable, organic farming. VIEWS team mobilize the tribal women farmers to stat preparation of vermin compost to their back yard and apply it in their kitchen Garden. VIEWS conducted training on preparation of vermin compost and their application. After creating awareness on vermin-compost and its preparation and application, with the support of Asia Initiatives we have supported 3 cement ring and worm to each beneficiary. 500 beneficiaries are producing vermin compost in their back yard and applying it in their kitchen garden. By applying this organic manure and vermin-compost they are getting fresh and healthy vegetable from their kitchen garden to their kitchen.
Kitchen Garden Tools: Kitchen Garden tools has been supported to 500 beneficiary in the 23 villages in two block of Ganjam district. VIEWS supported 500 water cane to watering the plants in the kitchen garden. It is helping them to applying pot manure in their field. They are mixing the pot manure and water in a ratio as per their requirement and watering this in the plants. It is working as watering to the plant as well as applying organic manure and pesticide in their kitchen garden. 500 women are very happy to use this equipment as it is very easy to use and they are watering equally to all the plant and it is helping not to waste the water resources
IEC Materials: We have developed one leaflet on organic Kitchen Garden, which described the detailed concept of organic kitchen garden and the benefit of the kitchen garden. It is also reflected the seasonal vegetables and model kitchen garden. We have designed and printed 1000 leaflet and distributed the leaflet among the beneficiary for the common understanding and create awareness among the beneficiaries during training on organic kitchen garden.
Establishment of Kitchen Gardens: It is expected that every household learn how to establish and maintain a Kitchen garden. VIEWS team conducted series of training on preparation of organic manure, preparation of vermin compost and preparation of model kitchen garden. After continues training VIEWS build their capacity to start kitchen garden in their backyard. VIEWS also supported vegetable seeds and sapling to start kitchen garden. VIEWS staffs provide handhold support to the beneficiaries to establish organic kitchen garden to grow their own food and get fresh and healthy vegetables from their kitchen garden. This garden contained mixed and diverse crops including indigenous vegetables designed to provide balanced diet to the families. It ultimately supported and contributed to the project objectives for Self-reliant rural community which is social-economic and environmentally conscious and sustainable. Kitchen garden in their back yard can help to get healthy diet.
Celebrating Village level Health & Nutrition Day: Village Level health & nutrition day celebration is very effective for rural and tribal community regarding health and nutrition information and facilities. So, under the project, VIEWS team collaborate and mobilized ASHA, Angan wardi worker, ANM in the village level and facilitating to celebrate Village level health and nutrition day and encourage to access the Government scheme related to health and nutrition. Secondly, it is platform to introduce the ANM, Anganwadi worker and ASHA to access the government schemes and raise their voice against, if they are not getting their rights and facilities. Support of government system, the VHNDs are conducting in each project village. A SHG woman, youths and community stakeholders participates in event and mobilizes to community to take services of health and nutrition. The Group member has been taken initiative to ensure participation of women in each VHND points. Project team member coordinate to service health providers and block officials for celebration the each VHND in project area. There are 24 VHND Program conducted among 422 Women SHG Members within one year.
Plantation: Considering the manifold benefits of trees, including that they release oxygen into the air, harmful gases such as carbon dioxide from the air and purify it, protect us from dangerous ultra-violet rays, provide us with food and preventing soil erosion, maintaining ecological balance and most especially in lessening the effects of global warming, the SHG members, the beneficiaries of this project conducts tree plantation near the water bodies. During this project we have planted more than 1,000 plants with collaborating with Forest Department. The Forest Department has supplied the local species forest plant.
Planting of trees is especially important to protect our environment against air pollution and global warming. Our 500 women farmers have been actively involved in tree plantation campaigns and earn 20 SoCC point each beneficiary.
SHG Meeting: Self-Help Group (SHG) is a homogeneous group of poor, women. It is a voluntary one formed on areas of common interest so that they can think, organise and operate for their development. SHGs play a crucial role in improving the savings and credit and also in reducing poverty and social inequalities. We have 500 beneficiary from 45 Self Help Group in two block of Ganjam. There are 431 SHG monthly meeting has been conducted among 500 members of 45 SHGs. In the monthly meeting the SHG members were discussed about the benefits of Organic Kitchen Garden, preparation and application of organic kitchen Garden and they are also doing Monthly Savings and internal credit activity. As well as also they were engaging in village cleaning, and plantation activity.
Signature Campaign: Signature campaign is one of the SoCC earning menu of this organic kitchen garden project. Those women from our beneficiaries do not know their signature. We conducted signature campaign and make them learn their signature. Our staff figure out the women those do not know their signature. During this project year 137 women learn their signature.
Village Cleaning: Village cleaning is one of the earning SoCC menu, by participating in this activity one beneficiary is earning 10 point. Another side of this activity is to clean the environment and maintain clean and hygiene. Which create a clean environment in the villages and the wastage of the villages except glass and plastic item, they are putting in the vermin compost pit. Which produce vermin compost for their kitchen garden and at the same time it is clean the environment and maintain hygiene. There are 192 village cleaning program has been conducted in 23 villages within one year of the project period.
Vaccinate to the Animal: Vaccination has long been an effective way to reduce disease burden in pets and farm animals, and is a key tool in maintaining animal health and welfare. Vaccines continue to play an increasingly vital role in preventative health and disease control programs in animals. VIEWS collaborate with the animal husbandry and organized vaccination campaign at village level and vaccinate the goat, cow and bullocks. There are 134 HHs Vaccinated their Livestock with the support of Animal husbandry department of Ganjam district
