6 September 2005
Mayurbhanj
Mayurbhanj Area Development Programme (ADP) is located in the foothills of Similipal National Park, in India’s Orissa State. About 75 per cent of the population is tribal, the majority from the Santhal tribe. Nearly 60 per cent of Mayurbanj’s people live in severe poverty.
As they are inaccessible, villages in this area miss out on their entitlement to government services. Officials, landlords and middlemen often exploit the tribal communities. The ADP works with 65 villages, improving the situation of over 35,000 people.
|
 Mayurbhanj ADP
|
Education
Through educating parents, training volunteers and providing 65 village tuition centres the ADP has raised primary school attendance. However, enrolment in higher education is still low.
The ADP encourages parents to send their children to secondary school and provides school uniforms, stationery, bicycles and hostel fees. Young adults are provided with vocational education. As parents see the progress their children are making they become interested in their own education and join literacy classes.
Health
Dense forests in the area provide ideal breeding places for malaria-carrying mosquitoes. Malaria kills more people than any other sickness. As there is not enough safe water in the ADP area to serve all of its inhabitants, water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid and dysentery are rife.
Wells are dug and regularly chlorinated to help prevent disease. Regular meetings are held on health topics including malaria and HIV/AIDS. Families learn how to grow vegetables to improve their nutrition and are told about the importance of child immunisation and proper sanitation. The ADP links community leaders to government-funded health initiatives such as subsidised mosquito nets to prevent malaria and assistance for children with disabilities.
Agriculture
About 80 per cent of the population earn their income from agriculture-related occupations. Farmers traditionally rely on rain for irrigation.
The ADP levels unused land providing cultivable fields for families without land. Construction of wells enables farmers to irrigate their land and harvest two crops a year. The ADP supplies agricultural equipment and high yield seeds and encourages farmers to experiment with new crops. Farmers learn low-cost, improved methods of agriculture such as mixed cropping.
Income generation
Agriculture and other small income generating activities only earn enough to meet families’ immediate needs, leaving nothing for emergencies. The ADP supplies livestock, training and small business loans and promotes alternative activities such as dairy farming so people can supplement their income. ‘Self help groups’ are formed to encourage saving for investment or emergencies.
Community leadership
Each village elects representatives for its own village development committee (VDC). Committee members are trained in leadership, project management skills and how to access government funding. VDCs regularly meet to discuss community issues and become increasingly responsible for planning, managing and evaluating community development. World Vision encourages women to take active roles in the VDCs. Youth groups and children’s clubs ensure that the next generation are also involved in the process.
Sustainable development
World Vision started Mayurbhanj Area Development Programme in October 1995. The ADP is working with the community to increase its capacity to access resources for ongoing development without World Vision’s direct assistance. We will keep you updated on their progress.
|
