Saplings of Hope

By Annette Arceneaux and Rout Desinayak

In a rural village in Orissa, India, Nirmala was struggling to make it day by day.

A member of one of India's lower castes, she faced years of discrimination and poverty. But in Nirmala's case, social rank was the least of her woes. Like many other extremely impoverished people, residents of Koraput—Nirmala's village—have little access to financial opportunities.

A widow, Nirmala was left to fend for herself after her only son got married. Feeling abandoned and hopeless, she was struck with a new, stark reality. The middle-aged woman didn't have the skills necessary for a job, and without these skills, she lacked a steady source of income and food.

But little did Nirmala know her life was going to change for the better. As the Society for Welfare, Animation and Development, a CRS partner, entered into Nirmala's small, rural community, so did hope.

With technical training and support from Catholic Relief Services, the Society for Welfare, Animation and Development began a project that provided Nirmala and about 630 impoverished families in Koraput district with saplings of pear, jackfruit, cashew and sajana, a leafy plant also known as a drumstick tree that is used as both a food and a medicine.

The families were given training on how to create small kitchen gardens outside of their homes to help grow food for their own families as well as a surplus to sell for a profit.

"The whole concept of this program was to assist in times of food insecurity and ensure that families have enough to eat and if they have more, the option to sell it," says Wendy-Ann Rowe, a CRS technical advisor who met with members of these rural communities in April 2008.

No Longer Suffering

Less than a year since she began receiving help, Nirmala has found joy instead of hopelessness. Her pear trees bring her a steady income and plenty of food.

Nirmala's income will become even more stable as more trees bear fruit. The local market is in need of the goods she can supply.

Many families who struggled can now support themselves. Not only have these trees brought joy and change to residents like Nirmala, they have brought change to the community.

Funded by CRS' Microfinance Lifeline project, kitchen gardens are part of a larger, holistic effort to boost the economic and social status of the poorest residents within Orissa, which is in eastern India. As a way to strengthen the wider community, the project also helps farmers grow more bountiful crops and market their goods. Village women receive help on ways to collectively save, which gives them greater access to credit and bank loans.

Additionally, CRS' partners empower people in the Koraput district by helping them address their own developmental issues. Committee members selected by the community have helped to secure government contracts for road repairs, arrange for subsidized rations, start school feeding programs, and improve overall education for children of the community.

Thankfully, these economic and livelihood opportunities have allowed families to expand their businesses and increase the sale of their produce. Grain banks have also been created so vulnerable families have access to food in the months when food stocks are low.

Our Work in India

CRS has worked in solidarity with the people of India for more than 60 years. Since 1946, when CRS provided emergency food relief during the Bombay famine, the agency, with local partnerships and programming across all of India's states, has aided families, communities, government leadership and the Church to promote the well-being and dignity of those who are in greatest need.

Annette Arceneaux was a summer intern at CRS headquarters in Baltimore.
Rout Desinayak is an assistant project coordinator for the Society for Welfare, Animation and Development.