The prime focus of various programs being carried out at Samarpit Sewa Sansthan (SSS) has been to comprehend and identify people´s need and problems of predominantly agrarian economy of the people in mid Himalayan region. This region has unique physical features and abundant natural resource and provides sustainable solutions to address problems and issues effectively. Food and biomass production are a major livelihood concern of the fragile, complex, inaccessible and risk prone agro-eco system of the mid- Himalayas. General poverty, migration, poor health, lack of technical skills and unemployment are some of the major problems of the region. Our intensive rural analysis set us thinking that capacity building of the community plays a proactive role in work execution ,adherence to quality and service delivery. The findings of this analysis were of considerable help in widening the scope of initiatives to encompass issues of poverty and backwardness, involving new paradigm shifts, gender neutrality, equity and participatory role of the community as stake holder. A review of our approach and actions during previous year led to refinement and improvement in the quality and quantum of our services.
We are overwhelmed with a sense of fulfillment while we present this report, containing a brief record of the activities of the organization, lessons learnt during implementation, future strategies and aspirations. This year has been significant in many respects and we have been successful in complying with the terms of basic mandate to the communities by providing them need based soil and water conservation measures, improved silvi-horti and agri-horti systems, women entrepreneurship development in jobs like forest nursery to be managed and owned exclusively by women stake holders. In addition to this, ground water recharge was carried out by constructing chaals in upper hills reaches. In order to ensure adoption of new technology in agriculture, crop demonstrations were used to display various components of technology. Thus we are on way to the development of a model watershed, beginning with strengthening the farmers and groups by imparting training and bringing awareness through visits under capacity building activity.
In addition to watershed development, entrepreneurship development program is one of the core activities of the organization, Boys and girls with minimum literacy background and belonging to the socially backward sections were given training in various crafts like tailoring, knitting etc. as a follow up after training, these young people need to work and utilize their skills and productive capacity. To stabilize and sustain their career, we have assisted them to avail themselves of the loaning facility by bank. It is gratifying to state here that some of them have started their own units and are earning sufficiently. A slew of other activities at Samarpit include literacy promotion among the poor and deprived people, counseling women in distress, general health, craft training, veterinary services, agri-horti-forestry training programs for young men and women and also promoting traditional handicrafts etc.
It has been our experience that although our working philosophy and efforts have yielded encouraging and positive results, yet social and rural development poses serious challenges and difficulties. Hopefully, we have been able to overcome some of these impediments with perseverance and persistence.
We hope that our humble efforts at this modest scale of the watershed development will certainly have catalytic effect on conserving and protecting natural resources so as to meet local demands of food, fodder, fiber etc. Along with this, the youth and women will be empowered, though training in increasing income activities.
We are thankful first to the rural communities for reposing profuse confidence in us and then to our team of functionaries, who shouldered the onerous responsibility of translating the organization´s cherished vision into a reality on the ground. I am thankful to all Govt. and other institutions/ organization´s for being supportive and extremely helpful in discharge of our duties and various functions.
Last but not the least, we hope and pray that we would be able to pursue our initiatives for all round development and upliftment of the disadvantaged communities and provide them with sustainable livelihood measures through their empowerment.
Ms. Kamla Jaiswal
CEO/President
Samarpit Sewa Sansthan