Economic Growth India Project #2022

Empower Women Farmers in India

by Seva Mandir

Project Report | Oct 31, 2019
Empowering Rural Communities

By Atul Lekhra | Manager- Resource Mobilization

Dear Friend,

Since 1968, Seva Mandir is working with the tribal communities of Udaipur and Rajsamand district of southern Rajasthan, one of the world’s poorest regions, where the average per capita income is less than USD 0.50 per day, to build cohesive and inclusive communities whose members are able to participate actively in the local decision-making which affects their daily lives.

Fostering democratic participation in the affairs of the community is the foundation for all of Seva Mandir’s interventions in the region and is a key element of its success in supporting deprived rural communities.

Seva Mandir has worked in partnership with these people, not only to improve their material well-being, but to build stronger and more ethical communities. Through its programs on governance, health, education, sustainable use of natural resources, women’s empowerment, youth development, child care and social enterprise, Seva Mandir makes a tangible and transformative impact.

At Seva Mandir, very modest amounts of money go a very long way toward improving people’s lives, and our success has been recognized through a long list of awards and partnerships with distinguished funders and the Indian government.

Congratulations to Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer for being conferred with the 2019 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science. It is a proud and joyful moment for Seva Mandir and the communities of Udaipur region with whom they conducted studies on Health and Education.

We wish to thank you for your continued support.

Regards

Atul Lekhra & the Seva Mandir Team

Follow us on www.facebook.com/sevamandir

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Jul 29, 2019
Making Life Better for Farmers

By Atul Lekhra | Manager- Resource Mobilization

Dear Friend,

Your support has enabled us to help poor farmers get a fair price for their produce and avoid exploitation of the retail chain. These farmers are from one of the remotest villages of the region where we work. However, this area is famous for its lentil production. Since it’s a tribal area, farmers still practice indigenous farming hence they produce lentils which are free from any harmful chemicals and pesticides. However, having said that- farmers face a lot of problems in many ways. Firstly-the local dealers whom they sell does not give them a fair price for their produce. They just receive one third of the retail price (in which the lentil is actually sold in the market). Secondly – since they are very poor, a lot of farmers sell lentils in distress conditions ending up selling their produce in loss. Thirdly- if they consider going to the main markets to sell the lentils, it involves a huge transportation cost, state taxes and requires a lot at-least a day which means loss of one productive day.

In this context, in 2008, Seva Mandir set up a community enterprise- “Lentil Processing Unit” in the village. This unit procures raw lentils from the farmers directly (thus cutting the middle man commission), hence providing them fair price for their produce, process the lentils, and find a niche market for the processed lentils.

Kundan (name changed), a farmer who sells his lentils to the Unit says “I am selling my produce at this unit since 2010. It has made my life much easier.” Like Kundan, around 10,000 farmers benefit from the lentil processing unit. This all would have not been possible without your support. Thank you so much for your trust in Seva Mandir.

With Warm Regards

Atul Lekhra and the Seva Mandir Team

www.facebook.com/sevamandir

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Apr 30, 2019
Empowering Farmers for a Better Tomorrow

By Atul Lekhra | Manager- Resource Mobilization

Dear Friend,

We are thrilled to announce that GlobalGiving has awarded Seva Mandir with 5 achievements (Effective Organization, Staff Favorite Organization, Top Ranked Organization, Vetted Organization, Site Visit Verified Organization) making us a top-ranked organization for 2019!

All thanks goes to our dedicated supporters that we are able to keep accomplishing more every year and changing people's lives for the better. We can't thank you enough for your support and we look forward to another successful year!

Dinesh (name changed) is a farmer in Medi village with a small piece of land; like most others in this area, his main produce is lentils. In fact, his family has worked in the fields here for generations, cultivating this staple crop.

Compared with many others in his community, Dinesh tried always to invest in good quality seeds and regular irrigation. But despite his best efforts, his family income remained low, mainly because of a lack of proper storage for his crops and problems with transport.

Every time he wanted to sell some of his harvest, Dinesh had three choices: he could travel to the market using local transport, which raised his costs; he could walk the several miles there; or he could sell his lentils through middle-men, in which case he would not receive a fair price.

Over time, the financial position of his family worsened until some were forced to leave the village in search of laborer work. But even this radical step didn’t protect them from hunger.

The solution for this family's increasingly unstable situation came with Seva Mandir’s agriculture programme: Dinesh and others from his community were given support and proper training to become co-owners of dal (lentil) mill.

The principal aims of the project are to operate along ethical lines, guarantee proper storage for the harvests and ensure fair prices to the farmers by cutting out the middle-men. The farmers who are part of the cooperative are now able to control the process of dal (lentil) making and selling, they are guaranteed a fair market price for their crops and they receive a share of any future profits.

Thanks to the generosity of Seva Mandir's supporters like you who made this project possible, the economic situation of Dinesh's family continues to improve. As one of the farmers participating in the dal mill cooperative, he is able to support his family and provide them with a decent standard of living.

His initial contribution to the project was 100 rupees ($2). This investment, and the support of Seva Mandir in enabling the farmers to realize the scheme, has given Dinesh assurance that his efforts will bring him appropriate rewards. Indeed, with time he will be able to cultivate a little more of the land and further ensure that his large family's finances are stable. The future is now brighter for them all.

It is because of your support we have been able to help increase profits of these poor farmers. Thanks to your trust and support.

Regards

Atul Lekhra and the Seva Mandir Team

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