- Participatory strategies in
regeneration of Arid Lands and in Forestry management: MYRADA
promotes two strategies. One in arid lands lying degraded and fallow
(Anantapur District is an example) and the second in degraded forest
lands in moderate to high rainfall areas (like the Western Ghats).
The first strategy in arid zones is based on regeneration of private
lands lying fallow, revenue wastes and other non-agricultural lands
lying degraded in the watershed. Planting is minimal. Traditional
practices used in treatment of upper reaches of the micro watershed
and of nalas are recognised and adopted. The overall strategy is
based on micro watershed management. MYRADA's experience indicates
that unless people have evidence that efforts to protect and
regenerate the upper reaches (largely owned by the Forest Department
and Revenue) and private fallows have a direct impact on
agricultural and biomass productivity, there is no motivation for
sustained management of treatment measures on degraded areas. The
second strategy adopted in the Western Ghats programme is based on
training of forestry staff in participatory management practices,
micro planning in each village, formation and training of village
Forestry Committees, identification of affinity groups especially of
headloaders and those who depend on forest products for their
livelihood and forming them into Self Help Groups, exposure of these
groups to other MYRADA projects and training of NGOs. The objective
of this intervention in collaboration with the Forest department and
DFID (UK) is to ensure people's livelihoods, protect core areas of
the forest from pressures and to establish effective Village Forest
Committees to manage and sustain natural resources which provide
both the basis for their livelihoods as well as adequate forest
cover and protection of flora and fauna.
- Resettlement in self-reliant
communities of released bonded labourers and refugees: MYRADA
started with resettling several thousand Tibetan refugees and moved
into similar programmes with the Sri Lanka Repatriates. Within
existing project areas about 10,000 released bonded and landless
labourers have been provided with land in three southern states.
Recognising MYRADA's experience in this area, the Government of
Karnataka approached it to prepare an Action Plan to resettle 20,000
families to be displaced by the Upper Krishna Project and to
implement a pilot project in 1987.
- District Strategy: MYRADA's
experience in influencing policy change at the national level and in
implementing these policy changes, indicates that to be as effective
as possible, MYRADA also needs to focus on a compact area
where other existing institutions required to support innovations in
favour of the poor also need to be adequately mobilised and focused
so that the institutional base is adequate to support present
changes and future impact. New institutions at a local level may
need to be established where there is no appropriate support for
these innovations. During 1998, the District was identified as a
suitable operational area. MYRADA's district strategy (initially in
three districts Gulbarga, Chitradurga and Mysore) rests on three
thrusts or pillars: i) provision of credit to the poor for
which there is appropriate (if inadequate) infrastructure at the
District level based on Regional Rural Banks, Commercial Banks,
District Co-operative Credit Banks, SHGs of MYRADA and of other
NGOs; MOUs have been signed with the RRBs in all three Districts to
support the credit thrust. NABARD is playing a major role in
promoting this District strategy. ii) Microwatershed management.
There is no appropriate administrative underpinning for this at
District Level. MYRADA is involved in 52 micro watesheds in these
three Districts; this provides a good take off point, but there is a
long way to go. iii) Off-Farm enterprises. There are District
level support organisations of Government and Training Institutes
promoted by the Commercial Banks. The major presence of private
industry in this sector is being tapped.
- MYRADA has not actively promoted
itself as a Training Resource. The demand for training,
however is far more than it can cope with. On an average MYRADA's 12
Training Centres (all located in project areas) and Teams conduct
320 Training Programmes for outsiders (Government and Bank
Officials, International organisations and NGOs) every year. Apart
from this, MYRADA's staff conducts in the villages 4300 training
programmes (annual average) for our Community Based Organisations
and staff.
- Education: MYRADA invests
both in upgrading the existing educational system and in preparing
children to cope with its requirements as well as in setting up
alternate systems to cope with those who cannot do so. 1420 new
classrooms have been constructed, 150 schools provided with drinking
water and toilet systems, laboratory equipment, study materials and
library books. Teacher's skills have been upgraded and over 500
teachers employed. Systematic awareness programmes are conducted to
motivate parents to send children to school. Over 13000 loans have
been taken from SHGs for education. This is a good indicator of the
level of motivation. The SHGs monitor the attendance of member's
children and the PTAs monitor the performance of the teachers and
attend to general school matters. Special coaching camps for 3 to 4
months have resulted in a significant increase in percentage of
passes. In an effort to encourage excellence, several brilliant
children from poor families have been supported to enter
professional courses (medical, engineering etc) One technical school
in Dharmapuri is providing quality training to dropouts who have all
secured employment after they have graduated.
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