The visit to the Agrarian Prosperity Program (APP) of the Gumla district to see and interact with smallholders has been a great learning. The low-cost agriculture models and convergence has empowered the local tribal people to make informed decisions with the realisation of their role and responsibilities.

Initiatives like a resilient farming system, and building community institutions are excellent examples of how an active and conscious community work together to support the vulnerable and bring about social change. The role of community institutions in building good governance by taking initiative in conservation, management, and best utilisation of local resources is commendable and appreciated by the local stakeholders.

Shared by Father Jolly, Asst Executive Director, Caritas India during his field visit to APP on July 29, 2022. While appreciating, he also emphasized the protection of mother nature and take appropriate actions by planting more trees and saplings in the coming days to create a few more green belts.

On July 29, 2022, Father Jolly Puthenpura, the Assistant Director of Caritas India, along with Father Linus Pingal, Administrator, Gumla Diocese, Father Arvind, Director Gram Uthan Gumla, Mr. Ravi Shankar DDM NABARD Gumla, Mr. Pradeep Regional Manager Jharkhand Rajya Gramin Bank (JRGB) had visited Agrarian Prosperity Program (APP) to interact with the small farm families and learn the impact that has transformed the community over the years through the implementation of APP program. Agrarian Prosperity Program is a program supported by the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) which aimed to contribute towards securing food security with varied diet and income by promoting sustainable eco-friendly agriculture and marketing for 1320 most vulnerable farm families of gumla district of Jharkhand India.

During this field visit, the dignitaries were appraised on the program impacts by the community members by showcasing 48 different types of local and indigenous varieties of seeds and grains restored through resilient farming system approaches in every community. They also explained how these local seeds are being managed by traditional seed bank developed in each community. The chief executive officer (CEO) of two farmers’ producer organisation (FPO) also shared their learning experiences and how APP made them to realise their potential and built their capacity to manage FPOs having 450 plus smallholders in each group to take collective actions and marketing.

Mr Ravi Shankar DDM NABARD appreciated the efforts put forward by Caritas India through its implementing agency Naya Savera Vikas Kendra (NSVK) especially the community empowerment process in APP to ensure community-led institutions who have taken the lead in the holistic development process. He also acknowledged the initiative taken by Caritas India to bring gender equality by ensuring more than 50% of women’s participated in every process and intervention. He stressed towards the formation of joint liability groups (JLG) to get maximum smallholders linked to credit facilities. A Joint Liability Group (JLG) is an informal group comprising of 4-10 individuals coming together for the purpose of availing bank loans on an individual basis or through group mechanisms against the mutual guarantee. This will lead to opportunities with institutions like NABARD, JRGB for better credit linkages for small farm futures.

Further to this, the hydro-electric-power generation system was dedicated to the community by Father Jolly Puthenpura in the presence of all dignitaries and community members. The hydro-power generation system where electricity is being generated with the help of hydro-power and being supplied to 48 smallholders’ families. With the initiatives, a paddy de-husk and wheat flour machine is being installed for the smallholders to get their grain processed as per their needs. The entire infrastructure is being managed by Dharitri Farmers’ Producer Company under the guidance of Caritas India and its implementing partner organisation Naya Savera Vikas Kendra at the ground level.

We are so glad to meet and interact with Father Jolly and share our experiences. APP has been so instrumental for us in building capacity to make our livelihood more sustainable. Shared by Dhukheswar Kerketta, BoD of Dharitri Farmers’ Producer Company, Kurum.