Livelihood Projects

Swami Vivekananda Medical Mission Trust agali has started several Livelihood Projects such as 50 self-help groups , cultivation of medicinal plants and Kitchen Garden Project

SHGs

The SVMM Trust has mobilized around 500 women tribal women into 50 self-help groups (SHGs). These SHGs adhere to the Panchasutra principles of regular meeting, saving, inter-loaning, recordkeeping and repayment and are linked to the formal banks through saving accounts. The SHGs are also been provided with vocational training on activities like soap making, agarbatti making etc. They are also used as a platform to create awareness on social, gender and family issues.

Medicinal Plants Cultivation Project

In order to create a regular and sustainable income source for the tribal farmers, the medicinal plants cultivation project is being implemented in four tribal villages of Sholayur Panchayat. The project is supported under the FSPF Fund of NABARD. Nine species of medicinal plants were provided to the farmers in addition to several capacity building trainings and handhold support in farm activities, credit linkage and marketing. Arya Vaidya Pharmacy, Coimbatore is providing technical support for the project. A tri-partite buy-back agreement has been created between the farmers, Arya Vaidya Pharmacy and the trust to help the farmers sell the medicinal plants produce at an assured price. The first sale was done in November 2020 where 13 farmers sold 300 kg of dried Iruveli.

Kitchen Garden Project

The Kitchen Garden Project, supported by Sewa Canada is being implemented in Kallamala, Manthimala, Daivkundu and Dundoor villages of Agali Panchayat. The project envisions to improve dietary intake of 100 tribal families in these villages. The kitchen garden is set up in a small area of land (less than 1 cent) in the backyard of the house.

Seeds of nine vegetables, fencing nets, biofertilizers, kitchen bins were distributed. Additional support in the form of agriculture implements, hand sprayers etc. were provided in collaboration with the Kerala Agriculture University, Mannuthy.

The long-term objectives of The Kitchen Garden Project were to introduce /demonstrate/ make safe and healthy production of vegetables at the household level. The short-term objectives were to produce fresh, pesticide-free vegetables at a low cost through the involvement of the tribal communities of the Attappady area and their capacity building. Multiple workshops were offered to the beneficiaries on methods of gardening and proper usage of pesticides and fertilizers.

Distribution of Tree saplings

Empowering the farmers has been a very important focus of our community development projects. We have been collaborating with various agencies to bring benefits to the farmers and tribal families.

We received the help of Krishi Vigyan Kendra to distribute saplings of Nutrition garden to 50 tribal families of Vechapathy, Vellakulam and Moolagangal.

17 saplings of 9 species of fruits and vegetables were given to farmers. Aswanth M.S. our Project Coordinator for Farming activities coordinated with KVK officials for the distribution. The farmers were given awareness about the plants and cultivation.

Vegetable Cluster Formation

The Vegetable cluster formation is done in Manthimala with the support from the beneficiaries of the kitchen garden project.

Under this project, Swami Vivekananda Medical Mission links the farmers to People’s Planning under Block Panchayath. This project focuses on vegetable cultivation in 5 acres of land under 20 farmers.

They are divided into various groups and each group will be provided with an initial investment of Rs. 50000 for purchasing seeds and other essential equipment. Also, Krishi Bhavan had agreed to provide the farmers the marketing support they needed to sell the produce.

NABARD Tribal Development Fund

The NABARD Tribal Development Fund got its approval in 2022. The project is being implemented in five tribal hamlets of Sholayoor Panchayat in Attappady Taluk and will support 326 families.

After the successful Implementation of NABARD FSPF Medicinal Plants Cultivation Project NABARD approached Swami Vivekananda Medical Mission and told them to submit a DPR report for the TDF project. During the financial Year 2021-2022 only one Project Proposal from Kerala for TDF was approved and it was the one submitted by Swami Vivekananda Medical Mission.

Meet Our Co-ordinators

Shiny E K

Block Coordinator

Education and SHGs

Aswanth M S

Project Coordinator

Agriculture

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