School se dar nahi lagta-mid day meal se dar lagta hein sahab! स्कूल से डर नही लगता-मिड दे मील से डर लगता हैसाहब!

I remember this statement came few months back when there was incident of mid-day meal accident in Bihar where in about 23 students lost their life! I read so many articles on it, so many committees formed for strengthening mid-day meal procedures and finally so many reports on mid-day meal incident! Indeed these things are important, but somewhere vital is ‘to actually work on solution for making mid-day meal healthy and systematic’

Caritas India in Bundelkhand region and in MP with some of its partner organization shared the Bihar mid-day meal accident and asked for ideas and suggestion to work on it, fortunately two partner organizations from Sagar (MVSS implementing HARIT PRAYAS project) and Indore (IDSSS implementing JEEVIKA project) took up this and started working on it with CBMOs ( Community Based & Managed Organizations-SHGs to sort-out such incidences of mid-day meals in schools and for the same through projects at both the places SHGs been taught on Mid-meal concept, importance of it and also technically trained on importance of food nutrition and food keeping!

On the other hand we also motivated SHGs to apply to get contract for operating Mid-day meal in village government schools and fortunately in both the districts 4 SHGs formed under Caritas India programmes received the contract for food preparation in school for Mid-day meals and would be starting from Oct 2013, but these all are common thing-whats going to be different with Caritas Intervention in Mid-day meal:

• Raw material ( vegetable and food grain ) would be purchased from farmers club and would be organic

• Mid-day meal must be examined every day by a committee before serving to school children

• Explanation of food menu by those who would cook food to school children once in a week

• Usage of bio-degradable materials for serving food-in the form of bio-degradable plates/bowls!

• Brief on materials used for making food would also be displayed.

Hope now students will not fear of mid day meal and will say ...school aur khane se payaer hein- स्कूल औरखाने से प्यार है! Contract of mid-day meal to SHG members would give them a good source to earn a better income on monthly basis (probably 9000-10000 per month)

For more on the caritas India initiative ( through caritas India partners and programmes) get in touch with "jeevika idss" , "Harit Prayas" haritprayassagarmp@gmail.com

By Caritas India team

Once again: together we can:@JEEVIKA SHIVPURI

As we wrote before about the strength of together we can. This is proved again by members of our youth group “Jagrati Yuva Mandal” of Kharaibhat. This village having number of families who fits under criteria of BPL families but they are not having BPL cards. Community people given number of applications in public hearing but all went in vain. Last they have given a letter to DM-Shivpuri in same concern and mention about silent protest and it happen nobody took any action on it. So finally members of youth group decided for a silent protest in front of DM office on 5th September. Members of youth group unite more villagers and 50 villagers went to Shivpuri with fully loaded tractor-trolley and reached DM office at 10 am. DM Mr. R.K. Jain and other officials were busy in pre-preparations of 6th September’s welcome of CM’s Jan Aashirwad Yatra and taking marathon meetings of officials. Community people sit there up to 5 pm. In between they are assured 2-3 times by other officials that DM will definitely take action on your application, please give us letter and go home. But they stayed their silently. At last DM sent Upper Collector to hear matter and at 5:30 pm they talked with him and submitted letter. Upper Collector wrote it to Tahseeldar for urgent action. Then all villagers went to Tehseel office given application there and got received receipt and went back to Kharaibhat. At next day Tahseeldar sent Patwari for survey of BPL cards. Patwari did survey of 64 families and process is going on.

By JEEVIKA GCSS-GWALIOR TEAM

Caritas Spain visit to JEEVIKA project villages@IDSSS Indore

Caritas Spain representative Ms. Mayte along with Caritas India team had visit to 3 project villages of JEEVIKA project villages at Dhar & Indore district, where in shae had interaction with CBMOs ( farmers club & SHGS & Youth Groups) and meeting with Bank officials ( bank of India) , PRI members, Farmers, and visit to Tailoring center ( initiated under JEEVIKA project), Soochna Dhaba, sEED BANK, release of Community media magzine with an for community and distribution of certificates to youths trained for computer and tailoring under JEEVIKA in collaboration with Jan Sikshan Sansthan.

Neemdanda: Miles to go; but we are together@JEEVIKA Shivpuri

At last month’s case study “now we have our own land (Ab humare paas apni Zameen hai)” we wrote about how segregated community people unite together and got their land for shifting of Neemdanda. But there is no happy ending now. When they went to their new land which was allotted for Neemdanda, they stopped there by forest officer and told that its land of forest and you are not able to live here. Then they come to us and told about the matter. We decided to meet with forest official about it. On 7th September morning 50 community people were went to forest office with our Field Coordinator Ashok Sharma and Cluster Coordinator Dayaloo and their they talked with M.B. Sarsiaiya (Additional Director of Forest Dept.-Shivpuri) and informed about matter. He said it was not possible and if they live there it will be illegal and punishable. Mr. Sarsiaiya came out side of his office and seen 50 communities standing outside of office all said punish us all.

Then he became little bit flexible after seeing crowd and said there are some rules of Forest Dept.

(A) Construction should be at least 100 meter away from forest area.

(B) They will have to assure Dept. about that in future they will not use this for business purpose like hotels, Dhabas etc.

(C) Villagers will not burn anything which creates any type of pollution.

(d) They will not built there house more than 25x25 ft.

After discussion with Mr. Sarsiaiya community went back to Neemdanda. Now there was process of mapping of that place is going on, when ever file will come to forest dept. they will give land to community people for living there. But good thing in this process is when ever problems are coming on Neemdanda community people all are getting stronger and unite with each other.

MASS COMMUNICATION THROUGH WALL PAINTING SLOGANS

Jeevika Pali team is trying its best to bring awareness among community by wall painting. Such slogans are written which can give more messages to communities. These massages are given on Organic farming, Social Audit, Right to Information (RTI) and Social security & women empowerment etc. By wall painting, we tried to convey their rights by participatory of people in each activity of community and Panchayat. Villagers are deprived from government schemes because of non participation in Gram Sabha. By wall painting, we tried to put more attention of community on Gram Sabha. Jeevika project team have initiated a new concept of strengthening community on communication in the form of wall painting. Members themselves have written the concept of communication by slogans on livelihood government schemes, Jeevika slogans, motivation for women empowerment, sustainable agriculture etc.

Major Achievements WITH JEEVIKA PROJECT @KRIPA UJJAIN IN SEPT 2013

During the month 71 new house hold members were joined to the Jeevika through the formation of 6 new SHGs.

• Some of the selected households were already in some other groups which were formed by the school teacher. This month Jeevika team took those groups to the project with the permission of the school teacher at Baskhedi and Bodani.

• 2 new youth clubs were formed at Baskhedi and Harniyakhedi villages collecting 14 boys and 13 girls from the villages.

• 1 Pashu camp (Camp for animals) was organized at Aslalna village with support of district veterinary hospital. Around 200 animals were brought for the check-up and gave vaccination.

• 9 Micro plans were developed at nine villages with the help of community members and PRI members.

• 20 girls participated in examination conducted for tailoring students so that they will get certificate for tailoring.

• 7 villagers went for Jansunwai (public hearing) with a demand for getting Patta for their lands.

• 2 Nadep (organic pits) were constructed for organic compost at Bodani and Baskhedi villages.

• 2 farmers received Rs. 500/- each at Khemasa from the agriculture department for making the vermy pits.

• 15 Farmer’s field school activity was conducted at all Aslalna, Ratnakhedi, Buichchakhedi, Chaprikheda, Panvihar, Jairampura, Pardipura, Baskhedi, Harniyakhedi, Bodani, Tankariya, Kamed, Surasa, Badrkhan, Utesra with support of KVK scientist and Agriculture development officer.

• 2 household members received their Indira awaas yojna scheme through the intervention of Jeevika project team. The official at block asked cluster coordinator to submit four applications for the same schemes. One scheme is sanctioned by him.

• 4 application forms were submitted in the Janpad Panchayat for getting scheme under “Mukhmantri yuwa swrojgar yojna” at Badrkhan

• 12 IGP units were either started or expanded taking loan Rs. 75100/- from SHGs.

• 7 house hold members’ were benefited from different government scheme like BPL, Indira awas yojna, old age pension etc.

• 31 applications were submitted in Panchayat for the various government schemes like BPL, Self employed scheme, Indira aawas yojna etc.

• Two information centers were started at under Jeevika Project with the support of PRI and CBO members.

• Net working with veterinary Hospital, Aanganwadi worker, Block panchyat, supervisors, Health department, Bank, Zilla Panchayat, Zila Antvywsai vibhag, Khadi gramodhyaog vibhag, KVK, veterinary doctors and Asha workers.

SENSITIZATION ON USAGE OF SYNTHETIC FERTILIZERS AND NEGATIVE IMPACT OF SOIL HEALTH @JEEVIKA UMARIYA

A Street play is a kind of skit (Short Play) which aims to bring awareness among the people regarding their life style and life situation. Through this street play people are aware how to make organic firm. DAP, Uriya and other chemical are used more popular day by day in order to get production and to get profit. In this way they play with the life of human existence. The use of chemicals as a result in the life of people become short and short. All kinds of sickness affect them but people are not aware of it. People do not know reason and they are affected by the sickness which is unseen. This program conducted in 4 villages namely- Uchehera, Timni, Kumurdu and Pondi. In this program more numbers of men, women and children took part and availed themselves. Program was good for villagers liked it and appreciated very much. To create awareness in the community is about the negative impact of synthetic fertilizers. JEEVIKA Pali team organized street play in project village.

Suchana Kendra at tea/grocery shop@JEEVIKA Indore-is tthis not interesting and community oriented?

Six Suchana Kendra were started in six villages of both the clusters. Naharkhodra, Kaparkheda and Kaneriya of Khurda cluster and Mehendipura, Balwari and Girwalpura of Dhani cluster have started their information centers with IEC material and news papers. Jeevika team has identified one shop/spot where villagers used to come and sit and helped to the shop keeper in logistic support (news papers, IEC material, literature and other informative stuff, table and radio).

For more log on to www.jeevikacaritas.blogspot.com or www.caritasindia.org

JEEVIKA is a development initiative by Caritas India in support with Caritas Spain in 7 tribal pockets of Madhya Pradesh to enhance sustainable livelihood options to mitigate migration and food security.

Making drinking water safe through JEEVIKA efforts@Indore

Drinking water testing of the village community hand pump at Naharkhodra village in Khurda cluster was done by PHE department technician to determine the quality of water which was giving bad taste. The result of the test is awaited. The cluster coordinator has taken initiative to collect sample water.

For more log on to www.jeevikacaritas.blogspot.com or www.caritasindia.org

JEEVIKA is a development initiative by Caritas India in support with Caritas Spain in 7 tribal pockets of Madhya Pradesh to enhance sustainable livelihood options to mitigate migration and food security.

Development of micro-plan at village level with CBMO, Community and PRI members@Shivpuri ( Implemented by GCSS-Gwalior)

M.B. Sarsiaiya (Additional Director of Forest Dept.-Shivpuri)This is the most important activity after giving proper training on micro plan. Here we prepared micro plan of villages with full participation of community, CBO members and PRI members too. At most of the places we found people very much interested in developing micro plan of their village and due to large number of community people we divided them in groups that so that we got more perfect micro plan for community by community. Women also participated in it. At some places due to large number of involvement of community it is maintained by 4-5 people including our volunteers in villages. Total 443 community people participated in this activity. This was a concrete activity in development of a village by community. And they swear that time that they will put their full efforts to put proposals in Gram Sabha for development of their villages according to these micro plans.

For more log on to www.jeevikacaritas.blogspot.com or www.caritasindia.org

JEEVIKA is a development initiative by Caritas India in support with Caritas Spain in 7 tribal pockets of Madhya Pradesh to enhance sustainable livelihood options to mitigate migration and food security.

Demonstration of organic pits with up to 20% community contribution@JEEVIKA KDSS-Khandwa

Discription-We selected 10 farmers each village and started making vermin in all targeted village with contribution of farmers. Farmers are very happy and they are making vermin in our home or field. Result achieved: Farmers attracted for organic farming and they have started making vermi compost.