Hi Priya and Ani,
[other stuff edited out]
I am including a short description of another NGO who will be submitting a formal proposal to AID very soon. I think it will be an ideal project for AID-State College to consider.
Ravi and myself visited, what appears to be, a really well run NGO near Karjat (about 100 miles from Mumbai). The NGO is called "Academy of Devlopment Science (ADS)" and is engaged in numerous activities involving the participation of the tribal population in the area. Some of their activities are as follows:
1) Collecting and maintaining a seed bank of the traditional varieties of rice and finger millet (ragi). Rajiv Kedkar of ADS (by training --- a chemical engineer from UDCT) informed us that in Maharashtra alone about 400 distinct varieties of rice were grown traditionally. Many of the farmers are fed up with the so-called 'high-yielding hybrid" varieties developed over the past few decades. These hybrid varieties require increasing amounts of fertilizers, are stunted and therefore do not provide adequate fodder for cattle, and cause numerous other problems (such as new pests) to the farmers. The government agricultural stations only stock seeds of about eight hybrid varieties and are therefore slowly making the traditional varieties extinct. Rajiv Kedkar says that the higher yields of the hybrid varieties is also a myth. (Request: Can someone at PSU collect some literature on this subject ?)
2) A school upto Std Xth for the children from the
surrounding tribal villages. The children are also taught various skills such as
grafting techniques for growing fruit trees (horticulture), identifying various
plants and trees that grow in the region, identifying the various types of
fishes that are found in the river that skirts the ADS campus, making cane and
bamboo furniture, making handicrafts etc. Attempts are being made to encourage
the cultivation of bamboo in the area as the soil and climatic conditions of
this region are well suited for growing bamboo. The cane is obtained from the
evergreen forests of Northeastern India or Kerala. Apparently, it cannot be
cultivated elsewhere. (Request: Can someone in PSU send us some literature on
cane and bamboo ? Any AID volunteers in the wood / Forestry program at PSU
?).
3) ADS also runs a clinic where the treatment
is based on the traditional knowledge base of the tribals regarding the
medicinal properties of various plants, fruits and herbs found among the rich
vegetation of this region. ADS also has a specially earmarked area of about 10
acres for growing these medicinal plants and herbs.
4) A food processing shop for making value-added food products and thus creating sustainable jobs and additonal income for the local population. The processed food includes fruit juices, jams and some very original candies (made of Amla). We tasted some and they were fabulous. Inspite of the superior quality of these products and their obviously better nutritional value, ADS has had trouble marketing these products in the nearby urban areas of Mumbai and Pune. They are making efforts to change this situation. (Question: Is any AID volunteer at PSU working in the food processing area ? Rajiv Kedkar was wondering if some such person would like to spend a few days/weeks at ADS)
Rajiv Kedkar of ADS has given us a draft proposal requesting funds from AID for one of their income generation programmes. We need to get some additional info to have the project proposal in a final form. The total amount requested may be of the order of about $4000. Therefore, it may be better suited for joint consideration by two AID chapters. I will send you the complete proposal shortly. I will also submit a more detailed account of our visit to ADS.
Right then. Signing off the moment,
Venkatesh
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Last modified : Sept 15, 1999 by Shailabh Nagar (nagar@cse.psu.edu)