Fr. Frederick D’Souza, Executive Director of Caritas India steps up to a new level and asked the directors of Social Service Societies from Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh to promote cadre building and volunteerism through the programs. Giving impetus to the program based model, Fr. Frederick encouraged partners to build movements in the programs with a specific approach.

The implementing partners from Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh came together to present their progress and learn new cross-cutting issues that need to be incorporated in the Saksham program.

The Saksham program has completed 7 months of its implementation in the field to enhance food and nutrition security and diversified livelihood for smallholder farmers through rights realization, promotion of adaptive agriculture and participation of the vulnerable community in Gram Sabha for Micro Planning. The task is challenging as it is operational in different topography and socio-economic backgrounds.

All the partners shared their progress in line with their demography, linkages with NABARD, PRI members, KVk, Agriculture departments and ATMA. Some of the partners shared about the sustainable agricultural practices and model farming practices incorporated in their programs. Need for strengthening Volunteer management, Micro Plan and of PRI members was expressed by all the partners.

Climate adaptive sustainable agriculture and livelihood is one of the core thematic areas was explained by the thematic head Dr. Haridas by sharing the situation of agriculture in India and impact of fertilizers company, middleman exploitation and Genetically modified seeds companies in the agriculture sector. Through FARM Wayanad example, he shared about food security and food sovereignty aspects in Kerala. The importance of food availability, Crop Diversity, Integration of Livestock, Food Safety and Nutrition Security, vermicompost, LR composting process and water management was also shared by him.

Kindam Singh, Zonal Manager – North shared local and global scenario with the Caritas India’s People led development approach with partners. It is interesting that the Caritas India through People Led Development aims to enable and ensure people’s participation for their own development. The approach entails listening to People and appreciating their local knowledge and build perspective to identify their needs. The process promote leadership by reviving traditional institutions and people initiative for innovations, learning and sharing towards transformation of the community which bring control, ownership, self-respect, and empowerment in the community.

Landholding and ownership are the critical issues for the smallholder farmers in India. Lee Macqueen, Manager, Advocacy and Child Rights shared about the National Food security act for Ending Hunger and Malnutrition and how landless people and Marginal landholders lack access to such information. She said Movement Building of Farmers and Landless together pose greater threat than the land distribution to the landless. Importance of women farmer and their land right in agriculture sector was also raised by Lee.

Head of Program Department, Rajesh Upadhyay shared about the Social Security Schemes allocated for the farmers. He mentioned about various Government schemes for landless farmers. Further he shared about Panchayat- Micro Plan, Entitlements like MGNREGA, SSS, ICDS, PDS, MDM, Food Reduction in Input Cost, Micro & Macro Nutrition along with livelihood support program for women SHG groups.

The program concluded with finalization of revised target community and program activities and budget for the intervention.