Mobilise and Support 1000 Female Local Farmers

Dear Donors & Supporters

About four months have passed since our last update on this project, and we could not be more grateful for all the support you have shown to us during this challenging period, which, as you may know, has been marked by a new upsurge of COVID-19 cases in India. With this new report, we want to provide you with some highlights and progress updates in the starting-up of our women-led Farmers Producers Organisation (FPO).  

So far, we have raised $484 thanks to the contributions of our incredible GlobalGiving’s donor community! Amidst the ongoing pandemic, your donations have been fundamental for the continuity of this project. From May to June, the State of Tamil Nadu has implemented strict lockdown measures, with consequent disruption of transport, harvesting, and marketing, notwithstanding week-long market shutdowns, drastically impacting the agri-produce value chain. This situation has added further urgency to building up the economic resilience of female farmers, who rely on agricultural activities for financial and food security. 

Against all odds, at Blossom Trust, we have been able to reassure operations and expand our outreach into the Virudhunagar farming community. This local outreach is the first step to organise female farmers into Interest Groups, reflecting their shared needs and priorities as women - taking up a gender perspective - and stakeholders of the smallholder agricultural sector. 

Over these few months, our incredible Outreach Team has collected data from 1000 women farmers, who have shown enthusiasm for participating and working side by side with Blossom on this project. They belong to our network of self-help groups running for over 20 years, laying solid foundations for the success of our interventions. From the field visits conducted so far, we have first-hand witnessed how the supply chain mechanisms actioned by these groups are crucial for local food security. Through collective savings rolling out monthly, women have invested in agricultural activities, bringing their agri-produce together to support the whole community in these times of hardship. 

The pictures attached are from one of the 50 Farmer Interest Groups we are seeking to form and strengthen. Moving forward, we aim to further build the capacity of these women's clusters by providing comprehensive, cutting-edge training. Our training curriculum includes financial literacy and entrepreneurial skill-building, which will help female farmers better manage their individual and collective finances. Furthermore, we aim to train female farmers on improved and climate-resilient agricultural techniques, introducing new strategies to adapt to the adverse climate and its frequent extremes while boosting agricultural productivity. These training components, combined with confidence-building sessions and gender advocacy among our Interest Groups, will equip women with appropriate knowledge and skills to start their collective business, namely, a female-led Farmers Producers Organisation (FPO).  

To conclude, whilst there is still much work ahead, we are happy with the progress made in mobilising our women and, thanks to your support, we are preparing for the next steps, looking forward to sharing new updates with you soon! 

Thank you and stay safe!

Thank you again for all your kindness, support and generosity in helping our female farmers. We greatly appreciate your joint efforts to ensure inclusive and equitable development for all. Together, we can drive positive, sustainable change in the lives of thousands of women who need and deserve recognition and a fair role in the agricultural value chain. We hope you stay safe, and we will continue sharing information on how we are utilising your donations alongside updates on our women's mobilisation. 

With best wishes and our sincere gratitude,

Mercy Annapoorani & Blossom Trust Team 

Dear Donors & Supporters

On behalf of Blossom Trust, we would extend a warm thank you for all the kindness, support and generosity that you have shown us. To update you on our progress of mobilising our women farmers initiative, we want to share a report covering a few highlights and updates.

So far on this project, we have raised a total of $454.94 due to the support of our amazing donors here at GlobalGiving! For over 28 years Blossom Trust has had firsthand experience working with women in our local communities. Particularly, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic we are still facing continuous effects here in India especially in rural communities. For the majority, accessibility to health services is minimal and communities rely on their agriculture as financial and food security. Women in India make up 60% of our agriculture sector, despite this, women are positioned at the lower strata of the social and economic pyramid resulting in a large gender wage gap and inequitable labour. 

Our current project is aimed at boosting the economic and social capacity of our female farmers through the organisation and strengthening of our Women’s Farmers Groups network. Our outreach team have been working hard to map out the women’s farmers group across the Virudhunagar. This process is essential in ensuring that we have included all the surrounding local women’s communities into this network and through this, can also fully distinguish the needs of each farmer’s group. Collecting and verifying details about the female farmers who will also be the shareholders in the establishment of the women-led community-owned Farmer’s Producers Organisation (FPO) will give us a better idea as to how the training and skill-building will be implemented. 

Moreover, we hope to collectivise the efforts of smallholder female farmers into a network for a two commodity FPO, goat and millet, as a sustainable response. Goats are an asset for smallholder farmers with lower economic means and are manageable livestock making it a low-risk investment. Whereas millet is the primary crop harvested in the local area. It is highly adaptable to diverse agro-climatic conditions making it a high demand and low cost enabling opportunities for farmers with low resources. This is a long term and sustainable approach that will allow female farmers to not only take ownership of their work but strengthen their financial security and recognition within the agricultural sector. 

Thank you and stay safe!

Thank you again for your support - there are no words to express the gratitude we feel. With your generosity, it makes an incredible impact on our beneficiaries. It is only together that we can support community development that is equitable and inclusive for all. We hope you are all safe, and we will continue to keep you informed on how your money is being used along with the progress of mobilising our fabulous female farmers. 

With best wishes and our sincere gratitude,

 Mercy Annapoorani & Blossom Trust Team