FOCUS : WOMEN AND LIVELIHOODS

Project:  School and Community Horticulture Enterprise: Nutritional support for primary education

Funded By:  Sir Dorab Tata Trust 

Duration: March 2008 - February 2010

This project is conceived as an extension of its earlier research phase on demonstrating the potential of greenhouse horticulture as a livelihood option. The goal of the project is "To demonstrate the potential of sustainable technology interventions in initiating social, economic and cultural transformation". The objectives of the project are:

• Capacity building of women with small land holding in precision farming techniques, and its acceptance as a livelihood option

• Community involvement for augmentation of the nutrition content in the school mid day meal scheme

• Evolving a methodology for scaling up of the scheme

This project is just starting and the impacts expected are:

Social impacts

• Improved child nutrition and health, higher attendance in schools

• Higher social status for women because of their charitable act of donating vegetables to school and by their becoming earning members of their family leading to their empowerment

• Changing gender norms in the community

• Arresting migration to urban areas

Environmental impacts

• Water conservation through technological intervention like water harvesting rom the roof of the green house, use of drip irrigation and low cost water storage structures

• Crop rotation and use of vermi compost to enhance soil fertility

• Reduced used of pesticides

Economic impacts

• Profit for members of self help groups

• Creation of  viable livelihood for women with access to small land holding

The project is being implemented in Tiptur taluk, Tmkur district, Karnataka and it is expected that a green house cluster would be formed as a result of the project activities