Empower Women Farmers in India

Season’s Greetings to you and your family.

We would like to thank you deeply for your continued support which has enabled us to keep supporting 3,500 farmers in India. Without your involvement, this would not be possible!

India is one of the largest exporters of lentils (dal), but it is an unfortunate truth that the cultivators of lentils live a life of drudgery. They seldom got profits for their produce and are often subjected to exploitation. However, when Seva Mandir’s lentils processing unit started a few years ago, the farmers are now able to draw returns from their labour and produce in a fair and sustainable way.

“I was on a verge of quitting farming for it only gave me loss… The dal mill gave farming a new vision” – A farmer in Medi village, Rajasthan

Sohan (name changed), a farmer from the Medi village, lives with his parents, wife and children in a small but proud house situated on their modestly sized land. The surrounding region is inhabited by tribal people living in extreme poverty, earning on average less than $0.35 a day. One of the main crops here is lentils, which is what Sohan and his family have grown for generations on a small piece of land.

Compared with many others in his community, Sohan managed his finances well and he always tried to invest in good quality seeds and regular irrigation. However, despite his best efforts, his hard work never paid off; his family income remained low as he had nowhere to store the crops safely, leaving them open to encroaching animals, and he had no means of transportation.

Every time he wanted to sell some of his harvest, Sohan had three choices; he could travel to the market using local transport, which raised his costs; he could walk across arduous and difficult terrain for several miles; 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 daily-wage labour work in the far away towns and cities. But even this radical step didn’t protect them from hunger. 

Several years ago, the solution for his family's increasingly precarious situation came when Seva Mandir’ agriculture programme reached Sohan’s area. Sohan, along with 86 others from his community were given professional support and proper training to become co-owners of a dal 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 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 who made this project possible, the economic situation of Sohan'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 (£1.12 or $1.43). This investment, and the support of Seva Mandir in enabling the farmers to realise the scheme, has given Sohan the 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.

All this has been possible due to your support and trust in us. We would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting us.  We have been able to benefit more than 10,000 farmers through various interventions because of you.

We are proud to share that Seva Mandir has been featured in a The New York Times article! One of our GlobalGiving campaigns has been selected as an alternative way to give a gift this Christmas. The link to the article is https://goo.gl/sCxFGC

Also, GlobalGiving's “Year End Campaign” has begun! Until the end of December, all recurring donations up to $200 will be 100% matched throughout the campaign, and whichever organisation achieves the most funds during the campaign will receive $2,000 from GlobalGiving!

Help Seva Mandir achieve these goals this December by donating on our GlobalGiving page!

Thank you so much.

Regards

Atul Lekhra and the Seva Mandir Team

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