Special Report on PRASAD Chikitsa’s Tuberculosis Program
The World Health Organization and the Indian government’s Revised National TB Control Program have recognized PRASAD Chikitsa’s TB Program as a Designated Microscopy and Treatment Center (DMC). Out of sixteen NGO* applicants, PRASAD was one of just two organizations to earn this distinction. Read more…
Farmers Clubs Break New Ground
At the inauguration of a Farmers Club in April, farmer Ramchandra Katakar described the circumstances that thwart the farmers of smallholdings: their inability to get financing, the high cost of supplies, poor irrigation and a lack of transportation to get crops to market before they spoil.
Before more than 100 guests, he outlined PRASAD’s response to those challenges. The Farmers Clubs offer organizational support, expert guidance, economic influence and improved farming technology to help the farmers make their smallholdings more productive.
Agriculture is the backbone of India’s economy, with about 65 percent of the population depending on farming for their livelihood. Despite that, growth and development have been slow, particularly among the farmers of smallholdings, such as those in the Tansa Valley.
The Indian government expects agricultural output to increase by 4 percent through 2012; if farmers are to achieve this, they must improve productivity, reduce costs and increase efficiency – and they know that Farmers Clubs can help them do just that. Speaking for the farmers of Gorad, Ramchandra said, “Opening this program is the starting point for us.”
The Tansa Valley now has five PRASAD Farmers Clubs, with a combined membership of 212 men and women. They are building investment partnerships with institutions such as the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, as well as with the private sector. As a result, the Farmer’s Clubs are able to secure loans that are not always available to individuals.
“With those loans, the clubs buy seed, fertilizer and equipment at bulk rates.They are also helping each other harvest and transport their crops to market,” says Varsha Parchure, who is PRASAD’s Community Development Programs Manager.
PRASAD’s agricultural programs yield other benefits in communities where they have taken root; as farmers prosper on their own lands, they become more invested in protecting the environment.
As with all of PRASAD’s programs, the key element is the human one. Pranali Patil, a Motivator for several Self-Help Groups in Ghodgao, summed up the spirit that drives the PRASAD Farmers Clubs. “At our village, women have opened the Farmers Club to give new direction to their farming activities. Changes may not come fast but we will not stop our efforts; we will definitely bring change and make our future better and more fruitful. We have confidence that the clubs will help us to change our future.”
Additional sources: Indian Stock Market News, StockMarketsReview.com; Five-year plans of India – Wikipedia; India’s National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development.