The Dumaria Area Development Programme (ADP) is located in Banka District, in India’s eastern Bihar State. The combination of poor irrigation and lack of credit facilities to improve agricultural production leads to chronic food shortages. It is common for whole families to leave the area for several months each year to find food and work.

Dumaria ADP’s target area encompasses 73 villages, with a combined population of more than 30,000 people.

Agriculture

Although a variety of crops are grown, poor soil and seed quality and lack of irrigation limit production. 

Dumaria ADP trains farmers in irrigation methods and helps build wells, check dams (which replenish the water table) and lift irrigation schemes (which pump water from low-lying areas to fields above).

The ADP also trains farmers in the use of fertilisers and pesticides, and supplies them with good quality seeds. Many families have received bullocks to help them plough their fields. Thresher machines assist villages to process wheat crops themselves rather than hire machines at extra cost.

Economy

Agriculture is the backbone of village economy, with few other opportunities for earning an income.

Through VDCs or women’s groups, people can borrow funds to establish small businesses such as grocery shops, bicycle repairs and handicrafts.

Training is provided in home management and in skills that can help people earn supplementary income, such as vegetable gardening, doll and incense making, and snack preparation.

The ADP provides cows to especially needy families so that they can have a regular source of income from selling the milk, as well as the nutritional benefits of drinking milk themselves.

Health

People who temporarily migrate to other areas during periods of food shortage often have no choice but to take work in unhealthy and often dangerous work environments, such as stone crushing factories. Workers unavoidably inhale dust in these factories, causing lung problems. Tuberculosis, which is passed on through coughing and sneezing, is quickly spread between the workers and to their families. Malaria, diarrhoea and malnutrition are other common health problems in Dumaria.

World Vision regularly conducts mobile clinics to diagnose and treat illnesses, and assists government immunisation campaigns for children and pregnant women. Educational programmes raise awareness of health issues, such as nutrition, exclusive breastfeeding, birth registration (so children can access health services), sanitation, diarrhoea treatment and HIV/AIDS.

Community empowerment

Each village elects representatives for its own Village Development Committee (VDC). Committee members learn leadership, project management and bookkeeping skills and become progressively responsible for planning, sourcing funding, monitoring and evaluating community development projects.

Through children’s clubs and other gatherings to mark international days such as World AIDS Day and Children’s Day, children learn about the importance of caring for each other’s needs for harmonious family and social relationships. They also gain an awareness of the social and health problems caused by alcoholism, smoking, child marriage and dowry. Dowry is the giving of goods by a bride’s family. This reduces the ‘worth’ of girls. It may impoverish a family, or threaten the girl’s life if goods are promised but not given.

Education

Non-formal education (NFE) centres provide part-time education for pre-school children and children who drop out of, or cannot attend, formal school because of financial or other reasons.

Dumaria ADP pays NFE teachers’ fees, provides school uniforms, stationery and sports equipment for primary school pupils, and runs adult literacy classes.

Sustainable development

It is envisaged that by 2013 most of the community's key leaders will be trained and prepared to continue managing development initiatives without World Vision's direct assistance. We will keep you updated on the community's progress.

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