Growing Healthy Families Project

PROJECT GOALS to offer the knowledge and skills they need to meet

nutritional needs of their family members

to educate families about health risks associated with pesticide use

to provide the means to cultivate and sell agricultural crops as a potential source of income

to ensure families have the information they need to avoid taking on debt and loans that they can’t manage

WHO?• Families previously living in areas along

the Brahmaputra River who have been affected by flooding and relocated to the Sadiya area

Partners in the project• NEADS (North East

Affected Area Development Society, Jorhat, Assam)

• Fertile Ground: East/West Sustainability Network (Courtenay, B.C.)

with the support of

Burma

China (formerly Tibet

Project LocationSADIYA

State of AssamIn northeast India

• NUTRITION• LIVESTOCK REARING• INCOME/LIVELIHOOD• EDUCATION• FOOD SECURITY

• Chutia• Bodo• Ahom• NepalI

1. Number of villages: - 282. Number of families:- 1493 3. Number of population: - 8347

“The Sadiya area, located in the remotest corner of the North East is one of the most neglected areas of Assam.

Govt. has not expended a single penny for infrastructural development. All the schools are having teachers under the management of village committee. Shockingly, no school is having even a low cost toilet.”

““NEADS is committed to working for socio economic betterment of the down- trodden communities in Upper Assam.

A few years back we made an extensive fact finding tour to Sadiya and felt strongly the need for doing something for the poorest of the poor. This is how we have chosen Sadiya for intervention."

“Soil is sandy and devoid of humus so crops production is low. Regular application of compost and better farming practices will help.

Tube wells for irrigation may be required in future.”

1998

Fertile Ground’s presence in Assam….

Small growers require commitment, time and resources to learn about and implement

different cultivation and labour practices

INDIA’S ORGANIC CERTIFICATION AGENCY TEA BOARD

UNIVERSITIES & COLLEGESNGO’S

2005

2006

……back to Sadiya

Phase I

Nov. 2010 – April 2011

establish a community garden in Ambikapur village, Assam

develop a school playground adjacent to the resource centre

Disabled Village ChildrenA guide for community health workers,

rehabilitation workers, and familiesby David Werner

Published byThe Hesperian Foundation

P.O. Box 11577Berkeley, CA 94712-2577

“I am of the firm believe that playground and kitchen gardening would be most ideal as teaching learning tools for the children of Sadiya.

Please convey our heartiest thanks to the enterprising children of Projimo Mexico.

We may be far away from them, but we shower them with blessings. For this marvelous concept, our thanks also are due to the organizers.”

NEXT STEPS….Next steps….a network of community gardens and

playgrounds adjacent to schools in villages in Ambikapur area

Monitor and evaluate progress of the phase I

Work with NEADS staff and village-level animators to develop a plan for implementing similar but more rudimentary centres at schools in the Ambikapur area

Provide ongoing training and support to teachers, NEADS’ staff and village-level animators

Research & source curriculum materials (science, history, nutrition, ecology)

Continue to develop a volunteer program and to provide internship opportunities for students at Canadian and Indian post-secondary institutions

Work with NEADS and Rotary Clubs in Assam to help them identify and access required funding

Assam Village School Project

kell aru barh(Play and Grow)