WOMEN’S GROUPS REVIVE TRADITIONAL WATERSHED STRUCTURES

Asia Initiatives partnered with Savera Foundation to ensure water security to 9 villages in the Koderma district of Jharkhand, India through the revival of traditional watershed structures. SoCCs are implemented into the program, which improves the livelihoods of the villagers, mainly women and children due to high labor migrations to big cities, by providing access to water for drinking and agricultural purposes. The watershed structures also increase the vegetative cover in the area allowing enhanced nutritional resources to be available to over 482 families. The structures battle the drastic water scarcity due to constant rates of low rainfall and lack of proper irrigation facilities which further prevented agricultural diversification leading to reduced profits and low standards of living. SoCCs are earned for the construction of check dams by sand bags, cleaning streets, planting and raising trees, throwing seed balls, attending monthly meetings, and constructing soak pits. SoCCs are redeemed for water harvesting techniques, pond construction, and exposure visits.