The Dumaria community programme
The Dumaria community development programme is located in Banka
district in India's eastern Bihar State. World Vision reaches 49
villages, with a combined population of 49,764. World Vision's
partnership with Dumaria started in 1995 and is now in its final
years of implementation. The programme will continue until 2013,
when the community will be equipped with the resources and skills
to continue their development journey. In the past year,
significant improvements were made in the areas of food security
and nutrition, and economic development.
Issues covered: Education, food
security and nutrition.
Updates on World Vision's work
Food security and nutrition
- 322 of the poorest and most vulnerable families were supported
with goats and dairy cows to help them improve their household
income and nutrition
- 1414 pregnant women and breastfeeding women were educated on
the importance of breastfeeding to ensure good health and nutrition
for their babies
Education
- Improvements to both the learning environment and quality of
education have resulted in a 92 per cent enrolment rate overall in
primary schools, and 80 per cent in secondary schools, and drop-out
rates have decreased
- 1866 students participated in remedial classes conducted by 50
volunteers in 50 villages to enhance the quality of education and
help reduce school dropout rates
Life on
the ground in Dumaria
By cultivating multiple crops, Kailash
Yadav ensures that his family has food year-round.
Kailash Yadav lives with his wife and three children in a remote
village in Dumaria. Like all the other community members, Kailash
depends entirely on agriculture to provide for his family. Having
just less than a hectare of land, Kailash produced hardly enough
rice to feed his family. Consequently, he had to migrate to
neighbouring cities in search of other employment.
In 2004, World Vision started working in Kailash's village. He and
fellow farmers participated in training sessions on modern farming
methods, and World Vision supported the community with a lift
irrigation system. This helped farmers to cultivate multiple cash
crops, such as wheat, mustard, and vegetables like potatoes.
Kailash not only improved his family's nutrition, but also their
household income. He now also has some dairy cows. His family has
food year-round and he can afford to send his children to school.
"I am no longer migrating, and I am living happily with my family.
I can also provide better education to my children, and for this I
am very thankful to World Vision," explains Kailash.
India at a glance
India is the world's second most populous country and the
seventh largest country by area. Since the I980s, India has been
making unprecedented progress in its own history, but there are
still wide disparities in access to healthcare, education and
infrastructure. The number of poor living below NZ$2 a day has
increased from 421 million in 1981 to 456 million in 2005.
