Sunday, July 22, 2012


5 more Micro-plans approved by gram sabha  ( LIFE project-Banswara)


5 more micro-plans (from the villages of LIFE project-Banswara) have been approved  by the gram sabha. This is the first time such micro-plans have been made by the villagers and have been presented in gram sabha meetings and been approved by the gram sabha. The plans were presented by the farmers clubs (formed under the LIFE project). Now with this approval out of 10 micro-plans developed along with community and other stakeholders in 10 LIFE project villages of Banswara, 7 have been approved and other three would be presented in the forth coming gram sabha meeting.

The plans approved in the gram sabha meeting accentuate the key issues in the villages and mechanism to work on it. The major thrust areas addressed are water (for drinking and irrigation), timely payment of work under MGNREGA ( as now they are getting full wages and good amount of work, but still delay in payment), better services of ICDS, development of pastureland and plantation work under MGNREGA.

The original plans submitted in the meetings are in Hindi and the best part is documented by the members of the farmers club. 





Saturday, July 21, 2012


Upcoming…..LIFE-2 project with Banswara, Ajmer and Jaipur!

Benefited farmers through the agriculture schemes of KVK in June 2012@SJVS Banswara



The efforts of LIFE team 317 farmers have benefited through different-different agriculture schemes of KVK such as Seeds distribution for demonstration; Grass mini kits distribution and agriculture equipment distribution in 50% subsidy. In which was benefited from Maize demonstration 245 farmers, Grass mini kits distribution 25, Cottonseeds 21, Urd and Arhar17 and from agriculture equipment 9 farmers.  


Source: SJVS-Banswara LIFE project technical report

Major Achievements in LIFE project in June 2012 @Banswara


·         Micro plan of Kajalpada and Nathpura have been approved with Panchayat.

·         10 farmers had benefited through the Out of District exposure visit on Poultry form in Ajmer District which had organized by KVK.

·         327 farmers benefited through the Kharif season schemes of KVK.

·         8 farmers had given soil sample for testing in KVK.

·         24 farmers had prepared Amritpani medicines for the Kharif season.  

Source: LIFE project June month report



I want to adopt it as My Livelihood.....



House Wiring and general electrician training was conducted in Mavashiya cluster this month. Total 20 youth members were trained in this training. Ramswaroop s/o Rama Meghvanshi also took part in it. He belongs to a poor and SC family having labor, MGNREGA & Agriculture as their main livelihood options which do not fulfill even their daily needs.



After attending the house wiring training very actively, Ramswaroop wanted to adopt this work as his main occupation. He started practicing the work and last month only he made house wiring of Mr. Devkaran s/o Sodan Jat. "He is very skilled and talented in house wiring..." says Devkaran Jat. Ramswaroop earned rupees 500 for doing his first task. "I want to adopt it as my livelihood and increase income...." says Ramswaroop.



He is also interested in learning organic farming and appreciates the efforts of life project in agriculture and youth skill development.


Courtsey: LIFE project team at RCDSSS-Ajmer

Major Achievements in LIFE project in June 2012 @Ajmer

  • Shyoji / Ruggha of Nepoli received Rs.60000 for Farm pond scheme who applied for it last month.
  • 8 SHG’s from Gram Panchayat Mavshiya got bank loan of Rs. 589500 with support of ICICI bank. Hence all Self Help Groups of Life project have linked and initiated the bank loan.
  • 20 youth trained in house wiring training in Mavashiya block.
  • 25 farmers of Nepoli & Laxipura village got crop demo Khareef season and trained by KVK Support.
  • 214 farmer trained and in organic farming and adopt Beej Amrit, Jeev Amrit & Dashparni organic preparations for Kharif Crop.
  • A Youth vocational training centre started at Naulakha village on tailoring in which 24 girls are being trained.
  • 214 farmer trained in village level Organic farming & IPM.
  • 147  farmers from 10 villages send soil sample for khareef crop.
  • Rampal/ Chhoga of Nepoli prepared a vermin unit.
  • 4 famers from of Surajpura and 2 farmers of Nepoli purchased seeds of millet on subsidy rates during Khareef Abhiyan with the support of Agriculture Dept. 6 framers got free demo on vegetable crop (ladyfinger)
  • Total 1377 people visited Rojgar Dhaba in this month. Out of this Internet services given to 459 whereas news-paper & other magazines related to agriculture users were 918.
Source: June monthly report



‘Importance of Community Based Organizations (CBOs) in better management of MGNREGA’



Today ‘grass-roots’ actors and concepts are intertwined in the theory and practice of the development profession. Community development promotes human development by ‘empowering communities and strengthening their capacity for self-sustaining development’. While talking about different government welfare schemes for community development, MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) is a job guaranteed scheme in India, aims at enhancing the livelihood security of people in rural areas by guaranteeing hundred days of wage-employment in a financial year to a rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. The scheme launched on 2nd February 2006 as a momentous initiative towards pro-poor growth. For the first time, rural communities have been given not just a development program but also a regime of rights. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (NREGA) guarantees 100 days of employment in a financial year to any rural household whose adult members are willing to do unskilled manual work. This work guarantee also serve other objectives: generating productive assets and skills thereby boosting the rural economy, protecting the environment, empowering rural women, reducing rural urban migration and fostering social equity, among others. The Act offers an opportunity to strengthen our democratic processes by entrusting principle role to Panchayats at all levels in its implementation and promises transparency through involvement of community at planning and monitoring stages.

For our purposes, ‘Importance of Community Based Organizations (CBOs) in better management of MGNREGA’. Community-based organizations (CBOs) are defined as voluntary associations of community members that reflect the interests of a broader constituency. Though (CBOs) are small, informal organizations, indications are that they provide various services towards the development of rural communities and can be used as channels to route development information and other resources required to improve living conditions in rural communities. CBOs are, however, constrained from providing a more diverse range of services to their communities due to certain basic weaknesses. Leadership development, networking with both local and external organizations and registration with an official public agency are identified and discussed as sustainable strategies to strengthen CBOs, improve upon their service delivery standards and place them in a position to tap available opportunities to develop the communities they are located in rural areas.

For the better management of the MGNREGA scheme, CBOs, as they are intricately connected to the communities and stakeholders around them, must be viewed in their wholeness. They are key actors in their respective contexts, and in actuality, they are the products of the very systems responsible for community development at the local level. Recognizing the strengths and capacities that already exist in CBOs is vital to supporting genuine, demand-driven organizational development that can make grassroots groups an even more vital link to the increased well-being of vulnerable community.

 Many criticisms have been levelled at the MGNREGA, which has been argued to be no more effective than other poverty reduction programs in India. The program is overwhelmed with controversy about corrupt officials, deficit financing as the source of funds for the program, poor implementation, and unintended destructive effect on poverty, been built, no new homes, schools or hospitals or any infrastructure to speak of has resulted from the program. In this contrast CBOs can play an important role to minimize this entire problem and have capacity to do better management of MGNREGA.


Saturday, July 14, 2012



          Change is vital and indeed change indicates that things are working for the cause!

we ARE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT OUR WEB VIEWERS OF LIFE WEB PAGE HAS CROSSED THE LAND MARK OF 25000 AND OUR FACEBOOK FRIENDS LIST CROSSED 1500.

With LIFE project in Rajasthan we have tried to create an impact in the form of change which not only impact the 20 project villages but the entire scenario for which we have worked through LIFE project i.e. secured entitlements and better & sustainable livelihoood options.  And till now (although with many difficulties) we are succeed in that, our result achievement after two years (till July 2012) is around 96% and the best part we have shared our knowledge and experience to the entire world through our web page i.e. www.liferajasthan.blogspot.com

 and today we ARE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT OUR WEB VIEWERS OF LIFE WEB PAGE HAS CROSSED THE LAND MARK OF 25000 AND OUR FACEBOOK FRIENDS LIST CROSSED 1500. Also interesting to know that now per month our web viewers are approx 5000 ( a quite good figure for the web page and the highest figure for the any project based web page in India).  


Fr. Fredrick D’Souza ( Executive Director-Caritas India) has launched the web page of LIFE project on 25th Feb 2011 at SJVS Banswara ( in LIFE project review meeting) and that time we were hardly thought of such achievement, but we made it possible! This achievement it seems is not so easy it is possible because of:

  • A good team effort of LIFE team ( both the partners SJVS-Banswara & RCDSSS-Ajmer)
  • Daily (regular) updates on the webpage ( through establishing daily reporting with the partners). Daily on an average  daily1 hour is given to to the web page by LIFE team of  Caritas India.
  • Support from Caritas India  ( especially communication department-Mr. Patrick & Ms. Soni & Head Office and zonal team)
  • Active support from Caritas Spain-Ms. Maribel ( through feedback & technical support)

What exactly the LIFE web page is contributing for development:

  • Now for many regular viewers of LIFE web page, it is like a daily online news paper or wekipedia to know the progress of LIFE project to know about the development sector.
  • It has enhanced the visibility of Caritas India, Caritas Spain partner organization, LIFE project and indeed the LIFE project team throughout the world, in various government department of Rajasthan.
  • Addressing a online campaign on promotion of sustainable agriculture ( viewers have choice to online voting for the same).
  • Working as a tool guide for various IEC materials on sustainable agriculture, skill development for youth, and entitlements ( especially on MGNREGA and IAY)

What’s our further plan?
  • Making this web page a online data base for all crop details for rabi & Kharif in Rajasthan.
  • Linking online course of e-LHP ( Life & HARIT PRAYAS) to the web page so that more no. of people can learn from the experience of LIFE project.
  • Developing and linking software with this web page so that farmers can sell their produce through the LIFE web page (probably by accessing the online services through our Rozgar Dhaba centers in the LIFE project villages). This will be one of the biggest services through the web page and this would be in both Hindi & English.
  • Reaching to more viewers thorough making this web page more interesting and interactive. Probably through more visual uploads.


We are thankful to all our viewers and LIFE team for this land mark and the support. Keep on visiting the web page ( www.liferajasthan.blogspot.com) and be our friend and follower on face book.

Don’t believe in change, but

...believe change!











Tuesday, July 10, 2012


MICRO-Plans approved 1st time in LIFE project villages of Kushalgarh (Banswara) block with facilitation from LIFE project team!


With LIFE project….
We are committed to bring change!
We are committed to sustain the impact of project through empowering community and establishing strong linkages with the PRI!

Recently the LIFE project team has facilitated the micro-plan process in 10 LIFE project villages at Banswara, where the team has trained the community (with the support from Caritas India), and finally community has developed the micro-plan along with different stake holders-NABARD, KVK, PRI & agriculture department and submitted the plan to the concerned department ( it is important to know that plan has been even written by the community in |Hindi) and recently (on 20th June 2012) in last Gram Panchyat meeting, Mundadi ( one of the gram Panchayat under which 3 LIFE project villages are covered) meeting the concerned Panchayat has approved the two micro-plans of Nathpura and Kajalpada villages. The plans were presented by the farmers club of the concerned villages and detailed plan has been submitted to the Panchayat. Now the Panchayat has included it in its annual plan and is working with the farmers club to address the issues and proposed plans.

Important to know that this 1st time any micro-plan prepared by the community with the facilitation of SJVS-Banswara has been approved by the Panchayat.




To know more on LIFE project log on to http://www.liferajasthan.blogspot.com/ or log on to http://www.caritasindia.org/ (blog) or be our friend or follower on facebook (LIFE CARITAS India)


Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Impact of LIFE project @Banswara
Stopped Migration!
Mansing Damor a Poor farmer; 35 year old  is living in Amlipada village of Kushalgarh block of Banswara District of Rajasthan he is also a president of Damor farmers club of Amlipada village earlier one his condition was very bade and after taking Rabi crops he was migrate to Gujarat for doing work with family and come after 3 to 4 months. But now his condition has improved through vegetable cultivation. LIFE project field animator Ms. Premlata Damor in February month had gone to his home and talked about the preparation of verim-compost unit pit and organic input in the form of Amrit pani to promote to organic cultivation. Mansing said to her that this year also he will go to Gujarat because for the kharif season he hasn’t enough money. On hearing the same Premlata said that why he want to go to Gujarat considering his agriculture land near the riverside where he can do good vegetable cultivation in the summer season with low input cost and could earn better money from the same.  Also use of organic lost cost products like Amrit Pani would lead to improve the quality of his land, which in turn again value addition to the land and the profit from it.
After the interaction with Premlata and being the part of one training programme on organic cultivation Mansing have prepared two vermin-compost pits and purchased a water lifting motor pump through loan from the farmers club and started vegetable cultivation. Now Man Singh has not migrated to Gujarat and able to earn 500-600 per day as profit by selling the vegetable to the nearest market of Kushalgarh block. He sails vegetables such as ginger, gawar falli, lady finger etc and using only organic inputs.  

LIFE project team
SJVS-Banswara