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Satellite Centre in a Gaushala! A wasteland, a desperate people trying to eke out a living from cattle rearing. But, there is hope, when a Satellite Centre for food processing is inaugurated
The
drive from TARAgram to the Orchha Gaushala1 is
an all time favourite for me in this area. It is not just because the
road The first time I visited the Gaushala a new boundary fence had just been put up and the office building was being extended. The second time, a latrine was under construction, the fields had been harvested and a land survey was in progress. On the last occasion there was another bore well in place and the foundations of a new building had been laid. Progress at the Gaushala site has certainly seen acceleration in the last sixth months and its latest addition marks a significant turning point in terms of the number of local livelihoods it will impact.
On 29 June 2006, the Gaushala witnessed the inauguration of its
newest development; a Satellite Centre on Food
Participants arrived throughout the morning as witnessed by the collection of shoes and chappals in front of the satellite centre as SHG members and TARAgram staff curiously looked into the new facility ( for few had seen it after completion). People took their places as the VIP vehicles came into view. MLA Mr Brajendra Singh Rathore, and his associates were greeted with bouquets followed by a song from 30 SHG members.
Once all had gathered in the smart red marquee, the floor was
given to four SHG members to relate their firsthand
Semi-processing would take place at the satellite centre, with quality control and packing being carried out at TARAgram. However it was intended that the new centres be sustainable in the long-term that is, self-financing and run independently by SHG Cluster members. The Gaushala itself had been a ready-made focal point from which to launch this potential source of livelihoods and the already well established Gaushala Cluster, Sankalp Swashakti Mahila Mandal, was an easy choice as partner for the Social Action Group. Progress at the Gaushala site has certainly seen acceleration in the last sixth months and its latest addition marks a significant turning point in terms of the number of local livelihoods it will impact This group of 15 SHGs has taken part in a significant number of capacity-building and exposure activities and has already proven itself strong enough to confront the challenges that such a commitment calls for. Guest of honour MLA Rathore confirmed his awareness of TARAgram’s work in the region and was able to offer the SHG members practical advice for the future and he also had a word of praise for the Satellite Centre. His emphasis was on the potential tourist market in nearby Orchha and he encouraged the SHG members to generate products (both edible and craft) that would appeal to the visitors. The unexpected highlight of the day was a personal promise of assistance by the Mr Rathore himself (see Box 1). Box 1: More Cows Please A lot of time and money is spent on the ‘scrub’ cows that the SHG members are required to maintain (under the Gaushala Scheme), yet these cattle do not produce much milk. The SAG has advised the Cluster to invest in additional, high yield cows, which is why they approached Mr Rathore for assistance after his speech. Far from being taken aback by the demand, the MLA promised to grant the Cluster up to Rs. 2 lakh in funding on the condition that they produce a detailed written statement of their requirements. If State funds are not available, Mr Rathore will provide the money from his personal MLA fund. He even had some tips for the women on the breed of cattle to buy. The SAG and cluster leaders have already begun drafting a statement that requests funds for ten cows and a fodder storage shed and chopping machine. All that remained after the speeches was for Mr Rathore to cut the red ribbon and pronounce the new Satellite Centre open. A sudden downpour rain declared the proceedings well and truly complete and signaled the time for visitors to return to their cars. As we went our separate ways I noticed two SAG field staff helping to clear away the marquee (before the wind threatened to do it for them) and a familiar crowd of ladies sheltering in front of the new building. It occurred to me that these people are the one thing that is constant at the Gaushala - the same faces greet you on every visit. From the field workers who stay on till midnight to dig a bore well, to the SHG members who run the entire site each day and the watchmen who guard the new facilities each at night. The Orchha Gaushala would just be another wasteland without these people; it is these people who translate ideas and project proposals into ground realities and there is no doubt they will do the same for the satellite centre. Annabelle Bentham
Footnotes 1 Gaushala is the Hindi word for cowshed, but here it is used to refer to the entire site and its varied facilities. 2 The scheme benefits groups of people from the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category who can request land for use as a gaushala for stray `scrub’ cattle. Any such application requires assessment, measurement and mapping of the proposed land and records of all the groups members. The expertise of a government is compulsory and, as our SHG members discovered, it is not a simple task to obtain their services.. q |
seems to get narrower and narrower as you travel further and further, or
because of the picture-postcard views of Orchha’s ancient temples, I
think it has something to do with not knowing what to expect at the
other end – the total unpredictability.
Processing.
Preparations for the inauguration had begun earlier in the week, with
the Social Action Group (SAG) field staff and Cluster leaders working
tirelessly to ensure the new centre was fully equipped to begin
processing immediately after the inauguration. Practical arrangements
for the big day was supervised by the same field staff who were onsite
from the early hours, setting up the marquee, seating, banners, food and
drink and of course sprucing up the centre itself.
experiences of the Gaushala development. Beginning with the origins of
the project, we heard from Girja Devi the time taken in the many
formalities involved for an application for land under the Government of
MP’s Gaushala Scheme.
The background of TARAgram’s food processing project was explained in
detail by an Institutional Systems Branch