Help all-women (Basant) farmer producer organisation to uplift the whole backward region

Bundelkhand, a semi-arid region of North-Central India is plagued by poverty and limited job prospects. Over the past 30 years, the area has witnessed mass migration due to these challenges. With chronic drought further worsening conditions, Bundelkhand's 18.3 million residents, mostly rural, struggle to make ends meet. Climate change has emerged as a new threat to livelihood and food security.

To alleviate the situation, ActionAid Association has been working in the area and making great strides. With donors' regular support, ActionAid Association can do a lot more. Donate monthly and help the poor of the region.

Charitable donations to this fundraising campaign are tax exempted under 80G of the Income Tax Act (India).

ActionAid’s work with women in Bundelkhand

For over two decades, ActionAid Association has been working together with grassroots-based social organisations in Bundelkhand region. The NGO has been promoting advancing climate-resilient sustainable agriculture and strengthening community resilience with focus on building collectives of women farmers. These collectives of women undertake collective enterprises mostly in agriculture that have improved productivity, food security, nutrition and increased their income. Efforts at bringing women farmers in the forefront and building collectives for farming and non-farm based livelihood enhancement also has been a major focus.

Currently, ActionAid Association has facilitated 7 agri-based livelihood models; reaching over 2500 women and small farmers. It has also facilitated the formation of an All Women (Basant) Farmers Producer Organanisation in the region. It has also established processing units, an agri-junction for sale of agri-based produce and resource centres, all run by women farmers.

Challenges

Postproduction activities such as food storage, processing and distribution are all energy intensive. Consequently, the cost of energy has direct impact on the production costs of the agriculture sector and food processing. Hence, integration of renewable energy into the food production chain will give better opportunities for women farmers as well as towards adaptation to climate change actions. A safe integration of food and renewable energy production will lead to food and livelihood security for small and marginalised women farmers. 

The all women (Basant) Farmer Producer organisation, require access to clean and renewable energy to ensure an uninterrupted supply of power to enhance their productivity and income, especially post-harvest agribusiness.

What is solution we are providing?

This project consists of the implementation of a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) to the processing unit run by the all women (Basant) Farmers Producer organsiation. It also envisions a community-owned and maintained source of energy by training youth and women farmers to repair and maintain the solar panels. A user group will be created to manage the process as well as levy a small fee which will go for the maintenance and repair of the solar panels. And lastly, Awareness on renewable sources of energy for agri-business: The proposed project will also create awareness through cluster meetings around the benefits of renewable/ clean energy for agri-business with an aim to shift attitudes towards sustainable agricultural practices. 

This will not only increase the income and profitability for women entrepreneurs from the community but also will be seen as a model at scale and high replicability impacting hundreds of women in the region directly. It will also create jobs among the youth for repairing and maintaining these solar panels. The long-term impact of the process started by this investment has the potential social and economic transformation of the complete Bundelkhand region.

Our donors can play an important role in transforming the region. Through your regular support, the women of the region can prosper, and when women succeed, their families succeed and so does the community and the region. Be part of this journey. Donate monthly to this cause. Join the movement.