Welcome To Vanarai

Vanarai

Activities

Integrated Rural Development

GAWADEWADI VILLAGE, TAL. AMBEGAON, DIST. PUNE (SINCE 1991 TO 2011) :

Two decades ago, Gawadewadi was like any other village, struggling with poverty due to low productivity of farms. Most of the farmers only grew kharif crops and for the rest of the year used to go to other villages in search of employment. One or two members from every family had migrated to either Mumbai or Pune to earn a living.

By 1990 Vanarai started working in the village. With active involvement of villagers, watershed development works were started. In addition to this, soil and water conservation works like vocational training in milk production, improved practises of farmers etc. were carried out. As a result of this, remarkable results were seen.

155 families staying in fetid slums of Pune and Mumbai have returned to the village, the main reasons being the following:

	Erection of many soil and water conservation works in the village resulting in higher percolation of rain water in the
	ground and ultimately in the rise of the ground water table.
	Growth in milk collection from 200 litres per litres per day in 1990 to 12,000 litres per day today.
	Increase in per hectare yield of tomatoes from 12,500 Kgs. to 62,000 Kgs. and a noticeable change seen in all other
	crops.
	Plantation of more than 7,00,000 trees of different varieties.
	Successful establishment of many custard apple and mango orchards in the village.
	Establishment of a good school with computer education and medical facilities.
	Social centre to impart needed vocational training including modern crop practises, dairy maintenance etc.
	Green, clean and healthy atmosphere in the village.
	These steps have resulted in the following development.
	20 farmers have their own tractors as against 2 in the year 1991.
	Another 20 farmers have improved onion storage facilities.
	7 farmers have poultry farms.
	There are 199 two wheelers and 41 four wheelers as against 5 two wheelers and one car in 1991.
	3 farmers have their own sericulture farms.
	9 farmers are using drip and sprinkler irrigation.
	10 farmers are undertaking vermi compost projects.
	16 residents of Gawdewadi are presently working in different countries like USA, Germany, Australia, Saudi Arabia,
	England and Sudan.
	4 persons from this village are chartered accountants.
	2 persons are principals of colleges.
	95% eligible couples are practicing family planning.
	Literacy Rate is 97%.
	Grampanchayat won the following prestigious awards.
	Indira Priyadarshan Vriksh Mitra Award 1995-1996.
	Nirmal Gram Puraskar- 2006-2007.
	Mahatma Gandhi Tanta Mukti Abhiyan 2008.
	Several district level awards.

Recently Smt. Pratibhatai Patil, Hon. President of India paid a visit to the village and appreciated the villagers and the NGO for the progressive work shown by them. Also, several VIPs like Former Prime Ministers, Governors, Ministers, eminent scientists etc. have visited Gawadewadi and have congratulated the villagers for having given a new direction to the development of the country.

KARCHOND (A VILLAGE NEAR SILVASA):

Karchond, a small village in the Silvasa District of Dadara Nagar Haveli is a perfect example of Vanarai’s successful efforts to undertake sustainable village development. Before Vanarai took it into its folds, Karchond was a typical backward village of India, where the villagers had blind faiths like, if they milk a cow, she would die. They used to take only the Kharif crop of Paddy which kept them engaged for 4 or 5 months. For the rest of the year they used to migrate to the surrounding cities in search of manual labour in the construction works.

Another one of their major problems was scarcity of water, especially between the months of January and June every year. Due to this, women were forced to travel long distances to fetch drinking water. Then, in the year 2004, Vanarai, with the financial assistance of Hindustan Unilever Limited, started working with the villagers to bring about changes in their lifestyle.

Vanarai began the process by taking 15 villagers to Pune and then training them to improve their agricultural practises. They were shown some successful Vanarai villages after which they went back to spread the message to their fellow villagers. Vanarai workers also conducted many meetings as a result of which the villagers extended their whole hearted support.

One of the projects involved solving the problem of drinking water. Vanarai built ëBandharasí which are useful in pushing the water level up and filling the wells situated near them. Also 30 Vanarai Bunds were constructed for water conservation. The project was a huge success. Now villagers get drinking water all year round because the wells never dry up.

Because of the improved agricultural practises, the following improvements took place:


	Wheat production has now reached upto 36500 Kg. and the cost of the produce was Rs.511000
	Gram production has now reached upto 850 Kg. and the cost of the produce was Rs.33750
	Mustard Seed production has now reached upto 386 Kg. and the cost of the produce was Rs.23160
	12 acre of vegetable plantation yielded Rs.47000 worth of vegetables.
	Out of 18 farmers, 3 farmers produced 23.30, 18.50 and 13.60 Quintal Paddy from just 1 acre from their fields.

Being satisfied with the achievements, HUL has now entered into a new agreement for further development of village Karchond, for four more years. They have also invited Vanarai to develop Village Pati and four other villages near HUL factory at Dapada. Bombay Merchants Chamber recognized the CSRS activity of Vanarai with HUL by awarding a prestigious prize to HUL.

GOALS:


	Integrated and sustained development of village Karchond.

OBJECTIVES:

	To conserve soil and water through proper soil and water conservations techniques.
	To increase and stabilise agricultural income through sustainable . development of water and land resources
	To ensure self sufficiency of villagers in their basic needs i.e. food, fodder, fuel and water.
	To generate local employment opportunities to the marginal farmers through increased economic activity.
	To aim for proper land use, based on suitable utlisation of land and water resources

Implementation of project was carried out through following activities:

A. WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT:

	Sanitation Blocks
	Loose Boulder Structure
	Gabion Structure
	CCT
	Vanarai Bunds

B. AGRICUTURE RELATED ACTIVITIES:

	Distribution of Improved Seed and Fertilizer
	Krushi Melava
	Afforestation
	Vermi Compost Units
	Raising of Nurseries
	Vegetable Cultivation
	Drumstick Plantation
	Distribution of Palghar Paddy Seeds and Stylohamata Grass Seeds
	Community Development Works

C. HEALTH AND HYGIENE RELATED WORKS

	Supply of soap, hair oil, nail cutters to school and anganwadies
	Conducted general health camps for villagers
	Slide show regarding health and hygiene

D. AWARENESS CREATION

	Film and slide shows in various padas.
	Distribution of entertainment instruments to the ‘Bhajani Mandals’.
	Organised cricket tournaments for youth.
	Distribution of sangeet sahitya and educational kit to the primary school and anganwadies
	Special agricultural training programme for farmers.
	Visit to ‘Vasada’ project.

E. OTHER ACTIVITIES

	Formation of SHG
	Tailoring for 10 youths
	Veterinary camp
	General health camp
	Matching grants for SHG
	Vocational training programme for youth
	Training women in production Agarbatti and Papad

ASSISTANCE FROM GOVERNMENT

	We have applied for the assistance under various govt. schemes
	Low cost latrine for each house
	Subsidised seeds and fertilizers for farmers
	Vaccination for cattles
	Time to time health services for villagers
	Due to subsidised seeds and fertilizer supply to village farmers they have cultivated wheat worth rs. 1.5 lakh, grams
	worthrs. 25,000 and vegetables worth rs. 35,000. However this can be increased when good farming practices are well
	accepted by farmers.
	With active co-operation of forest department providing saplings for bund plantation
	Active help by agriculture dept. Provided mango saplings at concessional rates
	DRDA, Silvassa is extending all possible co-operation through Balika Samruddhi Yojana, Rashtriya Matrutva Labh Yojana
	(nmbs) schemes to Karchond village
	Forest department is interested to run their JFM programme in Karchond with Vanarai, HUL and villagers

Socio Economic impact of the project

	House hold income increased from Rs. 7000 to 10000 per annum because of Tailoring, Papad and Agarbatti making
	enterprises. Due to our activities local labor found employment in the village itself and approximately 278 families are
	involved.
	Due to formation of SHG women are meeting frequently & have started saving. Total savings up till now are Rs. 45000
	Due to our training of milking cows and buffaloes 4 families have started collecting milk and milk collection has increased
	from 0 liters to above 70 liters per day.
	Drinking water is available through out the year.
	Due to our efforts protected irrigation is available for Rabbi crop which has increased. This has resulted in stopping
	seasonal migration of 45 families.

Health and Hygiene

	Quality of water has improved.
	Most of the people use community latrines.
	8 families have constructed their own latrines
	72 families have shown interest in having individual latrines.
	Because of our distribution of hygiene kit to school and Anganwadi
	children their habits are changing and skin diseases have decreased .
	Results of Horticulture Plantation can be assessed only after 4 years.
	However survival is above 85%