Poverty Alleviation Programme –In Detail
AHIMSA started its work with poverty alleviation in rural areas. For these, AHIMSA began by creating awareness among women folk in rural areas and organized women groups based on their ability and special talents available with them. Accordingly Skill Development Trainings are arranged for continuous employment opportunity starting from lower level to a higher level. Such trained women have been placed in Nursery raising units, Organic manure production centres, Farm maintenance works, Chain store marketing, Handicrafts making, Food products industry, Office management, etc. To relieve the farmers in distress and to alleviate their miseries, AHIMSA ventured into the field of Agriculture. A revolving fund was generated for this purpose. Farmers Clubs are formed consisting of 20 members each and were given awareness in commercialization of Agricultural crops, to cultivate at a low cost by changing the traditional farming method and using innovative, advanced modern technology, rotation of crops, intercropping, etc without affecting the fertility of the soil, thereby increasing the Nutritive value of the crops and increasing the yield. Unlike in the traditional farming methods, income generation is assured from the first month
AHIMSA also helped bridge the gap between the farmers and consumers thereby enhancing the revenue for the farmers and ensuring the consumer to receive non-adulterated, high quality food items for reasonable rates without middlemen. To achieve this end there is an expert team consisting of Agricultural Scientists, Agricultural Engineers, and experts in Soil Science, Water Management, Pest Control, Food Processing, Forestry and Marketing
Rural poverty is often a product of poor infrastructure that hinders development and mobility. Rural areas tend to lack sufficient roads that would increase access to agricultural inputs and markets. Poor infrastructure hinders communication, resulting in social isolation among the rural poor, many of whom have limited access to media and news outlets. Such isolation hinders integration with urban society and established markets, which could result in greater development and economic security. Moreover, poor or nonexistent irrigation systems threaten agricultural yields because of uncertainty in the supply of water for crop production. Many poor rural areas lack any irrigation to store or pump water, resulting in fewer crops, fewer days of employment and less productivity. The development of appropriate cropping raises a farm’s productivity. Successful alternative crop farming developments that aid the rural poor are achieved through bottom-up policies that involve technological innovations that require few external inputs and little monetary investment. The most effective innovations are based on the active participation of small farmers, who are involved in both defining the problems and implementing and evaluating.
Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries sectors play an important role in the Indian economy and in the socio-economic development of the nation. These sectors also play a vital role in supplementing family incomes and generating gainful employment in the rural sector, among the landless laborers, small and marginal farmers and women in particular, besides providing cost effective nutritional food to millions of people. AHIMSA imparting number of Skill Development Training programmes and Livelihood support among the Rural Men, Women and youth.
Primitive Tribes Livelihood Programme
Contract Farming
The era of globalization, the concept of ‘Contract Farming’ is an effective way to co-ordinate and promotes production and marketing in agriculture. “Contract Farming can be defined as an agreement between farmers and processing or marketing firms for the production and supply of agricultural products under forward agreements, frequently at predetermined prices.” The main feature of Contract Farming is that the buyer/contractor supplies all the material inputs and technical advice required for cultivation to the cultivator. This approach is widely used, not only for tree and cash crops but also, increasingly for fruits and vegetables. AHIMSA has identified the poor landless agricultural labourers in all over Tamil Nadu and for their livelihood support; AHIMSA has acquired 3500 acres of lands in Kariapatti and Aruppukkottai in Virudhunagar District and doing ‘Contract Farming’. The AHIMSA Youth Club-Madurai Division has taken over the works and does it better progress. Meanwhile, AHIMSA Youth Club-Chennai Metro has also been doing cultivation through ‘Contract Farming’ in 3,000 acres of lands acquired in Chengam. By these unique farming activities, more than 470 poor families benefitted including 172 Narikoravah people and 238, Adi-Dravida people and 61 other Backward Class people. At the same time, AHIMSA Youth Club, Vellore Division has taken over 220 acres of lands for Contract Farming and cultivate multi crops. Totally 80 Primitive Tribes have been benefitted from this. By these innovative approaches, we have achieved our goals such as poverty alleviation, Food Security and this farming method stands as a model project in our nation.
Facilitating Crop Loans
For the purpose of the benefits of the farmers engaged in Contract Farming, AHIMSA has made a mutual agreement with the Canara Bank, State Bank of India. The 96 beneficiaries got benefitted through that agreement for the cultivation of 1640 acres lands. But, the State Bank of India has not yet been giving financial assistance to the farmers. From the Bank of Baroda and the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Banks, 62 farmers got benefitted.
Development Programme for Urban Slum Poor
Urban poverty is a multidimensional phenomenon. The urban poor live with many deprivations. Their daily challenges may include
- Limited access to employment opportunities and income
- Inadequate and insecure housing and services
- Violent and unhealthy environments
- Little or no social protection mechanisms,
- Limited access to adequate health and education opportunities
AHIMSA has selected its development initiatives to the area of ‘Kannagi Nagar’. It is a backward area and it has a background of crimes. AHIMSA has studied Kannagi Nagar People’s lifestyle based on their skills, education and needs. Based on the findings of that study, the following programmes have been planned
- One Waste Recycling Industry
- Fashion Designing & Readymade Garments Unit
- Low-cost Building Materials Production Unit
- Low cost Wooden Furniture Manufacturing Unit
- Low-Cost Iron products Production Unit
- Low-Cost Housing Construction Unit
- Low-cost Departmental Stores
- Highway side Motels
- Urban BPO Centre
By implementing those programmes, more than 2,000 people have to be benefitted. For this purpose, AHIMSA has made MoU with the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute for Youth Development under the Ministry of Youth Affairs for providing Skill Training Programmes among the selected target people. At, present, AHIMSA has arranged employment opportunities for 60 women members from Kannagi Nagar to the ‘Amma Farm Fresh Vegetable Shops’ as sales women, it is a part of emergency relief of the Kannagi Nagar Project.
Agricultural Extension
Based on the Central Government’s Food Security policy, the barren lands of our working areas were identified and extend it for suitable crop cultivation depending upon its soil and water conditions, introducing integrated cultivation activities including value addition of the produces and export the products to the foreign nations. That kinds of activities are opening a gateway of generating employment opportunities and income generation among the unemployed youths.Aarani and Arakkonam areas are shown as our model project areas.
Aarani: Aarani is a familiar Rice Production Centre in the State, but, the farmers had been getting very low rate for rice. Therefore, AHIMSA organized Value Addition Skill Development Training programme for Rice Based Products with using of advanced technology imparted by the Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology (IICPT), Thanjavur. AHIMSA has organized farmers Club and arranged 5,000 acres of lands for Organic Farming. AHIMSA Women’s Club and Youth Club have joined together to plan for the to establishment of a ‘Rice Cluster Industrial Estate’ and to produce Rice based Food Products on international standard and market them in domestic and foreign markets.
Arakkonam: AHIMSA Youth Clubs Vellore Region had made efforts to acquire 85 acres of lands for ‘Leasing out’ at Ramapuram village of ThiruvelangaduPanchayat Union in ThiruthaniTaluk of Thiruvallur District. The land has been prepared for ‘Organic Farming’ and cultivating Cash Crops, Horticultural crops and Herbal plants. This farm gives regular works to the deprived Primitive Tribal people who are the victims of severe drought and climatic change. AHIMSA revamping their income generation activities and promote their livelihoods. Now, AHIMSA has proposed to start ‘Animal Husbandry Unit’ for the additional employment generation for 25 poor Primitive Tribes, Adi-Dravidar and most backward families’ livelihood support. For that purpose, AHIMSA Youth Club approached and requested the District Collector to grant 10 acres of barren grazing lands of the Panchayat of Ramapuram..
In accordance with the local people demands like the bank loan facilities for cattle rearing, poultry, piggery, fishery and goat rearing, AHIMSA has made MoU with the Milk Companies such as Milma, Heritage and Arokiya for supplying milk and has also made agreement with the Multi National Company, ‘ Lotte’ for supplying milk. Lotte demands liquid glucose derived from Maize in a large scale and they are willing to establish a Liquid Glucose Production Unit in the centre place of the cultivation area. It requires 5,00,000 acres of land for Maize Cultivation under the contract farming. AHIMSA has conducted a field study for the feasibility of maize cultivation and farmers’ cooperation at Thiruvannamalai and Virudhunagar districts.
Under the Skill Development Training and Guidance Division AHIMSA has been involved in Skill development training of unemployed youth of economically weaker sections on construction activities, new technologies developed in collaboration with Gandhigram Rural University, Rajiv Gandhi National Institute for Youth Development, KVIC, IIT Chennai, overseas agencies, etc. In addition AHIMSA has been helping rural non farm activities by providing skill training in activities like match splint making, tailoring, banana fire product making, coconut fibre products, etc
Based on the notification of last year Annual Report, 50 Supply Chain Marketing Outlets were started in 50 various places for the welfare of Women’s Club and Youth Clubs. Due to initiating the new business ventures, reducing the gap between the producers and consumers. The consumers procured new and fresh essential commodities with nominal prices and they are supporting to our efforts and initiatives regularly. Through this new business initiatives, paving the bright way to the number of members from our women’s clubs and youth clubs getting a regular job as well as improving their livelihoods and AHIMSA has also mobilize income through this initiatives and it supports to carry out our community development initiatives. Our successful initiatives have also been exposed by the way of mass media like Radio, T.V, websites and News Papers. In this occasion, we are very much proud in announcing the extension of this project in another 50 places and it would be covered more than 500 unemployed youth.