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MAHARASHTRA PRABODHAN SEVA MANDAL

MPSM IS A

VOLUNTARY

ORGANIZATION

COMMITTED TO

RURAL AND

TRIBAL

AWAKENING

(PRABODHAN)

THROUGH

COMMUNITY

ORGANIZATION,

ECONOMIC

GROWTH AND

NATURAL

RESOURCE

DEVELOPMENT.

Executive Office M.P.S.M., Karanjali,

Tal. Peth, Dist. Nashik, MS, 422 208, INDIA . Tel: 02558 234533

Branch Office

M.P.S.M., Kamble Niwas, Old Dindori-Kalvan Rd, Dindori, Dist. Nashik

MS, 422 207, INDIA Tel : 02557 222249

Training Centre MPSM, Lokmanya Nagar, Gangapur Rd, Nashik

422002. Tel.0253 2316062

Soc. Reg. No: BOM 127/1964 GBBSD

BPTA 1950 : F - 1400 (Bom)

FCRA No. 08390014

PAN : AAATM 6167 A

TAN : MUMM 18423G

Over the last many years we have worked extensively with the poor, creating economic, environmental, agricultural support structures to give small and marginal Adivasi farmers a semblance of sustainable livelihoods. However, in today’s free-market economy, where rampant, unbridled capitalism rules the roost, how does one ensure a level playing field for those at the base of the socio-economic pyramid? “Social Engineering for Mainstreaming” – big words that simply mean, building the capacities of weaker socio-economic commuities to hold their own in the interaction with the market. A number of our efforts over the last year can be looked at from this strategic perspective and we hope to carry them forward in the year ahead.

The Kohor Watershed Development Project is now in its fifth and final year. This year we completed 113 Loose Boulder and Gabion dams in the drainage lines and four Check Dams. With the last of the Forest and Crop-cultivation lands now being treated, the physical work on the watershed will be completed before the monsoon this year. But the question we are asking is, “How has all this work impacted the people in

terms of building their capacities for self-deternmination?” Over and above the physical work of the watershed, the Village Watershed Committee (VWC) members have been supporting a number of village initiatives linked to the Adivasi Welfare Department, Agriculture Department, Zilla Parishad and other Governmental institutions. That four members of this young VWC were elected to the Grampanchayat earlier this year speaks well of the confidence of the villagers in the emerging younger leadership.

The Shingarpada School had been shut down for a year pending Governmental permission. This year, with Mr. Ashok Apsunde at the helm, a group of villagers and dedicated Nashikites have come together, registered themselves as a Society and are now working towards the permission for the school.

The Dairy continued to collect a little over 6000 litres of milk a day from around a thousand farmers in 25 villages but with a difference. A number of villages have now registered their Womens’ Groups and the dairy activity is slowly been handed over to them.

June 2012

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This year we registered 16 Farmer’s Clubs with NABARD, another 15 are in the pipeline. The Clubs have provided a forum to bring farmers together to discuss sustainable organic farming, collective purchase of seed and fertilizers or selling of produce. We have still to reach the level where farmers will strategize on crop patterns and the total cultivation area per crop, so as to match crop production with market demand, thus allowing farmers greater control of the market price of vegetables.

The invitation to work with the Central Board for Workers’ Education (CBWE) came as a welcome break. The Education wing of the CBWE was commissioned to organize two-day workshops in every village and in MPSM they found an NGO with an extensive village base. The workshops were aimed at explaining the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) and the processes involved in its implementation. The workshops also brought the villagers face to face with the local government officials who were directly responsible for its implementation. More than 50 villages were covered in these workshops between November 2011 and February 2012. Over ` 2.5 Crore of developmental work (roads, wells, check dams, water storage tanks, nurseries…) was sanctioned. It now remains to reflect with the villagers on the work experience and the learning therein, so that this is not just a one off windfall of casual labour but a learing experience on the path of self-determination. The MPSM Centre for Eduation Research and Training (MCERT) continues its village outreach with multiple initiatives to suppport education in the remote hilly villages through tuorial classes, village libraries and trainings in herbal health and organic farming.

An organic farming training and herbal medicine demonstration at village Ruipetta.

(L) MNREGA village meet in progress. (R) Excavation of a water tank under the MNREGA

Inauguration of Farmers Club at Dondavne.

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The MCERT Hostel at Nahik houses 160 Adivasi students attending undergraduate, post-graduate and professional courses at various institutions in Nashik.

The MCERT has also been actively promoting sustainable agriculture through numerous shibirs and demonstration plots for organic farming. While the Adivasi farmers are still far from organic certification and markets, they are increasingly beginning to see the benefits of the organic system. The MCERT has also been actively promoting herbal medicines through its shibirs and medicinal preparation demonstrations. The village-level shibirs are accompanied by the sale of small sample packagings of medicinal preparations and sapplings of herbal plants reporduced in the MCERT nursery. We continue promote the integration of agriculture, horticulture and forestry as a sustainable model of development for the Adivasis in the hills. This year 491 acres of fruit trees were laid down under the NABARD sponsored Wadi project. 35 acres of private waste land have been dedicated to forest species. These farmers in the Harshul and Mokhada blocks have not had the benefit of sponsors like NABARD. They have dug the pits on their own, and MPSM sponsored the plants. After much negotiating, Mahindra & Mahindra, who have a sizable presence here in Nashik district, committed themselves to sponsoring the check dam at Sendyachimet. This is a good example of how corporate-Adivasi patnership can work towards sustainable, eco-friendly development. It has been our priveledge to be active catalysts in this process. We hope we can link many more corpoates in partnership with other Adivasi villages.

(L) Hostel boys enjoying a community festive meal. (R) A village library in session

Checkdam at Sendyachimet. One Acre forestry plot in the Harshul block.

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All these efforts would not have been possible without the active support of our many friends, well-wishers and benefactors. To all of you, for ourselves, and on behalf of the Adivasi community, a big THANK YOU. Many of the works we have described here are not covered by projects of government of other funding agencies. We depend on donations and Divine providence to make ends meet. In the next year, we would like to concentrate on building our Corpus, to bring a little degree of financial stability to our work. We look forward to your continued support and assure you of our prayers.

Fr. Wendell D’Cruz, S.J. for the MPSM Team

Mo. 9422491412, website: www.mpsm.in; e-mail: wendelldcruzsj@gmail.com

We would like to support the good work of your Trust. Please accept our donation towards :

Education works, Developmental works, Corpus of the Trust. (Please send us this filled in form for Income Tax purposes.)

Name : _______________________________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ PAN Number : ___________________________

I am enclosing cheque/DD No. ................................... dated ........................ in favour of : Maharashtra Prabodhan Seva Mandal, Address: MPSM, At PO. Karanjali, Tal. Peth, Dist. Nashik, Maharashtra, 422 208 INDIA

I have sent money by RTGS/ NEFT to the Account below

Name of Bank : State Bank of India, Nashik City Branch, Bank IFS Code No. : SBIN0001469,

For Foreign Funds For Indian Funds

A/c Name : Maharashtra Prabodhan Seva Mandal Account Number : 10980255878

A/c Name : Maharashtra Prabodhan Seva Mandal Account Number : 10980255889