Tuesday, July 10, 2012

GROW Campaign

GROW Campaign

GROW Campaign is an intervention in different areas of District Matiari to empower marginalized and poorest women and men to produce and consume the required food in sustainable and just way.
Research and Development for Human Resources (RDHR) - Sindh with collaboration of OXFAM NOVIB has been implementing campaign with different specific objectives.

Area for GROW Campaign

Campaign is implemented in District Matiari which is one of the richest agriculture districts of Sindh. The district Matiari is administratively subdivided into three talukhas: Hala, Matiari, Saeedabad. The population of taluka Matiari is 2, 53,747, and the population of Hala is 1,57,137, while the population of Saeedabad is 1,14,198. Matiari district have 19 union councils. The total population of Matiari is 5,25,082 (Five lacs twenty five thousand eighty two). A portion of land constitute Matiari forest named Matiarko used to spread over 28,541 acres out of which 17000 acres have been cut down by local inhabitant to earn livelihood. The geographical area of district Matiari is 3, 22,021-04. The culture able area of district is 255197-12 while the cultivated area is 1, 64,025-38.
Matiari may be a little known district, but as the birthplace of Sufi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai and the Makhdoom family, it has special significance. The district is mainly inhabited by traders and businessmen, civil servants and growers. The sole sugar mill running in Matiari is owned by the Jamotes, a prominent feudal clan.
Matiari is rich in every aspect. It is situated at left bank of Indus River. Matiari is one of historical, literary, and religious spiritual town of Sindh. This district is also famous through the subcontinent in art, pottery, wood work, cloth printing, woven cloth called Sussi in various beautiful designs and khaddar made of handmade Khaddi. The main crops in Matiari are wheat, cotton, sugarcane, banana and other crops which are growing by the local Landlords and farmers in the area.
Issues
In Matiari district, farmers are not aware about even their rights. They don’t get profit from the agriculture and livestock extension services and livelihood operation. They are not aware of using organic farming as they are using inorganic means of production. They are not using innovative techniques for sustainable production. Small farmers in different villages do not understand benefits of formal credit system. They are getting credits at maximum interest rates.
Indeed, there is unpleasant atmosphere for small producers with high cost, poor gender blind extension services, and no or poor access to credit. In most of the rural areas of Matiari, small producers have lack of access to market and price, and he is exploited by the middlemen. It is evident that landlords have power and control over the tenant and landless men. In the rural areas, women are mostly affected due to the male dominant society and customs and they face impact of poverty. They even get less salary (half of a male salary) for the work in agriculture fields.
Overall Objective
To empower marginalized and poorest women and men to produce and consume the required food in sustainable and just way.
Specific Objectives of the Campaign
1.    To promote effective agriculture governance and pro-poor investment to enhance productivity and resilience of small farmers especially women (both in terms of        disasters and climatic change).
2.    Create an enabling environment where poor women and men have access and control over adequate and affordable food commodities.
3.    To contribute towards conservation, adequate access and control over water resources to minimize hazardous effects of IFI/corporate driven water grabbing.

Duration

GROW Campaign is of One Year intervention from 1st Dec, 2011 to 30th Nov, 2012.

Activities under Campaign

In the implementation of this GROW Campaign, there would be:
•    Rapid KAP Survey regarding extension service among farmers in the district
•    Meetings with small farmers
•    Dialogue of farmers and extension services department
•    Meetings with authorities of district level extension department
•    Meeting with district authority, agriculture department
•    Awareness sessions on farmers rights and gender mainstreaming in agriculture in targeted UCs
•    Dialogues with civil society ( Farmers organizations, Trade Unions, Lawyers, Local CBOs) to create   harmony among different groups
•    Awareness Sessions with Small Farmers to aware on better use of extension services
•    Good agriculture practices for better production
•    Research on Agriculture policy issues, Awareness session at UC Level on organic forming
•    A FM Radio Program
•    Theatre performance at taluka level on food price hike,
•    Rallies on highlighting the issues of small farmers rights (reduce the role of middlemen and increase the role of women at market level) at taluka level
•    Translation of the agriculture policies in Urdu and Sindhi
•    Lobbing to MPs for amendments on agriculture policies to benefit small growers and gender mainstreaming
•    Field Case Study
•    Media briefing, Seminar on issues of agriculture and growers problems to share with all stakeholders.

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