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WASSAN
started working with Mandala Mahila Samakhyas in the year
2002. The Overall objective is to enhance natural resource
based livelihoods of poor through strengthened and matured
institutions.  Concept
note
Community Based Organizations (CBOs)
In the
year 2002, initiated a training and exposure visit to
Gandweed mandal samakhya of Ranga Reddy district, after
discussing with them about the potential of Natural
resources based livelihoods. Samakhya directors have taken
to Deccan Development Society (DDS) to get an overview of
the activities and opportunities for their members. Some of
the members started vermin compost activity and that could
not taken forward because of the internal problems in the
samakhya.
After six months interacted with Kosgi, Dowlathabad mandal
samakhyas in Mahabubnagar district. In their samakhya
meetings discussed about the potential of natural resources
and resource based livelihoods. The two samakhyas asked for
a training program on "NRM based livelihoods in the context
of watershed development program". Training programs were
organized and they have planned for some activities. Around
10 samakhyas were trained on the theme in Mahabubnagar
district.
In between a study was carried on - Potentital of CBOs in
taking up NRM programs- in the year 2004 . The study was
anchored by Ms. Shashi Rajagopalan and study carried out in
Mahabubnagar, Medak, Chittoor districts of Andhra Pradesh.
The study clearly shown a way to work with CBOs for
effective natural resource management and livelihood
promotion.  Study
report
Simultaneously Midthur and Orvakal samakhyas from Kurnool
district asked for support services in implementing
watershed program. They have 12 and 7 watershed programs
respectively. WASSAN started supporting the samakhyas in
planning, implementation and capacity building of the
samakhya and other stakeholders. They took WASSAN support
for one and half year, after that they are implementing on
their own.
In Mahabubnagar district Dowlathabad Samakhya able to get 14
watersheds from district administration to implement the
program in the mandal in the year 2004. Out of the 14 only
five watersheds are running watersheds and rest are
completed. In completed watersheds they have planned for
Livelihood activities. Samakhya facilitated the process for
one year and the district administration have taken back the
watersheds because of political pressure.
In between there are several initiatives with other NRM
based CBOs like fishermen cooperatives, Sheep rarers
cooperatives and Rythu Mithra Groups (RMGs). There are
several Natural resource based initiatives have taken up
with Kosgi mandala mahila Samakhya like Non Pesticidal
Management (NPM), Assigend lands development, Community
based livestock services - large ruminants, etc.
Assigned
lands development:
Livestock experiments in Kosgi
Kosgi samakhya taken up a watershed program with NABARD
support. The programs being implemented under WDF scheme in
Mushrifa village. Initial Shramadhan is going complete in
the month of December 2005.
In similar lines 10 Samakhyas from Mahabubnagar district,
took initiative to take up WDF-NABARD program in their
mandals. This is in initial stages, a consultation meeting
was organized and started field visits. Samakhyas started
negotiations with NABARD to take up the activity.
Working with Sheep rearers cooperatives in 67 villages in
Kosgi, Kodangal , Dowlathabad, Bomraspet mandals of
Mahabubnagar district formed into a network . They have
taken up several activities with the groups like health
services, access to credit, strengthening of groups,
situational analysis on breeding practices and fodder
options. A small study was carried out on wool and its
market strategies with sheep rearers. GUARDS a NGO based at
Kodangal is partnering in this program.
Community based livestock services : small ruminants
Working with fishermen cooperatives started with one
cooperative and up scaled to 27 in Kosgi, Bomraspet and
Dowlathabad mandals of Mahabubnagar district. In the second
year 12 Fishermen cooperatives eliminated middlemen and
taken up this activity on their own. Village Service Society
(VSS) a Ngo based at Kosgi , and mandal samakhyas are the
partners. Link to report- reviving local fisheries.
NPM program is initiated with Kosgi Samakhya in first
year(2004-05) with 350 farmers and that is scaled up to 4000
acres in the second year(2005-06) with several samakhyas.
Kosgi experience shown a way to VELUGU also , to take-up in
other districts through mandal samakhyas. A workshop
organized with 20 SAPAP samakhyas from Ananthapur, Kurnool
and Mahabubnagar districts to explore the possibilities to
take up NPM and also other Natural resource based
livelihoods. A exposure was organized for NRM and reviving
local fisheries.
In the second year Kosgi, Kodangal, Bomraspet and
Dowlathabad samakhyas taken up NPM on redgram and Pangal,
Addakal, Pedda kothapally samakhyas on castor. Through NPM
activity the cost of cultivation is reduced around 50% and
could able to minimize the ill effects of chemical
pesticides. Midterm
report on NPM
In kodangal mandal a small experiment started with 40 Rythu
Mithra Groups in five villages. They have taken up NPM on
redgram with 300 farmers. In udumeshwaram villages labour
taken up 'Pest Management contract' for managing pests in
redgram. Farmers paid a sum of Rs.1500/per acre to the
labour for controlling the pests. The activity is in the
process.
pest management contracts
SRI paddy is being cultivated by the samakhya women, in the
last Khariff season around 50 farmers taken up SRI paddy
cultivation with the support from the samakhya. In the rabi
season it could be around 500 farmers in 2 mandals.
Fodder is one of the important aspect in keeping livestock
with poor and small and marginal farmers. A study was
carried out with 'Community researchers' in Kosgi mandal to
study the fodder options. The study flagged many issues in
the context of poor -livestock- fodder- livelihoods. Kosgi
mandala Samakhya started procuring 'Jowar Straw' in the
villages to minimize the distress sale to animals because of
fodder problem. They have procured around 500 BIGUS of Jowar
straw and could be utilized for their members livestock.
To revisit the strategies in fishermen cooperatives and
small ruminant groups a study is being done. The study
entitled 'Evolving strategies for strengthening fishermen
and sheep rearers cooperatives'. This study anchored by
Shahsi rajagoplan and the study leads to developing a
strategy for WASSAN to facilitate the cooperatives and
livelihood promotion in these groups.
There was active support from Velugu, SERP, Government
officials, donors like AEI, HIVOS and SDI-IC for taking up
several initiatives with these CBOs.
Ways a
head..
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