AMCHI: Kitchen Gardens - An Answer to the Undernourishment Problem

 Twelve villages of Vashind Beat 2 transform the community’s nutritional status through kitchen gardens

“The kitchen garden hase become a very important part of my life. I have very little income to purchase vegetables from the market so for the last two months my family has depended more on the vegetables from my kitchen garden. With summer coming up, I was worried how I could grow the vegetables and how I would manage the crops. But the training helped me solve all my problems and I now understand how to manage a kitchen garden in the summer.”

• Sanchita Bohir, Mother of adolescent girl, Velholi

Kitchen Gardens have become a key activity for the PF team. This activity was first introduced in our School-in-Development projects previously, where the aim of the activity was to reuse the grey water from kitchens, thereby developing it as a solution for wastewater management. 

However, under the JSW Foundation funded project the activity has been taken up as a solution to improve the nutritional status of vulnerable groups such as children and adolescent girls. This would ensure that the families have a sustainable and free access to locally and naturally grown vegetables and help improve the nutritional status of children and Hb levels especially of adolescent girls. 

 

Fig 1 to 4: Kitchen Gardens in Vashind Villages

PF had proposed to establish 50 kitchen gardens in 5 villages. Instead, due to the popularity of the activity as well as the training received by the adolescent girls and the family, more families established the kitchen gardens with additional support from PF. Currently, a total of 71 kitchen gardens across 7 villages have been established. 

“As women we received a lot of benefits from kitchen gardens. In my village most women are vegetarian and most of them are from poor economic backgrounds. Since we are short on money to purchase good quantity vegetables, we end up eating pulses only. But because of the kitchen garden, now we can eat a good quantity of fresh and quality vegetables daily. I am thankful to PF and JSW Foundation who have taught us how to cultivate our own kitchen garden and helped us improve our nutrition status.”

• Ashmita Gurunath Bhoir, Kajalvihir 

All the kitchen gardens are producing quality vegetables. Consequently, adolescent girls, young children and their families have started consuming these vegetables as part of their daily diet as compared to before which mostly consisted of rice and lentils alone. Each village has its wadis and padas which are usually inhabited by tribal communities. While kitchen gardens in other wadis and padas have been established, those adjacent to Waalshet and Madh villages could not have been established because of lack of land. Therefore, the PF team recommended the families of these two villages who have their own kitchen gardens to share their produce with the tribal families daily especially with those families who have malnourished children, pregnant and lactating mothers.  

Fig 5: New round of kitchen garden training

In the month of March, another round of training was also conducted for all the families where kitchen gardens have been developed with special focus on how to maintain the gardens in the coming summer and monsoon months, and also how to harvest and preserve seeds from their produce to ensure that there is a sustainable supply of good quality of seeds for them to continue with their kitchen gardens even after the exit of PF as the project comes to an end in the month of July. 

“We needed the training to understand how to manage kitchen gardens in summer and rainy seasons. We also learnt which crops we have to grow in summer and in rainy seasons. I thank the PF team and the trainer who conducted such a wonderful training in my village.”

• Yogita Sambre, Mother of 0-6 years child, Baudhpada

“I was a little bit worried about how to grow tomatoes, brinjals and other green vegetables in summer because there is a water issue in my village in May. But today I understood how to manage the watering in summer and which crops/vegetables can grow with less water in summer.”

• Kavita Vekhande, Mother of 0-6 years child, Baudhpada 

     

Fig 6 & 7: New round of kitchen garden trainings

A Success Story 

In order to address the objective of providing nutrition security among the vulnerable groups, establishing kitchen gardens among families with adolescent girls and children under the age of 6 years was the PF team's goal. The follow up meetings on kitchen gardens observe the attendance from the girls and mothers of 0-6 years of age children and also their family members. It is during these sessions that the PF team understands the progress the families are making with their kitchen gardens, observe if there has been change in their dietary habits and also note if there has been improvement in the nutritional status of the children and adolescent girls such as their weight or Hb levels.

During one such session, Jayati Bohir’s* mother-in-law, Ganga Bohir *said, “Although we received important information on how and why vegetables are important for our nutrition and health, especially the leafy vegetables, we did not have enough income to purchase such vegetables and make them part of our daily diets. However, PF team’s kitchen garden activity has made it easier for us to access these vegetables. I am growing a kitchen garden in my own home because of the training I received from PF. I am harvesting the vegetables from my garden and feeding them to my grandson.  Also, I have been attending all the meetings conducted by PF. As a result, I am learning about new recipes, how to cook vegetables, and also how to take care of my grandson’s nutrition, hygiene and overall health.” 

Fig 8: Ganga Bohir at her kitchen garden

It is not just the kitchen garden activity though, that has encouraged Ganga to be involved in her grandson’s growth and well-being. The holistic approach that PF has taken in this project where the children between the ages of 0-6 years are regularly weighed and are also invited to attend health camps for check-ups, has encouraged the parents and all the family members of the children to engage with the healthcare service providers and take active part in their children’s development. “I have also been observing that my grandson’s weight is improving consistently; and I make sure that I take him for community weighing every month. I strongly believe that PF has greatly helped my grandson and my family!” 

Listen to Poorva, a young girl from Vehloli village talk about her health

transformation here.

AMCHI: Vashind Villages eke out a New Beginning for its Undernourished Children

Regular health checks, advocacy programmes and medical supplements contribute towards bettering the health of vulnerable groups

 

“My son was in the yellow colour zone in the growth chart and he was very weak as well. My family is from a tribal community and we have no money to spend on medical treatments. I am very thankful to PF and JSW Foundation that they organised a health camp in my village and my son got treatment and medicine. As a result, I observed his weight has increased and his illness has also reduced. He looks healthy and has been in good form for the last two months.”

• Jayshri Waghe,Mother of Ritesh Waghe, Sherewadi

Population First’s healthcare extension project supported by our long-term partner, JSW Foundation in Vashind Beat 2, of Shahapur also continued in the Jan-Mar 2022 quarter. The objectives of this project are to reduce malnutrition among children between the ages of 0-6, provide nutrition security, and optimize healthcare services for adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women. 

Under this project, in this quarter, PF team completed 9 health camps across 12 villages, reached out to 208 children cumulatively, and provided them with medicines. These health camps not only provide an opportunity for tribal children to improve their weight through regular examinations and supplementary medications available at health camps but also, assist the healthcare service providers and even PHCs in addressing illnesses. 

One such situation occurred in the month of March when the healthcare service providers reported scabies cases among children. The PF team immediately reached the villages to confirm. Post a video consultation with Dr. Kapadia before the health camps, the PF team immediately purchased the medicines which were made available to the children who were affected. During the March month’s health camps, a handful more cases of scabies were reported. The PF team had informed the Medical Officer at Vashind PHC about the same. However, the latter informed that there were no stocks of medicines for scabies available at the PHC. 

“I really thank the PF team for identifying scabies and quickly providing medicines to control the situation, otherwise the entire village could have been affected. We had no medicine stock for scabies at our PHC at the time. If the disease had spread in the villages, it would have become very hard for us to provide the medicine and control the situation.”

• Dr. Devalkar, Medical Officer, Vashind PHC

Fig 1 & 2: Scabies identified among children during this quarter

Additionally, as a part of this project, state government-initiated Immunization Days or Aarogya Dins are celebrated regularly. Across the 12 villages every month children, pregnant and lactating women participate in this day. The goal of this day is to provide immunization to infants as well as pregnant women. Cumulatively 199 children have been immunized, 135 ANC and 127 PNC mothers attended the health days where their Hb levels, blood pressure are checked, immunization and supplemental medications such as intake of IFA and calcium are followed up with. Population First in collaboration with the healthcare service providers utilize this day to create awareness and provide information on immunization, nutrition, health, hygiene and most importantly on topics important for ante-natal and postnatal care. 

Fig 3 & 4: Health Camps with Dr. Kapadia

In this quarter, sessions on contraception were also introduced to the adolescent girls during the adolescent reproductive sexual health meetings. Learning about contraception is key for adolescent girls' understanding about their own bodies and also life choices. 

“I thank the PF team for giving me information on family planning and contraception. I can share this information with my sister-in-law. She was pregnant within the first year of her marriage and then again, was pregnant in her second year. I know it is very hard for her to manage two children. She was not aware about contraception and family planning methods. I was worried; I thought if the same would happen with me how would I manage. But today I understand the importance of family planning and contraception.”  

• Harshada Chandrakant Nicite from Walshet

It was through the adolescent girls that the team confirmed that during the pandemic, many women in the rural areas did not receive any information regarding contraception products and services. As a result of which, there was an increase in pregnancies in these villages. 

Fig 5&6: Hb testing of adolescent girls (left) & session on contraception (right) during ARSH meetings

On interacting with the women, it was identified that many women wanted to have a spacing between two children, but could not do so during the pandemic because of the lack of information and services for contraception. Therefore, it was important for PF to help address this information gap for the women in our project areas.  As a result, the PF team in the month of February focused on contraception and family planning. This session was conducted in 10 villages. Consequently, four women from Shei undertook the Copper T procedure. 

Fig 7: Meetings with pregnant and lactating mothers in Shei

A Success Story 

Under this project, ante-natal and postnatal care for the mothers was considered under two activities – a) training of family members in building an ecosystem for the new mothers and b) celebration of Arogya dins. It is during the celebration of Arogya dins, that pregnant and lactating mothers receive the right information regarding ANC & PNC care and also undergo check-ups from the PHC doctors. Sunita Vekhande*, was one such pregnant mother from Shei, who got herself registered in her fourth month of pregnancy. The PF team suggested that she get herself examined at the PHC. However, Sunita had gone for examination at the PHC in her sixth month only. During that examination it was identified that her Hb was 7 gms/dl. “I was a high-risk patient and was immediately asked to get admitted. But I returned back because I did not have enough funds for admission or for the injection,” Sunita said.

Fig 8: Sunita Vekhande, high-risk mothers

When she returned to the healthcare service providers, ASHA taai – Ranjana Tarmale and ANM Riddhi Bohir, ANM followed up with her. They used the funds available with ANM to take care of such high-risks cases, and got Sunita admitted. 

“The very next day, we took her to the doctor at the PHC once again and ensured that she started her Orofol medication. Through the week, we ensured that she received her injections and that she consumed the medicines that were provided to her,” ANM Riddhi said. Because of ANM and ASHA taai’s insistence and their dedicated efforts with Sunita, her Hb levels have now improved to 9 gms/dl. That is the kind of linkage PF team aimed to develop between the direct beneficiaries and the healthcare service providers which will ensure a stronger community for the future. 

 

Note: (*) indicates a change in name to protect their identity. 

AMCHI: Enhancing Women's Livelihood through Vermicomposting

“I am very happy to see the manure in my vermicompost production pits. It is like black gold for us.” 

- Vaishali Baghwan Desle, VC Group member, Vehele VC group

AMCHI, saw the conclusion of a 15-village project funded by Fiserv in collaboration with United Way Mumbai in the final quarter of financial year 2021-22. AMCHI team has been able to mobilise and train 150 women in the art of vermicompost production and sale.

• Each group has earned an average of Rs. 21,000 to Rs. 25,000 over the last five months of the project initiation. 
• At least 190 unique farmers and farmhouse owners have been linked to our 15 vermicompost livelihood groups
• Conducted 13 farmer melavas/exhibitions
• Completed 40 marketing visits
• Established 62 demonstration plots in 12 villages for the farmers to understand and gain first-hand experience on the positive impact vermicompost has on their crops, soil, production cost and income. 

• Among 46 of 62 farmers there has been a 28% decrease in average production and 10% increase in average total income since the usage of vermicompost on those plots

The aim of this project was to provide rural women with a sustainable and viable secondary source of income through vermicompost production and sale. And in doing so, Population First is also heading towards its broader vision of popularising organic and natural farming in Shahapur and converting it into the organic farming taluka. 

 

“Through the organization I received VC which I have applied for my red pumpkin crop this season. I have noticed there is a big difference between chemical fertilizers and VC. I have observed that previously for the same crop and on the same plot of land I had to apply chemical fertilizers for at least 7-8 days. With VC, however, I have applied for it only once. It has been 25 days since we sowed the seeds the vegetable crop is healthy and the leaves look fresh and green” 

• Prakash Pawar, Demonstration Plot Farmer, Pawale

Fig 1: Lady finger plot grown with chemical manure (left) & vermicompost (right)

With 15 new vermicompost livelihood women’s groups, the villages in itself and its neighbours now have access to good quality vermicompost for their farming activities irrespective of the crop they grow. In order for the women to be able to reach out to these customers and expand their own market, PF conducted several farmer exhibitions and melavas across major market areas in Vehele, Doplepada, Saplepada, Sapgaon, Mhasa, Kinhavli, Kudus, etc. 

Fig 2 & 3: Kudus Farmer Exhibition (left) & Sapgaon Farmer Exhibition (right)

A major characteristic of these exhibitions conducted by PF is the presence of organic farming experts that allows the customers, especially farmers to interact with them, gain more knowledge and find solutions to their questions regarding organic farming.

“This is our good fortune that Population First organized such a wonderful event in our village. This is a different kind of melava. I have attended many farmer melavas before but I have never seen any question answer session in these melavas. Here, however, the farmer has the opportunity to talk and question the experts directly. And I see that all the farmers are happy and satisfied because they got the answers they were looking for and cleared their doubts. And I believe they understand the benefits of vermicompost much better now.” 

• Mr. Pundalik Pradhan, Ex-Sarpanch,    Vehele     

Fig 4: Vehele Farmer Exhibition (Right)

Mr. Mahesh Salve, Mr. Santosh Dinkar and Mr. Datta Urmude, have been our long-time collaborators who have participated in these sessions for their expertise in agriculture and special emphasis on organic farming. In addition to that, support from agriculture department officers at Block level has also contributed towards the popularity of the vermicompost produced by our women’s groups. 

 “I know that vermicompost is the best manure for farming and it benefits the farmers in a lot of ways. I, therefore, thank the PF team for starting their work in Murbad block and for organizing such a wonderful exhibition here in Mhasa. This is a big marketing place and about 300 farmers come here from 40 villages to set up their shops of vegetables. I am also impressed to know that products are made and sold by women. My department is with PF and will support the VC women

in every possible way” 

• Mr. Kute, Agricultural Department Extension Officer, Murbad Panchayat Samiti, Mhasa Exhibition

Fig 5: Mhasa Farmer Exhibition (right)

 

Fig 6 to 9: Marketing Visits to Farmers and Farmhouse Owners 

A Success Story

The aim of the Enhancing Women’s Livelihood through Vermicomposting project was to not only provide a viable and sustainable livelihood opportunity but also to build capacities of the rural women and transform them into entrepreneurs and decision-makers at various levels. And Population First was confident that the humble earthworm and the simple vermicompost will help in delivering just that for the women across 15 villages of Shahapur and Murbad. 

For the women who participated in this vermicompost livelihood intervention, it is not only about the money they earn but also their decisions on how the money can be used makes all the difference. As the report has indicated, the money earned through this intervention was largely invested back in purchase of family household & other expenses, family health and travel, personal health and travel, children’s education. 

One such story is that of Manda Gajanan Gorle of Raogaon. “This is the first time I was involved in the income generation activity and earned money. In the last three months my group earned Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 30,000, which is a big amount for us and we keep the money in the group,” when the PF team asked her about how she was making use of the money. And this process is not new for the team to come across. “We decided that we will distribute the money as per the needs of the women,” she had said. This project was implemented post the pandemic, and it has contributed in addressing challenges that the pandemic had presented to these women like loss of income, help address family and personal health and access to education for children. For Manda, it was providing access to quality education that was the need of the hour. “Now that the colleges and schools have opened, my daughter wanted to take admission in 12th standard in Murbad college but my husband refused and said we have no money to spend on her education,” she had said. “But I took the decision to strongly support her education. I took Rs 6,500 from my VC group and paid her fees.” 

Supporting one’s own children by providing for their education or supporting oneself to become financially independent, both are stories of empowerment that will propel our women from Shahapur and Murbad further in their lives. For Gulab Ganpat Ghude of Umberpada, it was her dream of opening her own bank account. “I earned Rs. 3,000/- from my VC business. I always wanted to open an account in the bank but my family always told me why should I open an account when I have no money to keep,” she told the PF team. “But through the VC business I started earning and as a result, I opened my bank account. I am very happy to have an account in a national bank,” she shared excitedly. “And I have decided that I will save the money and purchase a scooty bike for myself which will help me for marketing of the VC business,” she added. For the PF team, all the work is validated when we see the enthusiasm and confidence of women like Gulab who have learned to take decisions and make their own path, or getting to know that the daughter of Manda praised her and said “I am proud of you mother”.

 

 

In Conversation: Are Diversity and Inclusion being Compromised in a Globalized World?

 

In a free-wheeling chat with Population First, Shajahan Madampat explores various dimensions of diversity and its role in creating sustainable and inclusive communities and nations. Shajahan is an Indian writer, critic, and social commentator based in the Middle East who writes on issues related to culture, media, and Middle East affairs in several leading publications including The Outlook Magazine, Gulf News, and Malayalam weekly magazines Kalakaumudi, and Mathrubhumi.

All the views expressed here are the views of Shajahan Madampat and should not be attributed to Population First.

There has been a tremendous focus on promoting cultural diversity over the past few years. What would you say is Cultural Diversity? 

I think cultural diversity is the equivalent of biodiversity in terms of people's belief systems, lifestyles, languages, literature, so on and so forth. So, if we start on that premise, perhaps it will be easier for us to develop a perspective on this because people have a better understanding of biodiversity. When we talk about culture and diversity, we are talking about essentially various modes and ways of living, in terms of languages, lifestyles, sartorial practices, religions and traditions. 

And this kind of celebration of diversity is one of the noblest democratic traditions. One can say that it is only when you have a secular democracy, diversity will be promoted, celebrated, and accepted. Secularism is the only political system, and culture, that allows unfettered freedom of expression, and lifestyles, so long as it doesn't violate some of the universal principles.  Diversity is a fact. Pluralism is what we make out of it

How has globalization affected cultural diversity, if at all?

When look at 10,000 years ago, the world was blessed with far more biodiversity than we have today. And in the next few decades, we will see a lot of species that will go extinct. The same is true of cultural diversity. If we look back a little before the advent of modernity, we would realize that the world was a much better place in terms of cultural diversity.

In fact, I must mention a beautiful essay by historian Shahid Amin titled  Post-colonial Towns Called Deoria. His point was that in his growing years if you travel 10 km, the kasbah or the town was totally different from the town that you just left behind. With the advent of globalization, what has happened is all towns have become similar. You have a MacDonald, you have a Pizza Hut, you have the same smell. People walk the same way, talk the same way. 

I grew up in the interiors of Malappuram district in Malabar in Kerala, and from the way somebody talks to me, I could say from which part of the district is he from.  Even now it hasn't completely vanished. But, with the strengthening of written culture, they all start speaking some kind of a standard language. I mean, we say in Kerala that Malayalam Manorama has killed the linguistic diversity in Kerala. 

The world after the advent of modernity in general and globalization in particular has been moving in the direction of some kind of homogenization in terms of language, culture, sartorial practices, body language. 

I recently came across a study that said that almost 70 or 75%, of the existing languages in the world would soon become extinct. So, languages are dying, distinctive cultural practices are dying. And then sometimes we turn all of them into demonstrable things. On a particular day, you will wear certain clothes e.g., a Diwali or Eid, or whatever. So that kind of shift away from wide or myriad ways of living into an easily definable kind of cultural appearance. That is what is happening now.

How important is Cultural Diversity in nation/ society building?

I was born and brought up in a very conservative Malabar Muslim family. The first time I celebrated anything other than Eid was when I was 16 and had the Onam feast at a Hindu friend’s place. And then, I started getting exposure to the rich diversity of Kerala because I had never travelled outside until that point. Then. I come to the JNU. And first, it was a cultural shock. Then it was a cultural feast. A Malayali Muslim with absolutely no exposure to the rest of the world, except through all the world classics, which I had read as Malayalam translations. So suddenly I am getting to know India. Nehru’s beautiful title always reverberates in my head, The Discovery Of India, as you interact with people from West Bengal, Orissa, Karnataka, northeast U.P., Bihar, Delhi, and Haryana. You slowly begin to understand how great we are as a diverse nation. Different ways of living. Different ways of eating. Different ways of talking. It was really a true microcosm and because of the kind of progressive admission policy, all strata of Indian society were represented in large numbers on campus because you have people coming from big urban cities and you also had people coming from remote rural India. And for me, that was the most beautiful experience. So cultural diversity is one of the most important things. That needs to be preserved almost as important as biodiversity.

How important is cultural diversity for sustainable development?

In the famous speech by Chief Seattle, the tribal leader belonging to the red Indian community, lies the answer. So, here are white people coming and occupying lands, either by force or offering to buy their land. Chief Seattle, addressing them speaks about how the land, the Earth, the sky, the trees, the animals, and the birds, all are an inalienable, organic part of  existence, and that land is not just a commodity, it is where the ancestors still continue to communicate with its people. Most of the traditional cultures across the world, for centuries, for millennia, lived in close harmony with nature. Through their life practices, they sustained life on Earth, they sustained Mother Earth, right?  In fact, the so-called modern world has a lot to learn from the sustainability practices of various non-modern cultures.

In the name of sustainable development, basically, there is an attempt at imposing the same approach on everybody, and it doesn't work that way. In fact, the way one community deals with sustainability may be totally different from the way the other communities deal with it. So again, the point is, sustainable development also has to include diversity. World Bank or IMF imposes the same set of activities and practices on so many different countries and cultures. It's not sustainable at all.

Many cultures reinforce and promote gender inequalities and injustice. How do we promote cultural diversity while addressing gender issues?

In various religious communities, traditional communities, families, etc. many regressive religious practices are sustained in the name of cultural authenticity and cultural preservation. Because within each culture, we have an elite, with vested interests. So, the men in a particular culture would like to ensure their supremacy over the women. Therefore, while celebrating cultural diversity, we also need to confront and eradicate many of the harmful practices that still exist. 

It is important to look at culture as a dynamic and vibrant entity, something that is changing all the time, adopting new things from outside, giving up some of the baggage of the past. All studies of different cultures around the world point to the truth of this.  No culture has been static. So, when we look at it from that perspective, we realize that a lot of internal criticism is important within each culture, within each community, because so many practices are sustained and preserved in the name of cultural identity and authenticity. They need to be confronted.