Projects
Lottery Reseach Report - Available as a downloadable PDF file
De-Salinisation of the Paddy fields - Case Study of Poigainallur
Poigai in Tamil means pond. All the villages have a number of small ponds that irrigate the acre or two owned by farmers.
Vadakku (North) Poigainallur has a population of 4,285. There are around 120 farmers who mostly live near their land. Paddy (rice) is grown from October to February using the monsoon rain. From March, a variety of vegetables are grown - beans, bitter gourd, pumpkin, brinjal, snake gourd, cucumber, groundnuts and some flower crops. The nearby night market at Paravai is active between 12 midnight to 4 am. The vegetables procured there are transported to far off places including the neighbouring state of Kerala.
Uthrapathy is a marginal farmer with 3 acres of land. He lives with his wife and a 5 year old daughter called Arti. His wife is Bhavani - a member of a women's Self Help Group (SHG). He lost his mother, Anjamma, in the Tsunami who had gone out to the nearby fishing village to sell morning tiffin (idlies) to the fishermen. He normally grows paddy on the land and would get an annual income of Rs 10,000 (£120) which he has lost due to the Tsunami. The government has given him Rs 2,000 (£24) compensation. He will not get any income from his crops and will not be able to raise vegetables to feed his family.
Action and Plans for Regeneration
Jothi and Sevalaya organised a meeting with the farmers of Poigainallur on 18th Feb 2005. Their immediate priority is to drain the ponds twice to get rid of excess salinity and to adopt methods that will make the soil, having salt deposits on the surface, ready for crops again.
It was decided to:
Use diesel engines to drain the ponds. Sevalaya needs to meet the cost of diesel and oil. Engines will be borrowed from farmers. Take soil samples from different locations and send to research stations for testing. Later, seek expert advice for remedial measures. To set up a committee to oversee the work and liaise with Sevalaya over the link with Tamwed.
Other Information
Farmers are being paid a small amount and their families given food in return for work to recover the land.
Jothi's own organisation CRUSADE has helped to pay for the fuel and equipment.
The sand dune that was breached by the tsunami has been repaired.
Tamwed Health Programme Plan
1. Summary
This 12 month project will respond to one of the issues prioritised by research in Tamil Nadu during 2007. Working through local partner NGOs, it will set up a health education programme, aimed at women and girls, which will increase awareness about key health issues. Groups of women will train as health workers to educate their communities about issues such as nutrition, hygiene, reproductive health and AIDS.
2. Need
Tamwed set up a needs assessment and research programme, led by its Indian NGO partners, over 6 months in 2007. This covered 6 panchayats (districts), with a total population of 15,000, where there is a high proportion of deprivation and marginalization among members of Scheduled and Backward Castes, Tribal and Minority Groups. Research was undertaken by NGO field workers who conducted surveys on a sample of households using a questionnaire covering a range of issues. Quantative research was analysed and added to with qualative information from interviews and local knowledge. Data and information was collated in a report which included a list of prioritised issues and proposed responses. One of the key issues highlighted was the high degree of treatable health problems due to a lack of awareness about preventative measures and a shortage of community-based health facilities.
3. Aim
The project aims to improve the quality of life of people that have limited awareness about the causes, prevention and treatment of health problems and lack of access to basic, affordable medical facilities.
4. Objectives
- Deliver a ‘train the trainers’ programme for 20 women in health issues covering issues such as nutrition, reproductive health, AIDS, communicable diseases, first aid and immunisation as well as different types of treatment such as homeopathy.
- Each qualified Village Level Health Worker (VHW) to contribute to coordinated programmes collecting health statistics and providing health education and advice to families in their communities.
- VHWs to cover 20 poor hamlets each with a population of about 500 i.e. 10,000 people in total.
5. Outcomes
Individuals will have a greater awareness about important health issues and therefore community health will be improved. NGOs will have increased capacity to support their neediest beneficiaries.
6. Beneficiaries and Partners
Those that will benefit from the project are communities made up of Scheduled and other marginalised castes living in isolated rural and coastal areas in the Tiruvallur and Cuddalore Districts of Tamil Nadu. Partners are the Centre for Rural Systems and Development (CRUSADE) and Manushi, two established and respected NGOs working in the areas to be supported by this project. CRUSADE’s Secretary, Jothi Ramilingam, is also Tamwed’s Project Coordinator supervising and monitoring programmes and research.
7. Activities will take place over 12 months.
Month 1 |
Set up admin, recruit trainers and trainee Health Workers. |
2, 3 & 4 |
Health Workers training programme for 20 women in blocks of 6 days each. |
5 to 11 |
Local health campaigns. |
12 |
Evaluation and final reports. |
8. Monitoring and Evaluation
A set of indicators and targets will be agreed with partner NGOs as part of a detailed project plan. The project coordinator in India will report quarterly on progress to Tamwed and negotiate adjustments if necessary. Tamwed will create and deliver an evaluation during the last month of the project. A detailed report will be produced that will include lessons learned.
9. Budget
Project Manager (JR) |
45,000 |
Assistant Project Manager @ Rs 5,000 per month |
60,000 |
Organisational costs CRUSADE |
10,000 |
Organisational costs Manushi |
10,000 |
Training 20 VHWs @ Rs 100/day for 6 days (incl trainer’s fee) |
12,000 |
Honorarium for VHWs 20 @ Rs 1,000/month (incl travel) |
240,000 |
Training materials |
10,000 |
Admin (phone, postage, electricity, stationery etc) |
24,000 |
Contingencies |
4,000 |
TOTAL |
Rs415,000 |
Kalamkari Development Programme with CRUSADE and Manushi
The aim is to develop training and production of kalamkari and embroidered products thus giving women from poor communities the opportunity to raise much needed income. It will be supervised by Jothi Ramalingam, the Secretary of CRUSADE who is Tamwed’s project supervisor and monitor in India and will focus on women from a village in CRUSADE’s project area to the north of Chennai and one from MANUSHI’s project area to the south.
The programme will be delivered in 5 units over 6 months.
Unit 1: Kalamkari production - CRUSADE
The Kalamkari production unit has been set up by CRUSADE and is based in the village of Thinaippakkam where 6 women have already been trained. The training centre has 3 small wooden tables (2’x4’) constructed for training women in drawing and painting with dyes derived from vegetable and mineral sources. For the production of larger wall hangings and panels, two larger tables (4’x6’) are needed as well as consumables, designer/trainer fees and travel costs.
Estimated costs over 6 months
2 x production tables: Rs 10,000
Consumables: 5,000
Designer/trainer fees: 21,000
Travel, etc 4,000
Total (A) Rs 40,000
Unit 2: Kalamkari Training - MANUSHI
The second unit will involve training two women from MANUSHI’s project area over 2 months, based at the CRUSADE training centre. These women will then be able to train others from their rural communities.
Estimated costs over 2 months
2 x travel, subsistence etc Rs 10,000
Consumables and extras 2,000
Total (C) Rs 12,000 (The designer/trainer will be paid for through Unit 1)
Unit 3: Kalamkari production - MANUSHI
The Kalamkari production unit will be set up by MANUSHI and is based in the village of Parangipettai and 2 women will be trained by CRUSADE Training centre. For the production of wall hangings and panels, two tables (4’x6’) are needed as well as consumables, designer/trainer fees and travel costs.
Estimated costs over 6 months
2 x production tables: Rs10,000
Consumables: 5,000
Designer/trainer fees: 21,000
Travel, etc: 4,000
Total (B) Rs 40,000
Unit 4: Embroidery training - CRUSADE
CRUSADE has been organising embroidery training in several villages. Clothes such as saris can be embroidered at home or at a centre using a specially designed cot (see below). Tamwed will support a 3 month training programme for a total of 24 women from Padianallur village that have asked to set up a production unit. The training will take place for two groups of 12 women and will involve the purchase of 3 new cots which can be used for both sessions.
Estimated costs over 3 months
3 x wooden cots @ Rs 5000/cot : Rs 15,000
Instructor’s salary 6,000
Consumables 3,000
Travel etc 2,000
Total First batch 26,000
Second batch 14,000
Total (D) Rs 40,000
Unit 5: Embroidery training - MANUSHI
MANUSHI has also been organising embroidery training in several villages. Tamwed will support a 3 month training programme for a total of 24 women from Parangipettai village that have asked to set up a production unit. The training will take place for two groups of 12 women and will involve the purchase of 3 new cots which can be used for both sessions.
Estimated costs over 3 months
3 x wooden cots @ Rs 5000 per cot Rs 15,000
Instructor’s salary 6,000
Consumables 3,000
Travel etc 2,000
Total First batch 26,000
Second batch 14,000
Total (E) Rs 40,000
