Through this network organization could mobilize 13 grassroots organizations and has achieved a big role in their capacity building and further incubating them to take active role in bringing change in the life of marginal farmers by supporting to connect with the government schemes in every village of Jalna and Aurangabad districts.
Under this schemes organization has achieved to work with 130 villages and reduce cost of production for marginal farmers, prospective loss in case of drought for marginal farmers, enhancing ground water through various measures which impacted high yield and better earning for farmers.
Health is one of the prime prerequisite for all to live a better life. Considering the poverty in drought prone region of Marathwada, it becomes a major challenge for a marginal farmers and land less laborers to survive and in the case of lack of nutrition; minor illness turns into the major illness. Landless laborers, marginal farmers, women often neglects health issues and avoid any extra cost for medicines, thus in these kind of scenario they become succumb to face major illness and ultimately cannot afford to treat themselves at district level private hospitals. There are cases found by the organization where in order to avoid loss of daily wages laborers has avoided to medical treatment and ultimately it cost them for their life.
Dnyanjyoti with its unique strategy and large volunteer network in rural area has achieved to conduct Health Literacy Program and connect with the health facilities through Mahatma Phule Jivandayi Yojana.
In Drought prone region of Marathwada, high cost of production, lack of irrigation facilities and water crisis impacts on all the aspects of the life. Especially for farmers to manage the big expenses apart from household expenses becomes a big challenge and this situation paved the way to get in to the trap of money lenders because of lack of access to credit facilities from banks. Women manages household expenses diligently as compared to the men hence money management skills becomes vital and essential to avoid any future trouble. Hence organization has initiated Financial Literacy Program where people are introduced with the future challenges and possible threat of getting financial crisis and further protecting farmers from the suicides.
Under this program, organization has successfully achieved to form 260 SHG groups and successfully conducted Women’s Entrepreneurship Program. Out of this 25 SHG groups from five villages including Chanegaon, Dabhadi, Khamkheda, Longaon, Chikhli were given a loan of 70 lakhs. Most of the women initiated their own business out of this program in tailoring, Kirana shop, Goat Farming etc.
Organization also played a very active role in 130 Gram Panchayat by connecting 2000 farmers with the government banking system for availing 10 crores of Farm Loan at a very low interest rate which helped them to leave away from money lenders.
Under livelihood generation program, organization has always believed that unless the employment opportunity is not given in the rural area for the people there is high migration occurring and ultimately people who are migrating for the seasonal employment opportunities in urban slums are compelled to live a pathetic life. In this situation children are also exposed to the vulnerable life under bridges in cities like Pune and Mumbai.
Maharashtra government though has initiated MGNREGS people are migrating for the search of employment opportunities there are various reasons where people are failing to demand for employment opportunities. Organization studies this issue with 130 Gram Panchayat and provided 1000 Job Cards to new family and further corrected 300 job cards which have impacted in gaining employment in 130 villages for 30000 people in their own villages.
Waste management has become a major challenge in urban area as well as in rural area especially when people have rapidly started using plastics. Organization believes if waste from the household managed systematically in villages, it will be vital for farmers to use that waste as a pesticides in their farm as earlier used. Organization actively managed to conduct training program on waste management in 26 villages and helped farmers to create the organic pesticides in just 18 days. This program was conducted in Bhokardan, Badnapur, Jalna blocks.
Jalna is one of the backward district in Marathwada region. Though Jalna is famous seed capital, It has no impact on farmers well being. There are numerous incidence where farmers are committing suicides because of multiple reasons especially financial crisis. Working alone on financial literacy and credit linkages will not serve the purpose hence there is need to address multiple issues, challenges at grass root level. There are multiple organizations working in the development sector but in Jalna there is need to consolidate all the efforts of various stakeholders in right direction instead of addressing issues in isolation. Hence Dnyanjyoti is committed to come up with a model which will bring all the stakeholders on Health, Education, Livelihood, Social Security Schemes, Alternative Farming Interventions at one platform with people, different government departments, NGOs and development practitioners to come up with a developmental model to address poverty, unemployment, seasonal unemployment etc.