The project focuses on ?Local land based integrated approach to reduce vulnerability, climate change adaptation in the areas and hunger among Korku tribes?. The location of the project is in 20 core villages and dissemination in 50 villages of Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh. The project builds upon local natural resources and tries to mitigate the hunger vulnerability of an indigenous tribal community like Korku. The aim is to let the community imbibe appropriate technologies that can climate proof of their agriculture, the mainstay of their livelihood. All the activities and properties are for making the community and SHGs sustainable. The initiated efforts of seed banks, revival of traditional crops and production and use of organic pesticide will help the SHGs (Self Help Groups) for capacity building and sustainable. While the project will encourage a culture wherein the sensitized and having tasted success families will be torch bearers of change among their kinsmen. The use of organic pesticides and cattle feed will become a movement for Korku farmers. The NGO has realized that the tribal millets are having high business prospect due to its high nutritional potential. It is essential to work in close collaboration with Korku peoples and allow them to be in the core team to plan and monitor the project at all stages. It is inevitable that the project will try to pool in the existing resources from employment entitlement program like MGNREGA-II (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) for the vulnerable Korku (Tribes) families to access benefits. The technical support from concerned government departments like Forest department, Agriculture department, State Millet Board, Panchayats and CSO like AKRSP will be sought. The Project Objectives so far SGP is concerned will take action to mitigate soil erosion through plantation and reduce environment risk through promotion of liquid organic pesticide and cattle feed also through promotion of energy efficient cooking stoves.
Project Activities:
? Mitigation of soil erosion: The degraded lands will be marked and taken up for soil erosion mitigation. The target families will be facilitated to undertake Micro planning and submit the plan for approval in Gram Sabha (Local Panchayat Meeting).
? Traditional crops and tribal millets promotion: The awareness generation campaigns will be organized along with collection drives to muster traditional seeds and millets for further dissemination.
? Backyard organic nutrition gardens: The target families will be assisted to grow backyard nutrition gardens.
? Organic pesticide and cattle feed: Both the products will be produced locally. The organic pesticide is prepared in old water pot (Vessel) using fresh cow dung, cow urine, Neem, jaggery and left for fermentation for 10 days Similarly the organic cattle feed is prepared by using algae found in paddy field.
? Smokeless chullahs: All the 400 target families will be motivated to install smokeless chullahs (Cook Stoves). It will help them by reducing fuel wood consumption and from health hazards.
? Behaviour Change Communication: A series of public information campaigns will be organized across the project area and adjacent villages to sensitize the community on climate proofing.
Project Outcomes:
? Mitigation of soil erosion in more than 100 fields of the beneficiaries
? Traditional crops and millets grown by at least 50% target families.
? 60% food insecure families have access to vegetables in their diets.
? Number of days of food shortage reduced by 40% - 60% families prepare and use organic pesticide and cattle feed
? 75% families of the villages are using smokeless chullahs (Cook Stoves).
? Awareness increase in the region on climate proofing in natural resource management, forest and food security.