Mahila Haat Folder Change - SGP India

Uttarakhand
Biodiversity Conservation
Land Degradation
SMALL STEPS FOR FOOD SECURITY
Creating Resilient & Empowered
Women Led Institutions
Empowered lives.
Resilient nations.

Project Background
Agriculture is the main and traditional source of
income for all hill women, inspite of the fact that
terrace fields require more labour and sustained
efforts but the land productivity is less. Mahila
Haat took the issue of women drudgery and
unattended agricultural practices to check
migration of youth and drop outs from education.
Thus, Mahila Haat with the support of GEF
UNDP SGP started the project “Promoting
Sustainable land management practices for
improving environment and strengthening
livelihoods in the hill villages of Almora District”
of Chanoli and Diyari Gram Sabha. Under the
project Mahila Haat designed an integrated
approach involving a range of stakeholders and
multi crop/activity approach. This ensured
greater diversity of resource use and away from
mono cropping, also it encouraged communities
with opportunities to cover risks from multi
source incomes. Women got interested
immediately, although sustained efforts from
NGO made them partners in sustainable
livelihoods partnerships were formed with poor
people through regular field visits.
Project Strategy
In the preliminary year of the project Mahila Haat
started with the participatory women led village
meetings with the villagers to prioritize the
activities in the project. Mahila Haat through
Name of the Organisation
Mahila Haat
Geographical Areas
Chanoli and Diyari Gram Sabha,
Almora District
No. of Beneficiaries 2000 Women
SGP Grant
Co-financing
` 17,00,000
Project time period
2009-2012
` 18,83,390
Project Partners
Animal Husbandary Dptt; Forest
Dptt; Tourism Dptt, Govt of
Uttarakhand; GB Pant Environment
& Development Institute;
Vivekanand Institute Bageshwar and
Local Banks.
local kinship based women self help groups,
started to develop local institutions in the
villages.
With these groups exposure visits were
organized at the starting phase and during the
project, in order to boost the confidence level
in the project activities and for increasing the
awareness; knowledge and skills of the
members. Village meetings and awareness
meetings were also organized from time to
time in order to motivate the members and
villagers regarding the project activities and
for sharing of problems and experiences.
In order to develop the skills for
entrepreneurship; vegetable gardens, fruit
trees plantations, a range of small scale
activities, local woven yarn into finished
products was encouraged as an income
approach was undertaken to bring out quick
results.
Project Outcomes
•18
Producer Women Self Help Groups were
formed and accounts opened in the banks.
Nearly 180 women and 142 male were
made members. These producer groups
have been involved in vegetable marketing;
milk products; and also valve addition to
chillies, turmeric, coriander, garlic and
ginger etc.
•15
exposure visits were organized for the
members in order to enhance the
awareness, skills in adopting new
techniques for valve addition; Bee keeping,
food processing and briquette marking from
biomass.
•1000
kgs of fodder grass were distributed
amongst 300 members leading to increase
of milk production from 35 litres per day to
65 litres per day and reducing the time and
effort of searching for fodder by 3 hours.
Thus giving extra time for other activities.
This has led them adopt regular cultivation
of Napier and other grass species.
•100
bee boxes were distributed among
members of bee keeping group giving a
scope of entrepreneurship development in
the area. More than 300 kgs of honey was
collected and for the first time the locals sold
honey, although, loosely and unstructured,
this has led them to invest more funds in Bee
keeping.
•15
producer groups having 33 pits engaged
in production of vermi compost. Total
production of 1000 quintals, of which 800
quintals used by members in their fields
resulting in increase in sales of vegetables
from Rs1,62,135 to Rs 2,79,705 and about
200 quintals were distributed amongst
neighboring farmers. This is enhancing the
community response to increased local
biodiversity.
•Machan
were distributed amongst 44
members of Black smith group leading to
reviving the traditional practice of black
smith work resulting in increase in
production quantity of tools from 1,463 to
2,684. This has enhanced the income of 42
members by Rs. 2000 per month. The
increased income is leading to both
productive and consumption investments.
•A
collection center was established for sale
of local produce. This kiosk in almora city
has created direct acer to locals with
markets.
•Mr
Godhan Singh from Diyari got the prize
of Rs 10,000 under scheme “Support to
state extension programme for extension
reforms yojna” by Agricultural technology
management Agency of the State of
Uttarakhand.

Project Results
Main streaming of public participation in actions
has created opportunities for people in a range of
activities leading for many stakeholder
involvement.
People's participation with external agencies in the
early stages of the project has infused greater
confidence in locals.
People's participation and increased income have
also reinforced the locals to make investments in
their assets building.
At the starting phase of the project villagers were
reluctant to adopt small, low cost technologies.
They were unaware about new technologies in
farming, government schemes and private
institutions which provide training to upgrade skills
and knowledge. After the project's interventions
their trust in Mahila Haat has significantly
increased.
Mahila Haat strengthened and realigned the 17
women SHGs and nearly 260 women have been
saving Rs. 50 per month for last 3 years. Total saving
of Rs. 4.68 lacs.
In the 2 Gram Sabhas of Chamoli and Diyari citrus
fruits processing has also started (eg. Malta and
Lemon).
Naula Old Water Bodies
Restructured Naula
Activities Under Live stock and
S. No.
Afforestation
Numbers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Fodder Grass Distribution
Poly houses at Community Level
Vegetable farming seeds distribution
Horticulture- Plants distribution
Vermi compost Pits
Nurseries of 5 local species
1000 kgs
10 nos
667 kgs
7590 nos
36 nos
3 nos
Activities Under Entrepreneurship
S. No.
development
Numbers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Table of the Project Activities
Activities Under Participatory Planning
S. No.
Appraisal
Numbers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Participatory Appraisals, Village Meetings
Awareness Meetings, Discussions
Exposure visits
Formation of Producer groups
Women SHGs
Bee keeping training
Distribution of bee boxes
Black smith training
Distribution of Machan
Participation in fairs and exhibition
The Projects Faced Many Challenges
• Gaining trust/respect with communities as to
why Mahila Haat wants to help them.
• Natural disasters, land slides etc. being
common to the area and the NGO has to
address them for ensuring aid and losses
recovery for local communities.
• Mahila Haat arranged insurance covers, food
provisions, shelter and medical help ever
through no project funds were used.
Krishna Bisht, General Secretary
Kamla Devi Bhawan
5 Deendayal Upadhyay Marg
New Delhi-110022 Ph.: 011-23237462
Email : mahilahaat@gmail.com
Website : www.mahilahaat.org
41
12
15
18
17
3
100
2
6
4
Systematic approach to collection center
(Vashnavi Samuh)
Communities
Women SHGs
Members Exposure
Marketing Survey
of Products
Indicators
for selection
of collection
center
Vegetable
Farming
Group
GEF, SEO, Ishii Nakao
Visit Mahila Haat Stall at COP 11
Black
Smith
Group
Range of Activities
• Fodder grass
distribution
• Exposure trips
• Seed distribution
• Fruit and Broad
leave distribution
• Poly house
• Vermi compost
techniques
Establishment
of collection
center for sale
of local produce
by SHGs and
Individuals
Seed
Bank
Loan
Given by
Mahila
Haat
Norms of
collection
center
Individual
Members
etc.
Colours 9810037571/SGP/April/13 Text: Mr. Prabhjot Sodhi, Raju Khandpal, Dr. Krishna Bisht & Shweta Aggarwal
Regional Co-ordinator
19/323, Indira Nagar,
Lucknow 226016 U.P.
Tel - 0522-2716570, 2716628 (tel/fax)
Email: ceenorth@ceeindia.org
National Co-ordinator
GEF UNDP Small Grants Programme
Centre for Environment Education, Delhi,
C-40 South Extension-II, New Delhi-110049,
Ph.: 011-26262878-80
Email: prabhjot.sodhi@ceeindia.org
Website: www.sgpindia.org,www.ceeindia.org