SUCCESS STORY of #2460-31 RDF CFGB PROJECT Reporting ... · Story 2: Success story of landless women, Purnima Sarkar Purnima Sarkar is standing at fodder field where her Goats are

SUCCESS STORY of #2460-31 RDF CFGB PROJECT Reporting Period: October’2014 to March’2015

Story 1 : Success story of Tulshi Mondal

Tulshi Mondal standing in her Elephant Foot Yam garden and highly satisfied for her garden, at Simulia, Hasnabad Block, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal , India

Smt. Tulshi Mondal w/o Debabrata Mondal a resident of Simulia formed a SHG with 10 members viz. Simulia sundarban Sayambhar Gosthi in the month of August 2013 and started saving @ Rs.30/- Per month with their Group. The family of Tulshi consists of Husband wife and 3 children, 2 sons and a girl. The girl is the eldest one and got married at early age as her parents could not support her study. Among the two sons the elder son passed Higher Secondary and has moved to Tamilnadu for lively hood.The younger son is studying in class Viii. The family is having 15 Katha Home stead land and 5 katha pddy land. Debabrata is a daily labourer and is a hard working person. He has to run his family with his meagre income of around Rs. 1800/- per month. The paddy grown on 5 katha of land hardly can make provision of food for 3-4 months per year. He has grown summer paddy in his land with the salt tolerant seeds supplied by RDF under CFGB project. During August-to October and February to May every year they have very difficult time and had to curtail food consumption, some times in a day and cope with the situation. RDF has assisted the family by excavation of a pond on her 15 katha plot of home stead land and has started raising fish with rain water stored in the Tank. Tulshi and her husband also undergone training on organic farming and vegetable cultivation organised by RDF under

the CFGB Project and they have gained knowledge and skill for scientific method of Crop cultivation. During the last Khariff season they have grown paddy on 5 katha of land and raised fish in the Pond. They have also grown different Vegetable crops in the adjacent plot of the pond. They Vegetables during summer was very good and also raised different types of Vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, radish, spinach, beans , Mustard during winter seasons with the help of water from their Pond and harvested good crop.. Now they are growing Vegetables throughout the year with the help of irrigation from their pond. This has made a significant impact in their cultivation pattern, on generation of family income, consumption of food having dietary diversity and towards food security of the family. She has earned Rs. 8000/ - by selling of fish. From their vegetable cultivation their income was around Rs.22500-/-They have also consumed vegetables and fish daily from their farm produce during the crop season. Tulshi is the the owner of the pond and the vegetable garden (Nutritional Garden). Debabrata Mondal also works as a daily labourer on average of 6 days per month and earn around Rs.10000/-.The total family income is around Rs. 39500/- per year i.e Rs 3292/- per month. They can access food throughout the year. Tulshi is now capable of raising crops, rearing fish and attend Group meetings and encourages other members of her group to undertake income generating activities and gives leadership to her Group members. Her husband also gives due recognition to her contribution to the family. This has changed the gender equation in the family. Sweet Gourd on the Roof grown Tulshi’s farm pond with full of vegetable in front of elephant foot yam garden at pond embankment

Story 2: Success story of landless women, Purnima Sarkar

Purnima Sarkar is standing at fodder field where her Goats are grazing at Basantitala, Simulia, Hasnabad, West Bengal

Smt Purnima Sarkar aged 30 years, wife of Susanta Sarkar of Basanti tala of Simulia Village lives with her mother in Law, husband and a 7 years old child. Sri Susanta Sarkar is having his home stead land of 3 katha( 4.5 decimal land).They have no cultivable land. They are landless labourer. And as a result their family income is always uncertain. Both husband and wife work in other farmers’ agriculture field. They have got assistance for construction of their house (which was ruined by cyclone AILA in 2009) from State Government under Indira Abash Yojana. Soon after building capacity through RDF’s intervention of CFGB project, Purnima has become a member of a Self-help Group-“Basantitala Surjamukhi Sayambhar Gosti”. The group has a corpus of Rs.7800/-. As Purnima was very needy the group has given her loan of Rs.3000/-for starting a poultry unit. The family income of Purnima is around Rs. 1900/- per month. They had very difficult time during the period of February to May and from August to November every year due to insecurity of food as there was no work during this period. As a result they had to cope `with

the situation curtailing food consumption and used to take only rice and some leafy vegetables. However, they found more job during December to February and during monsoon season due conversion of land into multiple crops with the initiative of RDF under CFGB program. Both husband and wife availed training for alternative livelihood conducted by RDF under CFGB project. RDF has provided 2 She Goats to Purnima. The goats have issued one Kid each within the 6 months and again gave birth of 2 kids each at the end of 1st year. In the second year the goats gave birth of 2Kids each. At present She is having 2+2+4+4= 12 Goats (picture is not showing all the goats). Out of this 12 goats she sold 2 Goat @ Rs. 3000/- each and earned INR. 6000/-. The value of the remaining 10 goat at current market price is around Rs.25000/-(twenty five thousand) only considering average price @Rs.2500/- each. Purnima is the owner of the goat and Poultry with an approximate value of Rs.27000/-( Goat-25000+ Birds-2000.). Her role in the family has become dominant and treated equally with her husband. The poultry birds lays 6 egg per day the value of which is Rs.30/-. The monthly income from egg is around 30/x30 days= 900/- The family income has gone up to Rs.3200/- per month. They are now consuming egg, vegetables, rice , potato and other vegetables and there are dietary diversity and are taking nutritional food for 8-9 month of the years. It is expected within a year they will be able to access nutritional food through the year, Purnima has become a good businesswomen and providing support to her husband in family income.. their son is going to school and are hoping for good days ahead.

Story 3: little support makes one Successful Business Women

Smt. Manjushree Das aged 35 years w/o Sri Dipak das formed a SHG with another 9 members in the name of Kadamtala Rashi Sayambhar Gosti on 16.4.2013 and started saving @ Rs.50/ per month per member. At present they have a corpus of around Rs. 10500/-. There are 4 members in their family. They have one son and one daughter. The Son is reading in class Vii and the daughter is reading in Class iv. They have 15 Katha of home stead land and 10 katha upland for cultivation. Dipak das and Manjushree have undergone training on Organic farming and alternate lively hood respectively. Her husband cultivates different types of vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, radish, spinach, bottle gourd, etc. throughout the years. They consume vegetables from their nutritional garden and also sold the surplus production in the local market and made some profit. But water is not available throughout the year for the upland. So, they suffer from seasonal unemployment. To overcome this problem and for regular earning, Manjushree has decided to start a business of Garment sale. She established the shop on the main road of the Village adjacent to her house. She took an initial loan of Rs.1000/- from her group for cultivation of Vegetables. Subsequently, she repaid the loan and availed a second loan of Rs.7000/- from her Group to establish a Garment shop adjacent to her house. However, with the limited capital she was not in a position to expand her business by stocking different varies of clothes/readymade garments as she was not in a good position in her business. She requested to RDF for little support from CFGB project and RDF done it through financial assistance head in the budget. RDF provided one time little support of Rs.5000/- to Manjushree to expand the business. She alone earns about Rs. 2500/ per month from her business. Her son and daughter assist her in the business while her husband is busy with intensive cultivation of Vegetables. The Family income was around Rs.2500/- per month from agriculture based activities. But now the business income has added an extra INR. 2500/-. So, the current income is INR.4500/- per month or sometimes more than that. Manjushree is now an important member of the family and is a good and successful Business woman. Her group members are encouraged by her success. Now she is able to spend more money for her children’s education. Their dietary pattern has changed. They are now in a position to access different types of food like, cereals (Starch), Vegetables, Tubers, Cauliflower, radish, Cabbage, Carrot, egg and fish. Now they are in a position to make provisions of their food for the entire year. Manjushree is now has a dominant position in the family by virtue of her ability. She is

sending her children to the school. She is looking for a bright future.

The garment shop Of Manjushre Das. She is with her daughter. The place is Kadamtala,

Simulia, hasnabad, West Bengal, India

STORY 4: Success Story of Jahanara Bibi of Monoharpur village (2012-2015)

Jahanara bibi around 40 years of age, wife of Abdul Wahid is a resident of village Monoharpur, under Hasnabad Gram panchayat of Hasnabad Block, North 24 Pargansa is from a marginal farmers family having around 2 Bighas ( 66 Decimal ) of land. The family consists of 3 sons, widow mother in Law and husband. The elder son is studying in B.A 3rd year. The 2nd son discontinued his education after class IX and the youngest son is reading in class IX. Husband Abdul Wahid works in his small farms. They grow only one crop in their field and also work as a daily laborer in the field. The income of the family was around Rs.2200/- per month during 2011. It was difficult to run the family of 6 persons with such a meager income. Janhanara also used to work as agricultural laborer occasionally after during her family work. She could not go to work regularly as she had 3 children who were school going. She had a difficult time.

During 2011-12 RDF (Resources Development Foundation) brought Monoharpur under CFGB project and started SHG formation activities. During 2012 Jahanara formed a Self Help Group with another 9 women under the guidance of Smt Nilima Mondal, one of the Motivator of RDF. The Group was formed in the neme, Monopharpur Sujal Sayambhar Gosti in the month of January,2012 with 10 members and started saving @ Rs.30/-Per month per members i.e Rs.300/- per month which has been increased to Rs.50/- per month from April, 2014. Jahanara availed training on Self Help Group Formation and Micro enterprise development and cultivation of Vegetable crops. Her husband Abdul Wahid attended training on Organic farming from Resources Development foundation conducted under CFGB funding. They also received assistance for construction of a compost pit and different types of Vegetable seeds and Chicks from RDF. Abdul wahid also attended exposure visit to learn about best practices of vegetable Cultivation.

MCC Directors and RDF Officials are visiting the Vegetable Field of Jahanara Bibi at Monoharpur, Hasnabd G.P.of Hasnabad Block under North 24 Parganas. The income of the family before intervention by RDF under CFGB project were as follows: 1, Yield of Paddy from 2 Bihghas of land ( mono Croipped) - 28 bags of 60 kgs @Rs.600/- per Bag = Rs. 16800/- per year. 2. Income of Daily labour during the year = Rs.9600/- per year ( the area is a mono cropped area and demand of labor is low) 3. Average Monthly income of the family ( Rs.16800 + Rs.9600/-) = 26400/- per year i.e =Rs.2200/- per month i.e Rs. 366/- per head per month which is very low. Jahanara availed loan from the SHG Group: 1st Loan ; Rs.4000/ for desilting of their Pond and cultivation of Vegetables

2nd. Loan for Rs.5000/- for Cultivation of Vegetables. The family conditions were changed when they started switching of their cultivation patern from Paddy Cultivation to Vegetable cultivation using compost produced in their Compost Pit. The income of the Family after intervention changed significantly which is as follows: The present financial position of the family as on January, 2015 is as follows:

1. Paddy grown from 2 bigha of land 28 Bags@ 60 kg/bag @ Rs.600/- per Bag = Rs.16800=00 2. Sale proceeds of different types of Vegatables grown on 1 Bigha of Land = Rs.60000=00 3. Expected value of Standing crop in the field of 1 bigha of land =Rs.20000=00

Total value of the farm produce = Rs.96000=00 per annum i.e 8066/- per month. They remain busy in the field activities and are not in position to go for daily labor. Now the family is getting adequate nutrition from different types of vegetables, rice, eggs and is a happy family. This is like a miracle. The family with their hard work and little outside support can change the destiny. You cannot believe it unless you see it. The family has smile all the time in their face. This is a great success story.

Rabi crops cultivated in Nov. 2014

Jahanara with her husband and children

Resources Development Foundation Bb7/1, Sector-1, Salt Lake City, Kolkata 700064 Dr, T.K Ghosh

Secretary