Environment
With the background of self-hat redness in view of the dehumanizing effects of the traditional practices of untouchability SODARA educational program aims at instilling of a sense of self-acceptance, self-recognition and self confidence in the individuals apart from developing leadership qualities and skills to transform their socio-economic conditions. The following program would cater to the educational needs of the non-school going, drop-outs, illiterates, orphans and unemployed in the slums and villages. Early Childhood Centre’s with 25 Children of 3-6 years old at each Centre following Play Way and Kindergarten methodology will be run. The centers are expected to bring revolutionary changes in the young minds by transforming their traditional inferiority complex to self-acceptance, self-confidence and positive thinking. The first target is to run 20 such centers and increase the number as per the need and feasibility. Non-Formal Education Centre’s with 25 drop-out and non-school going children in the age group of 6 to 15 in the government model of Sarva Siksha Abyan to prepare them to be absorbed into appropriate levels of schooling in the formal system.
SODARA aims at enabling the farmers, especially the marginal farmers to increase the productivity of the land for dry land farming by various measures including the arrangements to find out soil deficiencies and supplement them with appropriate and affordable nutrientsand to expand the area of cultivation with more profitable crop. SODARA watershed project is expected toreplenish and increase the underground water table and thus, enable the farmers draw and utilise underground water profitably. The project will launch the following activities. Watersheds: Taking up the construction and management of as many Watersheds as possible and feasible each covering an area of 300-500 hectares of contiguous land with the full involvement of the local communities and collaboration of government agencies. Each watershed will have a minimum of 10 rainwater harvesting structures/check dams. Vermi Culture: To promote organic farming 10 Vermi Culture Units shall be establishment and maintained with the help of qualified and experienced technicians. Model Farming and Training: The project would include 20 model organic dry farming and training units each with 1 hectare of model cultivation. Kitchen Gardens: Though Kitchen Gardens will be promoted everywhere, the initial project would aim at 5,000 kitchen gardens with organic farming. Cooperative Farming: It is also envisaged to promote cooperative farming for the landless poor in 100 Units each consisting of 10 hectares of land belonging to government with special permission or on hired lands.
The project would enable farmers form into associations to take up agricultural cooperatives for making agricultural operation cheaper making inputs affordable and for the sale of agricultural products more profitable. The project would promote the starting of 3 Agricultural Cooperative Societies with a possibility of providing revolving agricultural loans.
In order to promote social forestry for greening the area, 10 units of centralised or satellite nurseries will be raised. In order to provide a practical example to people and to promote massive tree plantation in the area the project envisages planting and direct maintenance of 10,000 Tress.