RID POVERTY & HUNGER IN 50 INDIAN TRIBAL VILLAGES

Global Giving Report May 2019 

Life as a volunteer in a small NGO tends to swallow up hours days and weeks-- . Before we know it, it is time for another report. Our Project Co-coordinator has been busy amongst her various chores ( including redoing and refurbishing her home) trying to make the perfect PPT to wow our readers. I have been telling her not to break her head or heart over it, because, the simple truth is, work and activities at Earth Trust are never-ending and just when you think you have wrapped up your paragraph, another event happens and we end  up re-acting, My God, I have to put that in too ----------. So there goes our deadlines, which are never dead anyway but constantly alive. She is a volunteer too.

Our farming programme was par for the course. You have to remember that what we do is ongoing. So basically as one crop cycle ends another starts. We are trying to find ways and means to revive soil in beds where broccoli or cabbages have been planted. No farmer used to the old ways would want to plant big areas of these two vegetables. They always aver that that particular place would become useless for any meaningful planting soon. We had a meeting of the sales manager Jaya, Project Co-coordinator Nimmi, farm manager Murugesh  and the  Managing Trustee to discuss crop-planning based on demand and supply.   We follow the bio-dynamic system of crop rotation, but our resource farm manager Murugesh requested us to allot small quantities of these two vegetables broccoli and cabbage to all our farmers. Why is it that they are so reluctant to think out of the box. I have suggesting raised beds with soil barriers below. What is wonderful about these meetings is the way each person fights for what they think is the right action to be taken. So as moderator I always have to intervene and say-- People, we are all on the same side. Nimmi has been representing ET on the Steering Committee to make the whole of  Nilgiris organic. Nimmi, Smitha(PhD) our farmer from Gudalur and  Murugesh attended a Bio-Dynamic training programme for five days at Srirangapatina  in Mysore. Murugesh is already an adept. This course was a refresher for him. Smitha did her thesis on Kadukkai- Terminalia Chebulia. Murugesh was once again sent to a 'Training the Trainer' programme in Mysore for 10 days. This was facilitated by  Andreas Hermes Akademie (AHA), the training arm of the Deutscher Bauernverband (DBV) - The German Farmers’ Association. He  would fit the description-- "Full many a gem of purest ray serene, the dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear" We have to prod and push him to come forward and share his  knowledge garnered over a decade of practical experience to new audiences - farmers from around South India. he understands but does not speak or write much English-- shyness basically. Part of his training was how to reach out to his audience. A late bloomer, coming into his own, we are glad for him.  He came back from the training with a pat on his back, one of the few to do so. Sometime in September this year, we will be holding training sessions here in the Nilgiris. In the meanwhile, we are also part of an initiative Vikalpsangam(vikalpsangam.org).  We are resisting moves to align India's plant varieties IPR law along UPOV lines. Very worrying to think of a future where we will have no say on what farmers can or cannot sow or store or exchange seeds. On the anvil, Earth Trust will be submitting a petition to the District Collector to ban the use of the infamous Roundup, a product of the even more infamous Monsanto. The women's Skill Development and Health programme was held in Morakutty, a tiny hamlet over January February and March this year. Dr. Rameez, an acupressure/accupuncture specialist was the chief guest at the valedictory function. As always the women learnt how to knit sew basic garments and to make home remedies for minor ailments based on traditional methods. Their biggest discovery is that they can do all these things! We are signing off for now. Thank you.