SayTrees’ Post

From Scarcity to Abundance: How Jalkunds are Reviving Lives in Mokhada, Maharashtra. Despite abundant rainfall, the tribal communities in Ase and Beriste in Mokhada district, Gram Panchayats faced a harsh reality - nearly 98% of the population struggled with water scarcity. This impacted their way of life, particularly for farmers who depended on the land for their livelihood. A partnership between JM Financial Foundation and Deepak Foundation brought about a transformative change. 294 Jalkunds built, these structures have become lifelines, ensuring the survival of crops (including over 5,000 mango and 11,000 cashew saplings) during dry periods. Beyond crops, Jalkunds have significantly improved overall water availability, benefiting a staggering 667.35 acres of land. Breaking the cycle, water conservation is transforming lives. Reliable water access allows farmers to cultivate second crops, leading to a promising shift towards economic stability and a reduction in migration. Jalkunds are more than just water storage - they are symbols of hope and a sustainable future for Mokhada's tribal communities. #FromScarcityToAbundance #WaterForLife #TransformingCommunities #JalkundsReviveMokhada #SustainableAgriculture #HopeInHarshRealities #WaterConservationSuccess #EconomicEmpowerment #EndMigration #TribalEmpowerment

From Scarcity to Abundance: How Jalkunds are Reviving Lives in Mokhada, Maharashtra. Despite abundant rainfall, the tribal communities in Ase and Beriste in Mokhada district, Gram Panchayats faced a harsh reality - nearly 98% of the population struggled with water scarcity. This impacted their way of life, particularly for farmers who depended on the land for their livelihood. A partnership between JM Financial Foundation and Deepak Foundation brought about a transformative change. 294 Jalkunds built, these structures have become lifelines, ensuring the survival of crops (including over 5,000 mango and 11,000 cashew saplings) during dry periods. Beyond crops, Jalkunds have significantly improved overall water availability, benefiting a staggering 667.35 acres of land. Breaking the cycle, water conservation is transforming lives. Reliable water access allows farmers to cultivate second crops, leading to a promising shift towards economic stability and a reduction in migration. Jalkunds are more than just water storage - they are symbols of hope and a sustainable future for Mokhada's tribal communities. #FromScarcityToAbundance #WaterForLife #TransformingCommunities #JalkundsReviveMokhada #SustainableAgriculture #HopeInHarshRealities #WaterConservationSuccess #EconomicEmpowerment #EndMigration #TribalEmpowerment

“In the division along the Western Ghats, from Tenkasi to Sathyamangalam, #millet crops can't be grown due to attacks from deer, pigs and peacocks” - Farmer from #Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu. Human-animal conflict is an inevitable part of life in rural India. However, it is often overlooked in #agricultural policy and #media coverage. #Farmers were especially frustrated with this issue in all the 5 states we visited. In Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, they were dismayed at stray cattle destroying their crops. In Meghalaya and Tamil Nadu, wild animals including wild pigs, elephants and peacocks were attacking standing crops. Elephant attacks were frequent In the #Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu, damaging farmers’ houses and even injuring them. Odisha was affected by both stray cattle and wild animals in the forested areas. Hearing directly from farmers and rural citizens was the objective with which we set out on this journey. This exercise helped us reaffirm that it is the #livedexperiences of rural citizens that must determine policy priorities. We continue to strive to bring these voices to the right forums, so that it can influence #policy making, #governance and #media discourse. . . . . Rural Voice and Socratus Foundation for Collective Wisdom have organized a series of discussions on ‘Agenda for Rural India’. A first of its kind #nationwide exercise, this series aimed to construct a comprehensive #ruralagenda based on the challenges and aspirations of #rural citizens. These gatherings involved over 300 participants from 60 districts of Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Meghalaya, including farmers, artisans, entrepreneurs, women’s SHGs, migrants and youth. The insights gathered were shared with leading policymakers and experts on November 1, 2023, in New Delhi.

Many rural communities in Maharashtra, especially tribals & indigenous people are vulnerable to the climate uncertainty induced by #climatechange due to heavy reliance on the environment for their livelihood. Due to the different #geology of the place, in many areas even though it rains extensively, the terrains can’t hold water, leaving the place dry and under-watered for the rest of the year, which makes crop yields to decline rapidly  With limited access to technology and lack of knowledge on alternative crops, farmers are increasingly forced to migrate to the bigger cities in search of jobs, leaving behind their homes and families. Through our #ClimateSmartFarming Programme at Jawhar & Mokhada blocks in Palghar district of Maharashtra, we’re working to support farmers to create additional sources of income by cultivating vegetables, flowers, and food forests apart from their regular crops. Our goal is to reduce the impact that they are facing due to climate change and generate sustainable livelihoods. With our Agriculture and Water interventions, we are able to stop almost 90% of the intermittent migration in these villages, with many farmers happily earning their livelihoods in their own hometowns, closed to their loved ones.

🌾🌿How Communities in Jharkhand and Telangana Found Hope in #SustainableLivelihoods Our work in rural India is not about numbers and statistics. It is about creating hope and opportunities among families that have been living on the edges for generations. It is about mobilising these underserved communities to believe and lay claim to a future that is sustainable. And it starts with looking at their problems systemically. In this story from the vast rural swathes of Telangana and Jharkhand, I am proud of how Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR), with support from Axis Bank Foundation, helped communities rediscover their connection to the land, providing training in agriculture, alternative livelihoods, livestock management, and resource conservation. The results have been incredible: - Families with increased incomes and a path out of poverty - Strong Farmer Producer Companies and Self-Help Groups formed - Adoption of climate-resilient farming methods - Protection and restoration of precious natural resources This journey is proof that with the right support, communities can find their own solutions to the challenges they face. Read the inspiring story conceived, written and designed by my incredible team at WOTR: https://lnkd.in/dEtkvZc4 #SustainableLivelihoods #RuralDevelopment #CommunityEmpowerment #WOTR #AxisBankFoundation #StoriesofHope #WOTRat30 #WOTR4Development Shikha Sharma Swati Joshi Rutuja Chavan Amol Satpute Anupriya Pandey Suryakant Patole

Makhana (Foxnut) farming not only has the potential to support the climate resilience of people and agricultural systems but can also transform the lives, livelihoods, and dreams of millions of farmers as it has done for Ms. Suman Singh and others in Madhubani (Bihar, India). Happy to share the recent article I wrote recently for TOI's Bihar edition. #ClimateResilience #MakhanaFarming

India’s farming community averages 28 suicides a day with bankruptcy and debt being major reasons for farmer #suicides with #Maharashtra's Marathwada region being heavily affected. As many as 101 farmer suicides have been reported in July this year, while 92 farmers died by suicide in June. Government data reveal a total of 2,392 farmer suicides in the region from January 2021 to June 2023. #agriculture #india #farmers #climatecrisis

🌿 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐦 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐝𝐮𝐤𝐤𝐢, 𝐊𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐚 Farmers in Idukki, Kerala, who grow cardamom, are facing a tough time. The weather has been very hot, and there hasn't been enough rain. This has made their cardamom plants turn yellow and wilted. Normally, these farmers get rain every month. But this year, there has been no rain for 120 days straight. This has made the land very dry, and the plants are not able to survive. Over 41,000 farmers in #Idukki depend on cardamom farming for their livelihood. They are struggling to save their crops and repay their loans. The government is trying to help by declaring a drought in the area and looking for ways to support the farmers financially. We can help by spreading awareness about the challenges these farmers are facing and supporting efforts to help them recover. -- Deepakk Goyel #HelpFarmers #SupportIdukkiFarmers #SaveCardamomFarms #MinarSpices #Minar #Cardamom #IndianSpices #Tradition #Spices #Indianmarket #organic #healthylife #Premiumquality #dryfruits

#Inidigenous #Kondh peoples in remote #malipadar plateau of #kutrungmali hills in #Raigada district of #Odisha face an uncertain future. Their land is at constant risk of being grabbed by #bauxitemining corporation #Vedanta. Their #life is already difficult as #water is scarce on this remote plateau. In order to reach this humble hamlet one needs to trekk up hill for around 4 kms and then only this #vulnerable #community becomes visible. #Kondhs make do all year round with a single pond and limited rainwater it stores. #Elderly of this community fear the most upcoming prospects of #dispossession and #forceddisplacement. As one #works here, it becomes really difficult to understand why profit is prioritised over people. Mainstay of #Kondh #indigenouspeoples's #livelihood includes #subsitencefarming, #animalhusbandry and #horticulture. #Kondhs grow a variety of crops including a diverse mix of #millets, #rice and #pulses. The prospect of #forcedeviction which looms large on this community keeps these people awake at night. Right minded people could do well to visit deeper into rural hinterlands in #EastIndia so that the plight of this grave proportion meted out to our #Adivasis (#indigenouspeoples of #EastIndia) is highlighted.