Appeal Manjhi family goes from being debt-ridden to making Rs.76,000/- in a year!
Appeal Manjhi is 52 years old. He belongs to the Manjhi tribe and lives with his family in a little village called Puri.
Puri is a small village in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh. The Manjhi tribe depends on the forest for their livelihood. The area is rich in non timber forest produce. Appeal family used to work in the forest. But most of their produce went to a few businessmen at a nearby town called Kudumkela.
This was the reality for most of the Manjhi tribals in Puri. The businessmen in Kudumkela provided cash, clothes, and other requirements on loans. The loans were repaid with forest produce.
This led to the family living hand to mouth. They longed to live without having to worry about their next meal. Their problems became worse when Appeal son, Rajnikant got addicted to alcohol.
It was during this time that Janmitram started the agriculture development program in their village. They worked to make better use of the degraded and waste land by developing horticulture and vegetable promotion.
Appeal wanted to take their help and develop his land. However, the program failed as villagers were unwilling to cooperate with Janmitram.
But Appeal vowed to change this with help from Janmitram. He planted fruits and vegetables on whichever parts of the land he could. In the first year, the produce was not good. Puri was a place where open grazing was common which affected his crops.
His son Rajinikanth also squandered the minimal earnings they received on alcohol.
In spite of all this, nothing could derail Appeal from the path he chose.
With the support of Janmitram, he brought up the issues he faced with open grazing in the panchayat. He erected a fence around his land. **Janmitram helped Appeal choose crops that improved soil such as sunflower, pea and cauliflower. He erected a hut in the field and kept around the clock vigil. He then helped his son stop his alcohol habit with constant motivation and got him to work on the farm with him. **
All the hard work paid off and that season he sold a whopping Rs. 76,000 worth of vegetables.
His farm inspired those around him. In the next season, many other residents of Puri replicated Appeal farm. Most of them enrolled in the Janmitram program and succeeded in earning well.
Over time, more and more villagers began to shift to agriculture until the old system was completely done away. In 2016, the whole village produced 26 tons of onion alone!
f you do good, things will turn good for you,says Appeal, with a toothy grin.
Appeal Manjhi appeal in Puri is now unanimous. He is however, most proud of his son Rajinikanth who left alcohol and turned into a passionate farmer.
Your help can transform many more villages like those of Puri. You can donate so that the poor farmers can get resources to start farming and get out of the cycle of debt. You can give with confidence because every program listed is GIVEASSURED.
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You will be sponsoring the benefits for different beneficiaries every month
What the beneficiary gets
Program Description
Janmitram runs the wadi program with the objective to optimize use of the degraded/waste land by integrated horticulture development and vegetable promotion in tribal areas.
A survey is conducted in the villages and farmers are selected based on prevalent tribes.
The list of beneficiaries is then drawn up. Janmitram works with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for funding and support for the wadi programme.
The resource material and capacity building is done by Janmitram with the support of NABARD. The tending of farms is done by the farmers. They sell the fruits and vegetables produced through the federation and benefit from selling their produce at good prices
Janmitram also provides support in marketing and linkage of their crops.
Donations to this program support the cost of vegetable seeds, cow-dung fertilizer, and pesticide applications for the farms.
When you donate to this program, you help a farmer become self reliant.
Janmitram Kalyan Samiti
Program Updates
7 October, 2021
Seed Support and Quality Fertilzers for tribal farmers
#3
Activities and work undertaken in the last 5-6 months
JanMitram Kalyan Samiti is well known for its social activities towards the backward class. It is always thought for benefiting the tribal farmer in terms of providing good income. Hence, a total number of 100 tribal farmers of Gharghoda, Lailunga, Sarangarh, and Kharsia region of Raigarh, Chhattisgarh got benefitted from the program of 'seed and fertilizers'. As a unit, providing only seeds were not proved to be enough but the selection of sites for more production, use of post-emergence herbicide application to reduce weed menace after planting are some tactics which were explained by the team from time to time. Balanced use of fertilizer was also explained to each farmer whenever the interaction took place. In Gharghoda itself there are 50 news Wadis were created to make sure regular income of farmers. The distribution of hybrid seeds impacted the thought process of farmers towards new farming techniques as most of the farmers were willing to spread the seed production in the same village.
Challenges faced and next steps
We did not face any tough challenges. However, it is always tough to complete the expectations of each household. As a cluster, we have almost covered each tribal farmer in Gharghoda for the past 10 years. Either in terms of providing seeds, fertilizers, availability of water, etc. During the pandemic COVID-19, we faced severe problems regarding the operation of any programs. In fact, the rice of values in seed and fertilizers put ourselves in downward positions. Management of staff during that period was the toughest challenge we had ever faced. But we stand tall and overcame soon by rotating the field staff by ensuring their safety. We also distributed masks, sanitizers, and aware people for vaccination. In the next 06 months, our goal is to have a maximum seed production area. We are also planning to increase the total number of beneficiaries in the next 06 months. Plantation program to be conducted on the month of July every year.
Stories from the ground
Stories from the ground: Vishi Keshan Gupta aged (48) is a physically handicapped farmer. He lives in village Darripali of Raigarh district. He is married to Vedmati Gupta (40) with a lonely daughter Jyoti (08). Vishi Keshan and Vedmati both are illiterate but very much eager to provide good education to their lonely daughter. In spite of disability and limited sources, he along with his wife work hard to fulfill their daily needs. In fact, due to regular health issues and financial problems, he could not get his education he also lost his parents at an early age. Due to his poor financial background and difficulties in earning, he was married too late quite opposite to general trends in Indian villages. The late marriage resulted in a late child. Vishi Keshan has only 01 acres of farmland where he could crop for only one season. On his farm, he crops seasonal vegetables and occasionally crops wheat or rice as the rotational crops. This agriculture practice was not proving enough for his family in terms of food, water, and shelter.There is a saying God Helps Those Who Helps Themselves, to prove this saying he attended a one-day training program of Self Help Group (SHGs) in his village. On most days, he would have skipped this training but that day he not only participated in the training program but also came to know about the donation scheme of Give India Platform. We listened to his problems carefully then visited his farmland which was barren at that time. After visiting the farm we suggested cropping cauliflower and cabbage knowing the potential of soil and area of the subsequent market. Sooner, we availed the part donation of Vershini Suresh to Vishi Keshan. He was provided seeds and necessary fertilizers and insecticides with immediate effect and cropped the cauliflower and cabbage in his entire one acre of land.The amount of hard work and due care by Vishi Keshan was not wasted. Cultivation of cauliflower and cabbage resulted in a profitable note for him as his cultivation in 1 acre yielded up to 18–20 quintals. In peak season he has earned 45,000/- to 50,000/- INR. This earning come across in his sheer profit as his investment was nominal. Now, he is able to provide quality education to his lone daughter, his shelter is surely going to improve and there will be no problems with good food nutrients. He is so much thankful for donar like Varshini Suresh for her kind support.
23 March, 2021
Seed Support and Funding Fertilizers
#2
JANMITRAM KALYAN SAMITI with prime support of NABARAD has created about 1225 WADI for tribal farmers in Gharghoda block of Raigarh district. Under this Wadi development programmes many farmers get benefitted. Wells, vegetable garden along with seeds and fertilizers. About 96 farmers were benefitted with seeds and fertizers through Krishiprabha Agrobeiz Co-Ltd, Gharghoda. A total of Rs. 27,725/- (Twenty seven thousand seven hundred twenty five) were utilized under seed and fertilizer programm to support the 96 farmers in Gharghoda. Insecticides such as COMBI 505, Honda 505, Missile (100 and 500 ml) and Navistram were provided along with compulsory fertilizers like super potash. Quality seeds of Mango, cashew and guvava were provided after soil testing and it was made sure that farmer should have all basics covered for farming. If not, then our organization provided the remaining facilities also. Smt. Sikari Sathiya w/o Upraj Sathiya village Kanchanpur of Gharghoda expressed her sincere gratitude to donors of Give India Foundation for lifting her poverty. She has developed a well equipped vegetable garden and our team assisted with seed supply and funding fertilizers/insecticides. Regular monitoring were also conducted by the team to observe the progress. Many other farmers such as Teejram Rathiya, Tilak Ram, Vot Singh Rathiya of village Sardhap, Jagat Ram Rathiya (Nawagarh), Karma Singh Rathiya (Bahirkela), Sampat Rathiya, Sukh Singh Rathia and Susti Rathia of village Barounakunda are some beneficiary among the 96 farmers in Gharghoda who have been supplied fertilizers and insecticides. Overall, beneficiaries belonged to 21 different villages in Gharghoda who have been benefitted under Wadi Development Programme.
5 August, 2020
Imporved Seeds at doorstep - Giveindia donors helped tribals farmers to procure improved seeds to get better yield per acre.
#1
Imporved Seeds at doorstep - Giveindia donors helped tribals farmers to procure improved seeds to get better yield per acre.
Janmitram runs the wadi program with the objective to optimize use of the degraded/waste land by integrated horticulture development and vegetable promotion in tribal areas.
Tribals have small land holdings, less-productive lands. Many of our beneficiaries have developed wastelands into paddy field through help of MGNREGA scheme of GOI. Such lands are initially less fertile. This programme helps to get certified seeds of improved verity.
This helps farmer to take-up and try new varities giving better yield and better price. Which in turn helps in per acre income improvement up to 12-14K in a crop cycle which is almost 1.5 times better then earlier.
In last quarter, we delivered this help to 11 farmers in village piyayidraha, Bulekera and Pordi of Ghaghoda block in Raigarh district of Chattisgarh.
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