Our partnership with Plan began in June 2005 with our support of school vegetable gardens in Bima, Indonesia (which you can read more about here).
We are now funding a further two of their projects, one in Guatemala and this one in Lunkaranska, India. It is a one year project that will help develop the water systems and resources for sustainable farming by providing materials, the training of vets and farmers, and the introduction of microfinance through four community grain banks.
In just one year the funding will impact 45,600 people across 38 communities. By the end of the funding there will be access to a safe and reliable water supply, which should mean that all affected are able to focus on their long term social and economic development, and in a more sustainable manner.
Founded 70 years ago, Plan is one of the largest child-centred community development organisations in the world, working in 62 countries on projects and initiatives that address the causes of poverty and their impact on children's lives.
Lunkaranska is located in the Thar Desert, in North-west India, and is one of the most inhospitable landscapes on earth. Plan project and community workers here must contend with the huge distances between hamlets and settlements, and a landscape that is constantly shifing with the sand, as wind and sandstorms re-arrange the terrain.
This, added to the lack of water in such an arid region, means that the ancient villagers of the Thar often find themselves migrating on foot across sometimes hundreds of miles towards neighbouring states in search of water. As soon as it's possible they return to their hamlets in the desert however. Life is a struggle here, but the ancient attachment the villagers have to their homes is strong, and this centuries-old way of life continues here against all odds.
Begun at the start of 2007, this project is nearing its completion - running smoothly and to schedule. It was initially developed in response to a request made by the affected communities to provide a safe and easily accessible source of water.
They have subsequently been actively involved in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the project components, with community based organisations (CBOs) playing a particularly key role.
Emphasis has been placed on the involvement of women and children in all stages of the programme, who might otherwise be excluded. Separate meetings have been held for women, and it has been decided that female community representatives should not be directly related to their male counterparts, to ensure that their voices are not unduly influenced. Children have been involved in all community meetings and, using their feedback, the training and awareness materials have been adapted to make them child friendly and appropriate.
Capacity building amongst the affected communities has also been a major focus of the project throughout, as is evidenced by the prevalence of training sessions amongst the project activities. These sessions help to enhance the ability of all community members to fully participate in all levels of the project.
Objective update : August '07
In line with the projected completion date, the bulk of the programme components have now been completed:
- Water storage facilities have been installed in individual households and farms, and five schools have been connected to drinking water supplies.
- Extensive training has been provided for farmers, vets, agronomists and community representatives, and seed packages and livestock have been distributed to the areas most in need, to ensure access to sustainable livelihoods for all participants.
- Over the next months additional training courses will take place, and the monitoring and evaluation processes will take place.
Project future
The project is on schedule to be completed shortly, and all of the labour intensive components, such as the construction of water storage tanks, have been completed. Over the next month the emphasis will be upon further training and capacity building.
The state government as a whole has also agreed to help to sustain the programme's impacts in the longterm, committing to provide a 50% subsidy for a complementary programme of drip irrigation in Lunkaransar. Farmers will also continue to receive training on 'post-harvesting technology', 'grading packaging and marketing of local fruits and vegetables' and 'genetic improvement of local cattle breed', amongst other topics.
This has so far been an immensely successful project with few challenges, having had widespread and significant impact on many people in Lunkaranska. We will update you when we have our final report soon.
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