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Day: June 21, 2022

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Driving towards water, income and livelihoods security

Spearheaded by SRIJAN, the BIWAL initiative attempts to address water, agriculture and livelihood issues by promoting natural resource management related measures among community

Self-Reliant Initiatives through Joint Action (SRIJAN) is a grassroots NGO working for livelihoods enhancement of the poorest of the poor and marginalised sections of the society in 16 districts of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. SRIJAN employs over 130 team members across these locations to reach out the poor and empower them. The organisation believes in the power and capacity of community collectives to sustain the developmental efforts. Since its inception in 1997, SRIJAN has been striving to make rural community self-reliant and live with dignity.

Bundelkhand Initiatives for Water, Agriculture and Livelihoods (BIWAL)

The project strives to revive Bundelkhand’s traditional tanks through community-led action and stabilize agricultural livelihoods in a region vulnerable to chronic water distress.

BIWAL directly focusses on these 4 SDGs, i.e. SDG 1 – End poverty in all its form; SDG 2 – Zero Hunger; SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation; SDG 15 – Biodiversity, Forests and Desertification. Moreover, the project also facilitates achieving other SDGs by indirectly contribute to SDG 5 – Gender Equality; SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth; SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production; SDG 13 – Climate Action and SDG 17 – Partnership for the Goals.

Implementation & Challenges

As water sources are drying up, while many sources which already exist in the villages are defunct, BIWAL with its partner NGOs has been identifying and mapping such resources which are then repaired and restored for a continuous supply of water. Some of the major challenges and obstacles related to the project are outlined below:

  1. Overlap of jurisdictions: Since this project was to be implemented in areas where there is presence and jurisdictions of various line departments like the District administration, Watershed Department and, in some cases, the Forest Department, it was going to be a challenge to have mutual understanding among each other.
  2. Conflicts among the community: Since water is a scarce commodity in the Bundelkhand region, there was going to be the issue of conflicts arising within them for the usage and rights over the water of the tanks.
  3. Sustaining the motivation of the community: Since it will be a long intervention and the results and benefits of it might take a long time to be visible, it will be difficult to keep the communities sufficiently motivated all along as they are impoverished.
  4. Sustained financial support: The financial support from the project is limited to an extent and after initial demonstrations the community will need more financial support to carry out the expansion of the programme objectives in other areas.

Impact

Some of the major achievements and impacts as per the success indicators so far are as follows:

  • Renovation and repair of 152 drinking water sources of 46 villages benefitting 10,274 families
  • 5 districts covered
  • 88 structures constructed in drainage line in tank catchment and command area
  • 13,708 cum water potential created
  • 434 farmer families benefitted

*This intervention was selected for the Water Changemakers Award- Semifinalist

  • Restoring biodiversity: Indigenous plants (60,000 saplings) of Bundelkhand planted on common land such as temple, Panchayat Bhawan, school etc; 3 Miyawaki Forests established
  • Climate-smart agriculture: Established 17 Prakritik Krishi Kendre;  training of farmers on climate smart agriculture practices; 1,328 farmers practicing in Kharif season, crop stage wise voice messages on agricultural practices; established 289 kitchen gardens; training of farmers on preparation bio-pesticides and natural manures to restore soil health

Collaboration

The internal stakeholders include consortium partner NGOs, implementation team and the community in the form of the Tank Management Committee (TMC). They engage directly at the grassroots for the implementation and monitoring of the project and coordinate all the activities. The data collected is regularly shared and discusses in the TMC meetings. The external stakeholders consist of the major line departments, District administration and the Gram Panchayats. The Gram Panchayat secretary and the Panch regularly attend the TMC meetings and get apprised of the progress of the proceedings. The Gram Panchayat issues the No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the excavation of the tank as it is a community resource. The District administration and the line departments are regularly updated on the progress of the project. One major engagement of external stakeholder includes the sharing of the objectives and progress of the project to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Shri Yogi Adityanath in the Bhujal Saptah meeting through video conferencing. This sharing with the Chief Minister was very well received and appreciated.

Link for SHORT DOCUMENTARY ON ACTIVITIES & ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF SRIJAN’s BIWAL PROJECT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sljqBGARAz8

Monitoring

For collecting technical information on the geography and terrain, tools like Topographic Sheets, GIS mapping and Google earth are used to ensure accuracy and precision. Based upon the data, an MIS system has been designed which is updated on a monthly basis. This MIS is maintained as a record book by the Tank Management Committee and is discussed in the regular meetings. Data like groundwater level, moisture level in the soil, amount of rainfall et al is recorded in the books and shared. This provides the much-needed right perspective as well as the progress of the programme.  

Replicability & Scalability

 It is a fact that these tanks that already existed used to be maintained by the community. In due course of time and due to several issues, these community institutions became weak and maintenance was neglected. As part of the project it was envisaged that rejuvenating the community institutions and capacity building of the members will ensure the regular maintenance and upkeep of the tanks. Hence one Tank Management Committee has been promoted in every intervention village which is being given regular handholding and training support. Also, the project team is linking these committees with the Gram Panchayats and the respective line departments, as these institutions are permanent and will ensure the sustainability of the project in future. In a short span of time, the BIWAL programme has been catching a lot of attention due to its success so far. As mentioned above, the programme was shared with the Chief Minister of UP, Shri Yogi Adityanath during the Bhujal Saptah and it was very well received. Also, a study was conducted by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good Governance and Policy Analysis on the BIWAL programme and a report was published on the website dedicated to the initiative. The Madhya Pradesh government took cognizance of this report and showed interest to replicate this in other areas of the state. The state government has also issued 13 circulars for adopting this process. Hence, it can be said that the programme is beginning to have a cascading impact at the higher levels of administration also.

Improving productivity and profitability

Keshkali is a permanent resident of Churyari village of Gourihar block in district Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh. The main source of her family’s income is daily wages and farming.  Under the BIWAL programme, a training session on climate-smart agriculture was organised in Churyari by the consortium partner Arunoday Sansthan. The session evoked Keshkali’s and her family’s interest in the establishment of Prakritik Kendra. After the approval of Tank Management Committee (TMC),  a Prakritik Kendra was established in the premises of Keshkali’s house.

She contributed 20 per cent of the cost to build the Prakritik Kendra by herself. She was provided with Sesame and Moong seeds for cultivation on one Bigha of her land and technical and knowledge inputs of climate-smart farming like preparation of Ghanjeevamarit, Beejaamrit, Neemastra etc.  She applied these techniques in the other patches of her land also for the crop of groundnuts and blackgram. There was definitely some fear in her mind, but when the crop got ready for harvest, her enthusiasm was elevated. According to Keshakali, the cost of smart-farming method was much lower than what she had incurred last year on farming. Moreover, climate-smart agriculture practices also increased her yield. Now she regularly adopts these methods of climate-smart agriculture and also advocates the practice in her village.

Development without sustainability is not real development. A holistic approach to development is required. The Sustainable Development Goals earmarked by the UN address all the aspects, that when achieved will bring about in the poor and marginalised sections of the society, a dignified life with good health and harmony with the environment. At SRIJAN we strive to align our goals with the SDGs and all our interventions are planned in order to cover as many Goals as possible. We choose to do this in the regions of India where it is the toughest and it is most needed. Our belief is that by focussing on these goals we have been able to achieve till date a significant change and a big ray of hope for the future and thus becoming a champion of SDGs.

Prasanna Khemariya
CEO, SRIJAN

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Partnering for sustainable sanitation solutions

Intro: Habitat India’s Sensitise to Sanitise (S2S) Coalition brings institutions with complementing skills and capabilities together to address the ecosystem of sanitation and work together on making India open-defecation free

Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort. The housing organisation has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in more than 70 countries. In India since 1983, Habitat for Humanity has supported more than 35 million people by helping them build or improve a place they can call home, build improved sanitation units and provide humanitarian aid and disaster resilient shelter solutions in the aftermath of natural disasters.

Flagship programme: Sensitise to Sanitise

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was launched by the Government of India to end open defecation and clean up the streets, roads and infrastructure of Indian cities, smaller towns and rural areas. The objectives of Clean India Mission as it is also called include eliminating open defecation through the construction of household-owned and community-owned toilets and establishing monitoring supportive community and behavior environment for toilet use.

In alignment with the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Habitat for Humanity India launched the Sensitise to Sanitise campaign with an aim to build sanitation units for families, schools, communities to put an end to open defecation. A year later in July 2015, Habitat went a step further to launch the Sensitise to Sanitise (S2S) Coalition. The coalition has brought organisations and stakeholders working in the eco-system of sanitation.

With 20 partners across the country, the Coalition helped districts across India achieve Open Defecation Free status, piloted innovative models in implementation and technology and explored new linkages for scale. S2S Coalition’s effort in the sanitation sphere has been committed to improving lives of the communities. An important component in this is the fact that the partners have identified and built on the capacities of the communities to improve their hygiene habits through behavior change communication.

The S2S Coalition has footprints in 30 states in the country and has impacted more than 3 million individuals till date.

Implementation

Due to COVID-19, the need for a decent shelter, improved sanitation and hygiene has become a need of the hour. Habitat India has been working on ground providing handwash training in the most marginalised communities with the support of grassroots organisations and partner organisations. Since 2016, Habitat India’s handwashing campaign has touched the lives of over 10.45 million individuals. During COVID-19 lockdown, Habitat India trained over 64,636 people on hygiene habits and handwash techniques through Information Education and Communication materials with the support of 71 grassroots level partners and 2534 volunteers. There is a constant need to raise awareness and impart hygiene education in the post COVID-19 phase to avoid the second wave. Along with providing hygiene kits, Habitat India’s long-term plan includes creating awareness through capacity building of communities by training of trainers, community mobilization and creating community support groups, providing school sanitation and hygiene education and menstrual hygiene management and supporting families in building a sanitation unit in their homes.

Impact

Habitat India believes that everyone should have access to sanitation, hygiene and safe water at home. Under its ‘WASH’ initiative, Habitat India has helped in building sanitation units (Individual Household Latrines) for 11,66,223 families, school sanitation units in 277 schools and 19 community sanitation units. Through the Sensitise to Sanitise (S2S) Coalition, Habitat India has impacted more than 3,23,79,233 individuals. Habitat India also runs a community-driven Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) programme to sensitise people about the importance of sanitation and hygiene.

Sustainability

Habitat India believes that the vision of ‘a world where everyone has a decent place to live’ can be achieved only when issues around the shelter-ecosystem are addressed. Habitat is working towards solving these issues through direct intervention and collaboration with grassroots level partners. The 4P (Public Private People’s Partnership) model of its programmatic strategy ensures long-term impact and sustainability since it entails ownership of the implemented programmes by the local community at all levels.

Focus in post-COVID-19 world

Habitat India has been imparting Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) training in urban slums, rural areas and tribal hamlets. BCC goes hand in hand with WASH – Water and Sanitation interventions. The organisation now goes a step further to include financial literacy and savings education to BCC modules. BCC++ programmes are promising especially in post COVID-19 response to ensure more inclusion and resilience. Habitat India has organised workshops on BCC++ and COVID-19 Prevention in 6 batches training 375 master trainers; mainly the frontline staff from 37 NGOs in 11 states. A national level strategy is needed post COVID-19 to bring about desired change in behaviour for families and communities in India’s cities and villages to curtail the spread of such disasters in the future.

Rajan Samuel
Managing Director
Habitat India

Case study
Building toilets, bringing dignity

Ramesh Mangla Andher lives in Sayli village, Silvassa, Gujarat. He works as a Panchayat clerk and contributes to the household with his two brothers. A family with 16 members, their home never had a toilet until recently. Today with the support from Habitat India, the family is a proud owner of a toilet.

The family owns a rice field behind their house. Earlier the family members used the fields to relieve themselves. The family would drink less water to avoid frequent urination which severely hampered their health.  With a toilet in the house, the family members’ health has improved subsequently. Ramesh said, “I am glad that my daughters won’t have to go out in the field to defecate now. It was difficult for my mother to defecate in the open too, especially when she fell sick. This toilet has come as God’s blessing.”

Subsequently, Ramesh played a significant part in helping other families to build a toilet in their home. He accompanied the Habitat team to visit other families that didn’t have a toilet. There were some major concerns that the community faced because of lack of a toilet. Ramesh explains, “The women in the village had a tough time. They had to go in the fields early in the morning. Young boys would try to click their photos. With the toilet in their homes, women in the village no longer live in fear of being eve-teased or embarrassed.”

169 toilets were built in Sayali village by Habitat India, including one in an Anganwadi. Ramesh is grateful to have a sanitation facility which provides a safe and hygienic life for his family and many other families in his village.

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A wave of purity and change

Ncourage’s initiatives focus on providing access to safe and clean drinking water to underserved areas

Ncourage Social Enterprise Foundation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Chemicals Ltd, focuses on livelihood creation, capacity building, rural entrepreneurship development, market linkage and uplifting rural lives through quality products and services.

Around 41 million Indians living in underserved areas lack access to clean and safe drinking water. Consumption of contaminated water can transmit lethal diseases like diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid etc. As a result, low-income families have to bear a significant economic burden of their annual wages for treating waterborne diseases every year. These people suffer huge costs because of illnesses caused by unsafe and insufficient drinking water. It’s been observed that most of the rural areas still use rudimentary methods to purify water, like sieving through cloth or boiling. These methods have limitations and do not remove invisible impurities like waterborne pathogens. 

To address the above problems being faced by the communities across India, Ncourage embarked upon an initiative that focuses on providing access to safe and clean drinking water to these underserved areas.

Swach Tarang

To address the communities’ clean and safe drinking water problems, Ncourage embarked upon Swach Tarang’s initiative in Feb 2019 in association with TCSRD. Ncourage, through this initiative, is installing community purifier units called ‘Tata Swach Tech Jal’ purifier which is based on an innovative and sustainable water purification technology, thereby addressing the major social problems related to health, livelihood, gender equity and improving the quality of life of communities living at the bottom of the pyramid. 

Under the Swach Tarang initiative, so far ~260 small & medium-sized clusters of community purification systems have been installed across India with different purification capacities like 100, 200, 500, 1000 and 2000 litres per hour, giving access to safe drinking water to over 90,000+ people in more than 20 states of India.

The key interventions include:

  • Mobilisation of communities through collaboration with partners: The organisation started working with grassroots partners (NGOs, SHGs, FPO etc.) to mobilise the community, understand the need and reality at the ground level. Cluster and group awareness sessions were conducted to identify the correct intervention based on community structure. The assessment was done to understand the demand and capacity requirements by the clusters and the readiness of the community to look after the water purification system. Based on this, appropriate community space and the beneficiary groups were then identified.
  • Operations and maintenance: To establish systems and provide water purification facilities to these underserved communities, a tripartite arrangement was advocated, which included contributions from partners/ NGOs and the communities and support from the foundation. The contributions received were put together for installing purifiers for the targeted communities directly or through associated NGO/SHG partners. TCSRD and Ncourage Foundation also collaborated with other corporates helping them with water purification solutions for the communities where they wish to make a difference.

Models

Swach Tarang program engages with corporates, governments organisations and NGOs and community-based organisations to pilot and create different sustainable, innovative and flexible solutions specific to the community and is working on primarily two models:

  • Project financing: As part of its community development initiatives, the corporate/ government is directly funding Swach Tarang for setting up the water purifiers in one or many local communities where they wish to create a difference.
  • Self-Sustainable model: The community water purifier units are provided with a flexible repayment model to the NGOs/ SHGs / local community, thus giving the beneficiaries access to free drinking water or customised to the pay per use. As part of the self-sustaining model, the water ATM was also introduced. The Water ATM works just like a prepaid top-up card for mobile phones. These ATMs can be installed at public places for easy access to safe drinking water for everyone. Depending on their water requirement, people can scan on the ATM’s sensor and press the button (1 litre, 5 litres and 10 litres). This ATM facility could be further customised to include normal & cold-water dispensing options.

Uplifting communities

“At Tata Chemicals, we always support initiatives that work towards the upliftment of the communities. Ncourage Social Enterprise Foundation weaves an approach that ensures social impact is enabled to scale and sustain. It is holistic and focused. We explore beyond a single-dimensional outreach and create ecosystems that are independent and self-sustaining. These ecosystems feature the direct beneficiaries at the core. A world that stands on the pillars of social equity, that’s the Ncourage dream we strive to create for a scalable social impact.”

R. Nanda
Director, Ncourage Chief – HR & CSR,
Tata Chemicals

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Right to food

There is a need for a systematic attempt to link local-level initiatives affecting food systems to policies adopted at national level.

In September 2015, seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. These seventeen interlinked Goals uphold ‘No Poverty’ and ‘Zero Hunger’ (SDG 1 and 2 respectively) to be achieved by the year 2030.

Looking towards agenda 2030, there is still a gap in reaching the poorest of the poor in rural areas to end hunger and malnutrition. The pursuit of a rights-based approach in development cooperation to address the underlying structural causes and strengthen rural governance for the realization of the right to adequate food is becoming increasingly important. At the same time, food systems are shaped by a variety of distinct policy frameworks, developed largely in isolation from each other. There is a need for a systematic attempt to link local-level initiatives affecting food systems to policies adopted at national level.

A study conducted by Welthungerhilfe in 2019 in four countries (India, Kenya, Malawi and Burkina Faso) confirmed the feasibility of addressing common issues related to rural governance, irrespective of country-specific particularities. The program applies a multi-level approach, linking up the micro level (communities and villages) with the meso level (block and districts) and the macro level (State and National level in India).

The results of the study lead to designing a project named ‘Strengthening Rural Governance for the Right to adequate Food’. The project envisions ‘administrative, political and traditional duty bearers in the project regions in the country to deliver better on the right to adequate food, guided by the principles of participation, transparency and accountability, non-dis­crimination, and rule of law’. It is a multi-country project supported by Welthungerhilfe (WHH) and BMZ (Germany). The project, which started in March 2020 is expected to be implemented over a period of 52 months in 40 villages of Latehar and Khunti districts of Jharkhand.  Along with India, it is being implemented in Kenya, Burkina Faso and Malawi in Africa.

The project envisages the following three outputs:

Output 1: Rights holders in selected communities in the project regions have developed and voiced their agenda regarding key issues for realization of their right to adequate food, engaged in multi-stakeholder dialogues on these issues, and held duty bearers to account.

Output 2: Awareness, capacities and mechanisms of duty bearers in the project regions for the realization of the right to adequate food have been strengthened, in particular with regard to key issues voiced by rights holders.

Output 3: A more enabling environment, including spaces of dialogue, for the realization of the right to adequate food in the countries has been promoted supra-nationally, nationally, regionally and locally, with particular emphasis on key issues voiced by rights holders.

The basic concept of food security globally is to ensure that all people, at all times, should get access to basic food for their active and healthy life and is characterized by availability, access, utilization and stability of food. Though the Indian Constitution does not have any explicit provision regarding right to food, the fundamental right to life enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution may be interpreted to include right to live with human dignity, which may include the right to food and other basic necessities.

The National Food Security Act marks paradigm shift in the approach to food security from welfare to rights-based approach. One of the guiding principles of the Act is its life-cycle approach wherein special provisions have been made for pregnant women and lactating mothers and children in the age group of 6 months to 14 years, by entitling them to receive nutritious meal free of cost through a widespread network of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) centres, called Anganwadi Centres under ICDS scheme and also through schools under Mid-Day Meal (MDM) scheme. 

As mentioned in output 1 of the project, there has been a continuous effort in the project to create awareness among the community towards realisation of their entitlements as mentioned in National Food Security Act 2013.

The case study explains the efforts put by a community to secure better nutritional services for their children.

A community’s effort for a better future through collective demand: Experience from Dumbi village

Dumbi is one of the many villages in India which is still deprived of its right to own an Anganwadi in its geographical area. Situated in Manika block of Latehar district in Jharkhand, villagers are still fighting their own unsung war of demanding an Anganwadi for their children and mothers.  One can find an Aganwadi which is approximately 3 kilometers away, which is in the boundary of another village of another panchayat area. This discourages the pregnant women and lactating mothers from walking up to the Anganwadi, carrying their children which consequently deprives the small children of their basic right to food and to live a respectable and healthy life.

The village is 30 kilometers from Manika block and falls under schedule 5 of the constitution of the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996.  The village consists of approximately 364 households of which more than 90% belong to SC and ST families.

The provision under Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme guarantees every revenue village with an Anganwadi within its geographical boundary and in the absence of it, can demand for an Anganwadi, provided the village/hamlet has a total of 40 or more children below the age of 6 years.

Dumbi village did not receive the essential services to be provided by an Anganwadi; thus, making the women and children vulnerable to malnutrition and plunging their future generation into the never-ending cycle of ill-health and poverty. 

Dilip Rajak, one of the members in the project, has been working in bringing a change among the right holders by organizing them to identify the issues of the village and discuss about the probable solutions to tackle those issues.  Most of the time he uses Gram Sabha as a platform to discuss the issues. Slowly and steadily, Dilip and others in his team were able to raise the issue and demand for an Anganwadi through the Gram Sabha

Though the issue of not having an Anganwadi was regularly discussed in the Gram Sabha, the members were unaware of how to address it.  It was then that Dilip suggested them to undertake a survey to know the number of children under the age of six. Not only did he help in motivating the community members but also mobilized them for a survey in the village and prepared a report based on the findings from the survey.  In the survey conducted in April 2021, it was found that the village has a total of 53 children under the age of six years who were neither provided with any dry ration nor their growth was monitored by the local ‘Sahiyaa’ didi.

The report duly prepared by the community members with support of the Gram Pradhan was submitted to the Block Development Officer (BDO) and Child Development Project Officer (CDPO), Manika in September 2021, with a copy each to District Deputy Commissioner (DDC), District project Officer (DPO) and Department of Women and Child Development, Jharkhand.

Though the community has to go a long way to achieve its dream, with the support of Dilip, they have learned to advocate their demand collectively with evidence.  A small fillip from an NGO/CSO/Individual may help the community to approach an issue systematically and present it to others with proof and confidence.

In the coming months, they have decided to follow  up with the officials concerned on the report and will try to expedite the process of providing the community members their rights which have been due since the village has been established.

This case study is an example for how a community can be collectively motivated to demand their rights in a proper manner. By involving them from the beginning in the activities, they learn how to put forward their demand to the service providers effectively.

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Dignifying relief

Instead of seeing disaster-hit people as victims, Goonj considers them as equal stakeholders having a strong involvement in repairing their own lives and ecosystem

Goonj wants to bring focus to the most missed out issues, needs and challenges of the neglected people in the world. It wants to build a stronger connection between the two ends of abundance and scarcity in society, not with charity but with dignity for people and by advocating a more equitable ‘everyone is an equal stakeholder’ mindset for everyone. The non-profit’s main focus areas include:

  1. More equitable allocation of resources and opportunities in the world.
  2. A more equitable recognition, respect, value and dignity to the efforts, wisdom and knowledge of the most neglected people.
  3. Sustainable use of what the world has (money, material, knowledge, people, natural resources etc.) to solve the biggest challenges faced by the humanity.
  4. More resources, self-sustenance and dignity for people facing incessant disasters.

Two decades ago, Goonj started with cloth as a basic but neglected need of people and over the years in its journey, the non-profit discovered many other neglected issues and needs; people’s dignity in a dominant charity culture that underlines many others ignored issues– the indignities women face for their menstrual health and hygiene and their struggle for a clean piece of cloth or the indignity disaster-hit people face repeatedly. Goonj believes that for a self-sustaining community and society, we need to value people and resources we have before seeking a change. This respect for the wisdom, knowledge, local resources, skills of people, has been one of our guiding principles. We call it ‘Let’s improve the world before we change it’. In the last 5-6 years the world has come to call it ‘circular thinking’. The organization’s work around extending the life of 5000-6000 tons of urban surplus material, every year and using it as a resource for development work extends the market circularity to address poverty, inequity and climate change.

Rahat

Goonj’s disaster response initiative, Rahat should be replicated widely given the more frequent and more devastating disasters that people in the cities and villages alike are facing. The program is based on preemptive dignity-led bridge building between abundance and scarcity for a more rapid, customized and long-term disaster response. The primary shift is that instead of seeing disaster-hit people as victims, Goonj’s see them as equal stakeholders having dignity, agency and having a strong involvement in repairing their own lives and ecosystem. Goonj looks at relief material as a trigger for mobilizing, motivating and empowering people to value their own knowledge, wisdom and skills and to revive their livelihood and local ecosystem.

Here again, Goonj’s focus is on some ignored disasters like winters, annual monsoon floods, fires, droughts, which don’t get much attention or resources, in comparison to the other natural disasters. The other aspect of Rahat is to break many myths around disasters among people; like disaster-hit people are victims and will therefore take anything we give or that anyone can carry out disaster relief work. There are many aspects of disaster work which need to be understood better now more than ever before as disasters are happening all across and more organizations will have to engage with them.

Goonj has done some innovative work around turning disaster wastage into a resource for rural livelihood generation, that would be valuable for resource crunched communities whose livelihood is badly affected after a disaster. Over all, Goonj believes Rahat is a replicable model for changing society’s mindset around disasters, seeing them as a part and parcel of our life rather than as a one off aberration and using them as an opportunity to build back better and connect to development work in the long term. With Rahat, Goonj establishes a mechanism of partnerships and addressing some systemic root causes and impacts which may be bothering communities even before the disaster.   

It also emphasizes working on disasters in a more strategic, comprehensive way in non-disaster times, which will incrementally reduce the suffering and losses of people and help the community prepare and adapt better. As Covid has pushed back people into deeper challenges, it has increased the urgency for better preparedness and adaption for future disasters, which, due to climate change, urbanization and depletion of our natural resources, have started hitting closer home and with more frequency.

Linkages with the SDGs

Disasters have a direct impact on progress made on any SDGs. Therefore, even though disaster work is not there on the SDGs list, it has a huge impact on all SDGs. Rahat helps the disaster-hit communities connect back, restore, repair and revive their ecosystems and lives. Poverty, in the absence of basics, is an ongoing disaster for a vast majority and natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, drought takeaway their basics and add to their challenges. People are pushed into debt cycles, migrate, and take bad decisions in this difficult time. In Covid, one of the biggest work that Goonj ended up doing was around hunger, an ignored need while everyone was focused on health. In this pandemic, Goonj also focused on working with some, already missed out people like the disabled, sex workers, senior citizens, artisans etc. whose pre Covid struggle for sustenance turned into a struggle for survival as attention moved on to other things. Thus, disasters have a connection with many other systemic issues. Goonj believes working closely with people in disasters, in their toughest hour, is one of the most important work of our times.

Defining development

“Development is to look at non-issues as issues and work towards finding a viable solution, which lies amongst us. Our aim is not to change the world, rather to improve it first. I feel that something is wrong somewhere because despite our hard work, good intentions, intellect and resources, poverty and many other development issues are not getting resolved. The gap is growing with issues getting more complicated. The utmost need in the domain of development is to see everyone as an equal stakeholder and to stop imposing development agendas and policies and listen to people, whom these decisions affect.”

Anshu Gupta
Founder Director, Goonj

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Strengthening the workforce

GAIN’s Workforce Nutrition programme aims to improve the nutrition of workers and farmers in low- and middle-income countries or communities

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is a Swiss-based foundation launched at the UN in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. Working with both governments and businesses, the organization aims to transform food systems so that they deliver more nutritious food for all people by making healthier food choices more desirable, more available, and more affordable. GAIN’s mission is to advance nutrition outcomes by improving consumption of nutritious and safe food for all people, especially the most vulnerable to malnutrition.

GAIN’s current portfolio of projects in India primarily focuses on large impact interventions, such as Large-Scale Food Fortification, Commercialization of Biofortified Crops and Workforce Nutrition. The non-profit offers high quality know-how on transforming food systems to improve the consumption of nutritious and safe food for all people, especially the most vulnerable.

GAIN’s alliance-based approach and its ability to engage critically and productively with the private sector differentiate it amongst other development agencies. The organization aims to support and advise the Government of India and state governments, the private sector, and development partners, as they build and mobilize food and nutrition plans to advance nutrition outcomes.

Workforce Nutrition

The Workforce Nutrition programme in India works in partnership with global tea brands, tea estate managements, and local tea associations to address nutritional issues in the tea supply chain in India, Kenya, and Malawi; the India programme is the largest. Funded by the Government of Netherlands with matching co-contribution from the private sector, the programme focuses on improving nutrition outcomes by increasing the consumption of nutritious and safe food by tea workers and their family members.

Since its launch in 2016, GAIN has reached more than 43,000 small-scale farmers and workers in the tea supply chains in Assam and Tamil Nadu. The programme is tailored to improve the awareness, access, and consumption of nutritious food along with handwashing practices amongst tea workers’ families. Through its efforts, the project has established GAIN as a trusted partner in the tea sector.  

The programme consists of two major components- the first aspect consists of demand generation activities such as street plays, nutri-games, cooking competitions, cooking demonstrations, and home visits which help in bringing behavior change in the community. The second aspect consists of improving access to nutritious food and hygiene products provided through a network of women entrepreneurs and changing market mechanisms for estate retail stores around the geography of these communities.

Funded by multiple donors, that include the Government of Netherlands, Unilever, Taylors of Harrogate, Republic of Tea, and a few other global tea companies, the project is currently ongoing in 37 tea estates in Dibrugarh district of Assam. With the successful results of the project, GAIN is now scaling up the “Workforce Nutrition” in 110 tea estates in Assam with a target to cover 110,000 tea workers and families by 2022.

Linkages with the SDGs

The Workforce Nutrition (WFN) programme addresses a variety of nutrition-related problems through its components. The programme targets to improve indicators such as consumption of nutritious food groups and awareness on importance of nutrition which directly influences SDG 2 (Zero hunger) and SDG 3 (Good Health). It encompasses measures to reduce chronic and acute deficiencies as well as improve maternal and child health. In addition, the programme also aims to improve the accessibility to nutritious food products at the doorstep through rural women who are selected from the community as social entrepreneurs targeting to improve SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 1 (No Poverty) indirectly.

The programme also presents a significant opportunity for public and private sectors to collaborate to reduce the global malnutrition burden and drive business value. This unique opportunity to impact the health and wellbeing of the population at large is also recognized by the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Better Work Program, which is also a part of the Decent Work agenda of SDG 8.

Defining development

“Development is a process enabling the rise in quality and level of social and economic mobility of all layers of the population. It creates growth, progress, and positive change in the socio-cultural and economic milieu of all strata of society through equitable and sustainable actions that enable all people, particularly the most vulnerable, to realize their full human potential and lead healthy and productive lives.”

Tarun Vij
India Country Director, GAIN

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Empowering farmers to grow and sustain

SRIJAN reaches out to over 85,000 farmers all across its location for promoting sustainable agriculture practices.

SRIJAN has been consistently promoting sustainable agriculture practices with rural families in all its locations based on their current needs. Amidst this climate change, the land is one of the major carbon sinks. Agriculture activity accounts for 18% of India’s total Green House Gases (GHG) emissions (mainly methane and nitrous oxide), the second-largest contributor after the energy sector. Through sustainable agriculture practices, the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides can be reduced significantly. Also, soil health can be improved through increasing organic carbon content within the soil, and thus, carbon can be extracted from the atmosphere. Tribal families in areas like Pratapgarh district, in Rajasthan, can contribute more to sustainable agriculture as farmers in these families are hardworking and have the resources required for agro-ecological practices. Also, crop diversification with new technological interventions enables marginal tribal farmers to make optimum use of their land and increase their income. Most tribal families living in deep pockets have marginal landholdings. SRIJAN does have an outreach to 85,471 farmers all across its location for promoting sustainable agriculture practices. 

Pictures this: Dhulki Bai Meena adopted diversified livelihood options for her earnings as a master farmer in her village Kataron Ka Khera – B, Peepalkhont block, Pratapgarh district, Rajasthan.

She belongs to a cross-learning platform (Saraswati Maa Women Producer Group (WPG)) promoted by SRIJAN and is engaged in many activities organised during regular capacity-building events. She belongs to the Meena community, categorized as Schedule Tribes (ST) by the Government of Rajasthan.

Her husband, Maliya Ram supported her to learn new livelihood options. She has a landholding of 3.62 acres (07 bigha in regional language) nearby her house, which she uses to cultivate soybean, maize, wheat, and gram. Her average household annual income is 54,800 INR, out of which her expenses are 53,800 INR. Of the total annual income, 58% of income comes from agriculture and 3% from local labor activities. 

In order to make agriculture profitable and sustainable, SRIJAN has been promoting good agriculture practices with support from RBL Bank Ltd under a CSR project since October 2019. The team supported this farmer with many capacity-building events for good practices like using organic extracts like Ghan-Jeevamrut, vermicompost, bio-fertilizers (NPK Liquid), line sowing of crops, use of sprinkler irrigation, crop diversification activities like Nano Orchards, Multilayer Farming, etc. Firstly, training was done during the last Rabi season of the crop, i.e., in November. The farmers were trained to adopt natural farming for the wheat crop, which these farmers certainly use for their consumption. The idea was straightforward, i.e., promotion of food crops naturally to support their well-being. Thus, in November 2019, the farmers agreed to do so and adopted many good practices. Dhulki Bai took 25kg of improved variety of wheat, i.e., RAJ 4120 for half-acre of her land, and also made three quintals of Ghan-Jeevamrut, i.e., made up of three quintals of farmyard manure mixed with a decomposed solution (Jeevamrut) of water, cow dung, jaggery, soil, and gram flour. And thus, broadcasted these three quintals before the last cultivation. She also did line sowing of wheat, which is generally not used in the intervening area. Apart from this, she used 100kg of vermicompost (which she manufactured using vermi-bag and earthworms installed near her agriculture field) after the second irrigation. She learned all these activities through cross-learning platforms and regular training by the organization.

Now she can produce approximately six quintals of vermicompost each quarter. The activity saves 580 INR fertilizer cost per bigha of the wheat crop and benefits the health of the soil. The couple continues to use the above-mentioned organic extracts in all agriculture seasons, including Kharif, Rabi, and Zaid. Dhulki Bai has now also expanded its use from one bigha of land to the entire land. She has also installed a mini sprinkler in her natural wheat demonstration plot through the CSR support and thus, finds it a less labor-intensive and water-saving technique for irrigation. Her husband once said, “Sir, ye to bahut acchahai. Jitne der me ek bigha me paani dene me samaylagta, utne der me to mai dusrakaam phi karleta hu. Saath me paani phi kam lag rha hai. Mujhe apne neeche wale khet me bhi lagana hai.” She got produce of five quintals of natural Wheat from the same plot without much decline in productivity in the first year but definite decline in the cost of cultivation. She has also created several other livelihood opportunities as SRIJAN supported her to have a Nano Orchard of guava and vegetables as intercrop through another project for creating multiple livelihood options and good agriculture practices. Now her Nano Orchard Plot of guava is two years old with significant growth, and also, through intercropping of vegetables seasonally, she can earn more. Recently, before COVID-19 lockdown in 2021, she did multilayer farming in 1,800 Sq.ft area with six vegetable crops of different types, i.e., tuber crop (turmeric), leafy crops (spinach and coriander), creeper crop (bitter gourd, bottle gourd, ridge gourd) and border crop (okra). She developed this frame from low-cost bamboo in March, and since then, she has earned 19,600 INR from selling vegetables and 3,000 INR from selling chili saplings to the farmers in native villages. Thus, in total, she has earned 22,600 INR in a span of three to four months in a small area of 1,800 Sq.ft. She has adopted vermicompost, Jeevamrut, and Neemastra to cut her cost of cultivation of vegetables. Thus, multiple income options have evolved, which help Dhulki support her family.

Rural households are heavily dependent upon agriculture for their livelihoods. Dependence upon single crop or single practice often adds to the risk of the farmers and decreases productivity. Building a portfolio of activities, within agriculture including multilayer farming and Nano Orchard techniques, presents multiple avenues to generate income. SRIJAN promotes women producer groups (WPGs) in its operational districts where regular interactions are done and thus, their capacity to plan and execute the various livelihood activities is improved. On this platform, women are also linked through multiple sources of livelihood and they contribute equally to household income generation.

 Nitesh Kumar

Team Leader, SRIJAN

Self-Reliant Initiatives through Joint Action (SRIJAN) is a grassroots NGO working for livelihoods enhancement of the poorest of the poor and marginalized sections of the society in 16 districts of MP, Rajasthan, UP and Chhattisgarh. SRIJAN employs over 130 team members across these locations to deliver its objectives and visions for empowering the poor.  SRIJAN wishes to see wellbeing of the poor and ensure dignity of all in our society, in the context of multidimensional poverty and wish to “Make Rural Community Self-Reliant and Live with Dignity”.

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Healthy soils, ecosystems and communities

Solidaridad is working to develop and promote regenerative models of agriculture that protect soils, conserve water and empower smallholder farmers in India and Asia

For Solidaridad, changes mean power to the people (inclusivity), respect for the planet (producing in balance with nature) and a fair share for everyone in the supply chain (prosperity). In this process, Solidaridad contributes to several of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Regenerative agriculture model

In alignment with its overall mission and vision, Solidaridad is working to develop and promote regenerative models of agriculture that protect soils, conserve water and empower smallholder farmers in India and Asia. Agriculture is at the centre of a number of global challenges today—from climate change, water-use inefficiency, degraded soils, loss of biodiversity to the staggered social and economic development. Acknowledging the issues, Solidaridad is making headway towards regenerative agriculture across multiple agricultural supply chains to overcome these challenges. The Cotton programme in India is an example where this new model of farming is being implemented, holding the promise of providing sustainable food and fibre while regenerating the planet.

Amidst the pandemic during 2020-2021, the cotton team in India launched the regenerative model of agriculture with 8,000 farmers in Vidarbha, Maharashtra. The promotion of regenerative agriculture is part of Solidaridad’s intent to focus on strengthening agricultural resilience through a combined set of soil restoration practices.

The conventional farming model has shown its limits. Climate change has been accelerating; biodiversity disappearing; water scarcity is rampant and the quality getting poorer by day. Also, poverty persists with no solution in place. Given the current rate of rapid depletion and degeneration of natural resources, we will struggle to find enough arable soil to feed the growing population in the next few decades. Embracing the regenerative model is thus the need of the hour to transform agriculture from a challenge to a solution that promotes production in harmony with nature.

Solidaridad’s regenerative agriculture model in Vidarbha is implemented by adopting the ‘regenagri framework’, an international programme that advocates securing the health of the land and the wealth of those who live on it. The interventions are focussed on transitioning the cotton farmers to holistic farming that increases soil health, encourages biodiversity, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and leads to enhanced CO2 sequestration. The programme is also enabling the farmers to generate additional income through carbon credit. So far, approximately 5,000 to 8,000 tonnes of carbon have been sequestered through the programme (currently under evaluation), and about 10,000 trees planted. As many as 8,000 farmer plots have been brought under border cropping; several water bodies restored and use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides reduced by 70 per cent. Additionally, about 52,000 cotton farmers receive direct digital advisories weekly. The regenerative agriculture and sustainable production practices are not only benefitting the environment, but have also augmented the farmers’ yield and income by 10 per cent and 20 per cent respectively.

As a civil society organisation, Solidaridad believes one of the most important ways in which we can deliver large societal and environmental impacts is through the agricultural principles we adopt and promote. Agriculture today represents 60 per cent of GHG emission and roughly 80 per cent of water consumption. Through agriculture, we touch the lives of communities around the world. Starting with 8,000 farmers, Solidaridad’s ‘regenagri’ model is slated to scale to 25,000 farmers in the Vidarbha and Marathwada regions of Maharashtra and Adilabad district of Telangana. The aim is to bring better management practices in cotton cultivation through regenerative practices. Compared to conventional farming, regenagri has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by around 50 per cent and also lower the dependency on chemical fertilisers (such as N2O). It emphasises on adoption of crop residue and farm manure for effective carbon sequestration in the soil, to the tune of approximately 1.2 tonnes CO2/ha.

Linkages with the SDGs

Solidaridad’s regenerative agriculture programme directly contributes to the 2030 SDG framework. It is in alignment with the anti-poverty strategy (SDG1), particularly for rural areas. The programme advocates practices that lead to reduced input costs and increased income for small farmers. It also enhances farm biodiversity and resiliency in light of changing weather patterns.

Conventional agriculture cannot be effectively practised in marginal areas with no irrigation available and poor access to external inputs. Solidaridad’s regenerative agriculture programme provides solutions to improving yields in a sustainable way in marginal areas (SDG2).

Inappropriate use of agrochemicals, including pesticides and herbicides, and their residues in food are known sources of modern illnesses. The regenerative programme is Solidaridad’s way of handling this issue, helping improve the well-being of farmers and consumers. It also focusses on proper management of resources, including water management and reduction in pollution (SDG3, SDG6 and SDG 12) and facilitates integration of processes to reduce wastes and produce renewable energy, particularly from animal waste (SDG7). The good practices have led to non-exposure of humans to harmful chemicals—improving the health and working conditions of small farmers and workers (SDG8).

The programme issues digital advisories related to farm remedies to minimise weather and pest risks (SDG13). The practices prevent both surface-water and groundwater pollution and eutrophication (SDG 14). The programme is trying to reverse the ill effects of conventional agriculture by restoring soils—an important carbon sink. Carbon sequestration through soil rehabilitation is positively contributing to mitigating climate change (SDG 15).

Defining development

“Solidaridad has remained relevant over its 52-year history by adapting to a rapidly changing world. Nevertheless, reducing the environmental impacts of our global economy while offering chances to the poor is a growing challenge. Farmers, workers, miners and their families are increasingly at the losing end of global supply chains. They suffer the most from the impacts of climate change. We envision a world in which the economy works for all: where all we produce and all we consume can sustain us while respecting the planet, each other and the generations to come. Markets are a legitimate channel to usher in such changes. Solidaridad looks to transform markets to make them more inclusive and sustainable.”

Dr. Shatadru Chattopadhayay
Managing Director,
Solidaridad Network Asia

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Castor care

Intro: Creating a holistic programme for the smallholder castor farmers

Castor is considered as one of the most remunerative crops in the world with naturally high seed oil content. In India, the drought- and pest-resistant castor crop finds favourable conditions for cultivation in Gujarat. The country is in fact the largest seed producer of castor in the world. Yet, castor farmers in India are often distraught as climate change threatens to disrupt the productivity of this important industrial oilseed. Non-availability of certified seeds along with limited knowledge on fertiliser and pesticide use, scientific planting techniques and post-harvest handling add to their woes.

The rising frequency of droughts, due to climate change and erratic rainfall, is a major factor that impacts the yield and productivity of castor across the country. Moreover, castor a.k.a. Ricinus communis L is dioecious—with male and female flowers in separate racemes. At high temperatures, the female flowers change into male flowers and become sterile or unproductive.

“My traditional castor cultivation was affected by the dual problems of rising temperature and unpredictable rainfall patterns. In addition, practising drilling method for sowing of research variety seed and broadcasting fertilisers, especially doses of DAP and urea, without any soil testing affected the health of my crop as well as my land further,” says Hirabhai Devabhai Zaverbhai Kotadiya from Sundha village in Banaskantha district, Gujarat, India.

The impact of climate change, coupled with lack of structure and organisation in the sector, has led to an array of problems in the region, including non-availability of certified castor seeds and water resources; low productivity and improper post-harvest crop- and residue-handling and other sustainability issues. At the root of many of these problems was inadequate knowledge and limited exposure to scientific farming. Acknowledging the situation, in 2016, Solidaridad decided to expand its Asia-wide interventions in sustainable agriculture to include sustainable castor production in four of the major castor-growing districts in Gujarat, namely Sabarkantha, Banaskantha, Mehsana and Patan.

Route to Recovery

It took no time for Solidaridad to realise that water-use efficiency, soil fertility enhancement and overall good and sustainable agricultural practices were the immediate needs. During the baseline study, groundwater was the major source of water supply for the farms and flooding the most common practice for irrigation. Solidaridad introduced the farmers to furrow and skip furrow irrigation methods and insisted upon timely irrigation of the fields to avoid deficiency or excess. Taking a multi-stakeholder approach, Solidaridad collaborated with global industrial partners and agricultural institutions to create a holistic programme for the smallholder castor farmers. Interestingly, in 2019, the enrolled farmers reported a 25 per cent decrease in water usage for irrigation from that in 2016, following good agricultural practices.

“I was following the traditional methods of sowing. It was my neighbour’s farm land and produce that gave me the confidence to talk to Solidaridad. I too wanted to adopt scientific practices for better yield and quality,” says Patel Prahladbhai Tribhovandas from Amudh village in Mehsana district, Gujarat, India.

Besides training sessions on water usage and efficient irrigation, the farmers were also encouraged for regular soil testing. The soil health cards issued after the test helped farmers understand nutrient requirements and accordingly feed the soil with required quantity of inputs and fertilisers. The entire process helped farmers maintain optimum soil temperature, even during hot summer, and better soil health.

“Under the project, I use the university-recommended certified seeds and the dibbling method for sowing. This allows for judicious seed planting and avoids wastage. Also, the soil test report helps me in applying only the required dosage of fertiliser. Both these practices have reduced my input cost and improved yield and soil health. I also follow the health and safety guidelines, like using PPE kits, and practice farm waste management as suggested by the Solidaridad experts,” adds Hirabhai.

Demonstration Plots

Every year, the programme sets up demo plots in all the districts of intervention for on-farm demonstration of good and sustainable practices. Each of these plots showcases best practices for castor cultivation such as seed sowing, soil maintenance, irrigation and organic nutrient management, like vermicompost or intercropping, and efficient handling of hazardous materials (chemicals) and waste management practices.
The plots demonstrate row-to-row and plant-to-plant methods of cultivation with each castor crop planted at an optimal distance, based on specific seed varieties, for maximum production. The demo plots serve to provide a real-time experience for the farmers as they are introduced to new technologies that are scientific and sustainable in nature. The plots also demonstrate the importance of biodiversity surrounding the farmland—to prevent runoffs involving soil and nutrient erosion and promote pollination—all of which lead to a balanced ecosystem.

Figure: Water usage in demo plots (2020-21)

The graph displays how water-efficient irrigation techniques in the demo plots, which have accurate measurement and control in place, led to a lowering of water consumption by approximately 35 percent.

“The demo plots are intended to introduce new ideas and innovative farming practices that will address the risks of climate change. The plots are also employed to provide practical training to farmers on a first-hand basis that help them gain confidence in adopting better scientific practices,” says Rajesh Bhatia, Senior Programme Manager, Solidaridad.

A Holistic Initiative

“With the sixth assessment IPCC report in 2021 spelling out the imminent climate disaster facing us due to rapid increase in temperatures, sustainability is no more a choice but a mandatory aspect in every operation undertaken. The Sustainable Castor Farming project is a small step in that direction. The key is to meet the rising demand for castor produce with a responsible and sustainable mechanism that benefits consumers, producers and the environment,” adds Rajesh Bhatia.

Six years of the initiative have garnered impressive results and provided the impetus for farmers, corporate players, and the government to invest in the promotion and development of sustainable castor. And that has been the guiding force behind the sustainable castor farming programme at Solidaridad Asia.

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Improving coherence of health and nutrition linkages

Technically supported by PCI, the HN Integration model of JEEVika can bring significant improvement in some of the complex and stagnant indicators like dietary diversity in complimentary feeding at scale 

For the last two decades Project Concern International/India (PCI) has been working in India in the areas of health, nutrition, and community development with programmes focussing on low-income, vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations in close partnership with the national and state governments and civil society organisations.

Flagship programme:  HN integration model

Integration of Health and Nutrition (HN) interventions with the women’s Self-Help Group (SHG) platform is one of the hallmark approaches conceptualised by PCI. This approach initiated in 2012, had proven to deliver outstanding results when tested on 18,000 SHGs in Bihar. Later in the year 2015, PCI got opportunity to provide technical support on this to JEEViKA, the State Rural Livelihoods Mission (SRLM) of Bihar. JEEViKA has promoted a huge network of 1 million SHGs in Bihar. JEEViKA, with the technical support of PCI, designed HN integration model to improve key health and nutrition outcomes of JEEViKA families through sustained social and behaviour change (SBC) efforts, and convergence with other departments. This model of JEEViKA could bring significant improvement in some of the complex and stagnant indicators like dietary diversity in complementary feeding at scale. Thus, the HN integration model of JEEViKA has proven to be effective in bringing change in outcomes and is also replicable at scale in other states. JEEViKA has nearly 1 million groups covering around 1.2 crore families.

Strategic preparedness

The on-ground HN activities of JEEViKA with the SHGs came to a halt with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. The vacuum created by the absence of a platform for regular message dissemination was almost immediately addressed by the JEEViKA with the decision to continue the activities via both virtual and physical (wherever possible) modes for maximum engagement and penetration. PCI as the technical support agency also partnered in the efforts of JEEViKA to ensure that there is no reversal of the achievements made over a period of time in H&N indicators.

 

Two major shifts in the approach of JEEViKA; (a) the entire cascade approach of capacity building in JEEViKA has shifted from classroom training to digital training. PCI has facilitated development of digital training and material on breastfeeding, complementary feeding, maternal nutrition, kitchen gardening in the COVID-19 context for the JEEViKA staff and JEEViKAcadres (b) JEEViKA’semphasis is now also on behavior and practices related to precautions and prevention against COVID-19. Here, PCI provided support in developing audio jingles and video messages on the right eating practices to build immunity against COVID-19. These are being shared by JEEViKA with the SHG members via WhatsApp.

Output

Pre COVID-19: JEEViKA’s integrated HN model has helped in impacting the dietary diversity and minimum acceptable diet has increased two-fold in 101 JEEViKA blocks of Bihar in 2018-19.

During COVID-19: 48.8 lakh SHG members were trained by JEEViKA on COVID-19 facts, myths, and precautions using the training tools designed with technical support of PCI.

Impact

JEEViKA’s integrated HN model helped in demonstrating a two-fold increase in the dietary diversity in child feeding in Bihar – a “sticky indicator” which has not seen improvements to this degree at scale in India. Although the sudden outbreak of the pandemic had challenged the continuity of the programme but JEEViKA successfully adapted the programme through the virtual platforms and measures. PCI had the opportunity to support JEEViKA in this endeavor and connected with a huge number of SHGs through virtual training modes, digital content etc.

Sustainability

With the systematic phase-out of lockdown, in-person activities in JEEViKA are resuming in different parts of the state maintaining all safety protocols. However, a hybrid model has already been established, tried and tested by JEEViKA, virtual tools have been developed PCI and everything is being digitalised to ensure that a backup system is ready to support the JEEViKA programme whenever routine activities face any obstacles on the ground.

Post-COVID-19 growth model

JEEViKA’s integrated HN model is one of the most cost-effective and scalable approaches for community-centric and demand-side intervention for HN that has strong and scientific evidence of bringing outcome-level changes at scale. JEEViKA could bring change in some of the complex and stagnant indicators, which could not be changed by us, the public health community, through many of the conventional public health and nutrition programming. This model therefore provides huge opportunity for learning to the development and public health community globally, which are looking for replicable and scalable models.

Indrajit Chaudhuri
Country Director 
Project Concern International, India

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