Empower Women Farmers in India

Dear Friend,

80% of the people in our region live in remote rural areas far from (formal) markets, and depend mostly on subsistence agriculture, livestock rearing, forest produce and wage labour for their livelihood. 84% of the farmers are small, marginal farmers with two hectares of land or less, of which only half is fit for cultivation. Agriculture in the region is mostly rain-fed with only 23% of the cultivated area under irrigation. So most farmers are able to farm in only one season, during the monsoon period. Women constitute 72% of the agricultural workforce. 56% of households have at least one member, usually the male household head, migrating for casual labouring work away from their village to meet their household consumption and income needs. A concern for farmers in the region is also access to markets to purchase supplies for farming and animal rearing, and to sell their produce from agriculture, livestock and forests. Most markets are 10-40 km away from the villages, so transport costs are an additional burden. Without access to established markets, most farmers have no alternative but to sell their goods in their village at prices 20-50% lower than the market rate. This results in very low profits.

Seva Mandir addresses the challenges in two main ways:-

1. Improving agriculture and livestock

Seva Mandir works with farmers to enable them to utilise their farmland in the most efficient manner with the best possible agriculture practices. To utilise existing farmland to its optimal capacity, following watershed or ridge-to-valley treatment, soil and water conservation activities are undertaken to ensure the fertility of soil and enhance moisture. Irrigation facilities are also provided through water recharge, and water pumping and distribution systems, to ensure a constant supply of water for crops.

Seva Mandir provides a community-based agri-extension service through trained agriculture workers, who act as facilitators to encourage farmers to adopt the best agricultural practices.

Through various interventions Seva Mandir benefited 80,000 farmers, and improved agricultural productivity by 40-60% and livestock productivity by 30-50%.

2. Income enhancement

Seva Mandir works with farmers to increase their income by identifying critical areas in the farmers’ value chain and providing solutions. Seva Mandir uses its community-based agri-extension service model, through trained agriculture workers and agriculture experts, to support these farmers at every stage of the production cycle to ensure best results.

Through this intervention, Seva Mandir increased the annual agricultural income of around 4,500 families by INR 15,000-40,000 (USD 215-600), a 40-120% increase. Seva Mandir also helped 220 women's Self-Help Groups to undertake entrepreneurial activities, and linked 20 community groups and federations in over 40 villages to provide access to fair markets. 

Many thanks to you for all your help and support to our project. It is because of your support we have been able to help increase profits of these farmers. 

Regards

Atul Lekhra & the Seva Mandir team 

Follow us on www.facebook.com/sevamandir 

Links:

• Seva Mandir's Website
• Seva Mandir's Facebook Page
• Seva Mandir's Friends Chapter in USA

Dear Friend,

We sincerely hope that you, your family, and your colleagues are in good health and safe.

The second wave across India has hit harder than the first one. The worst-affected are always the underprivileged and vulnerable communities. For them prevention is very important, as treatment is a bigger challenge.     

During this medical emergency, Seva Mandir team continues to work and support rural communities. We are working closely with health experts and organisations to understand needs and have taken up the response work ahead in the villages where Covid cases are surging at an unstoppable pace. Multitude of problems are witnessed causing spread of the virus such as rural patients struggling with home isolation, finding treatment close to home, arranging for food and basic amenities, misinformation and so on. An immediate and pressing need is to provide access to reliable information, counter dangerous myths regarding the disease, vaccination and treatment, and provide survival support to the vulnerable families in the rural and tribal parts of Udaipur and Rajsamand.

Seva Mandir is well placed to deliver this through its wide network of volunteers and community institutions. It is responding to the situation by undertaking the Covid Relief Work. The organisation is taking up different interventions, below are the interventions planned at present towards relief efforts:

1. Community Awareness & Education
2. Support to COVID affected patients and families
3. Support to vulnerable families in villages
4. Ensuring Safety & Welfare of Frontline Workers
5. COVID Care Centres

We, hence, seek your continuous support to help the rural communities withstand the impacts of the pandemic. We trust that you will continuously support us.

We also believe that the world will soon come out with this situation. Take care.

Thanks & Regards

Atul Lekhra & the Seva Mandir Team 

Follow us on www.facebook.com/sevamandir

Links:

• Seva Mandir's Website
• Seva Mandir's Facebook Page
• Seva Mandir's Friends Chapter in USA