Empower Women Farmers in India

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Seva Mandir.

Hope you are well. I like to introduce myself to you. I am Atul Lekhra. I have joined Seva Mandir early this year and I will now communicating with you through these project reports. I am gald to be a part of this program and look forward to talking to you about all these wonderful projects you are supporting.

We are in our monsoon season currently. Though the rains have not been so good, the area is covered with greenery which makes village visits these days very picturesque. In early July, Mrs. Kamala Shankar and Ms. Emily Mitchell visited village Medi where the Dal Mill is located. They both enjoyed their visit and learning about the Dal Mill program.

Emily took several pictures of the area, people and of Dal Mill. Mrs. Shankar was very curious to understand everything about the project, how Dal gets processes and the impact it creates on people’s lives in Medi.

The person In Charge of Dal Mill Mr. Sanjay Vakode, for its day-to-day functioning explained the project and also gave heads up which I enclose below for your reference  -

1)      The mill has been able to acquire new clients and diversify its buyers including hotels like Taj Lake Palace, retail store in Gujarat that promotes unpolished dal. Having these buyers makes sure the farmers have a regular income for their produce.  

2)      The mill had sent a sample of Tuar dal to QPS laboratories, Hyderabad in order to test if there is any chemical (urea and pesticides) present in it. The laboratories declared that the produce is completely free from any pesticides and chemical. This is exciting news as it makes the Taur Dal of this mill even more attractive.

Seeing the mill Emily said “It is clear that this mill has been a very important resource for the local community.” Mrs. Shankar said, she will be talking about the progress of this project to her friends when she goes back to home in the US.

We are very proud of the hard work these farmers have put in to make Dal Mill project a huge success. As you may know the project has helped the farmers receive 30% more income and it is certainly a good news especially in the times of tough economy. Much of this success is also due to your untiring support. It is a great partnership and we hope to continue having you by our side. Please do let us know if you have any questions.

Thank you again.

Atul Lekhra.