In addition to our conventional developmental activities with our various partners, we also produce eco-friendly and organic tribal products consisting of honey and vinegar. We do this through Maikal Hills Natural Products Company(MHNPC). The company, set up and registered in 2005, is a non-profit organization that empowers the Bhil and Gond community by giving them access to livelihood options and establishing both forward and backward linkages, linking them with the companies and FPOs at the apex level.
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
WOMEN + WATER ALLIANCE
CARD is proud to be a part of a worldwide movement - Women + Water Alliance, partnering with WaterAid India. CARD ensures water security and water safety by improving water quality through regular water quality monitoring and motivating people to opt for water harvesting/conservation structures at the local level. The program contributes to the well-being of women and youth of rural communities in the southwest part of Madhya Pradesh. CARD, through this project, has trained over 1000 panchayat representatives and village volunteers formed and strengthened village water and sanitation committees in more than 400 villages, and impacted over 3,00,000 people in Dhar & Dewas.
The project involves creating awareness about water quality, training volunteers in water testing, quality control, recording and assimilating data, forming water security plans, making water harvesting structures, and leveraging government services to improve waterworks infrastructure. Presently, we are also helping the departments in the successful implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission - a flagship scheme of the central government, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation through the preparation of Village Action Plans by community participation in these districts.
LIVELIHOOD PROMOTION OF TRIBAL WOMEN COLLECTIVES THROUGH APPLICATION OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Partnering with DST – Dept. of Science and Technology – CARD is working for the overall development of Tribal women in the Ghughri area of Mandla district. Most of our efforts about this program involve bringing innovation to the tribals to sustainably harvest NFTP- Non-forest Timber products such as Jamun, Honey, and Mahua. We are working with 2000 tribal women to produce organic vinegar sustainably. The program involves training the women, building SHGs (Self Help Groups), technology sharing for the processing and storage of vinegar and quality control, field trials, and product marketing. Through this project, we have successfully achieved livelihood protection, forest conservation by sustainable harvesting practices, and improvement in the quality of life of the women by upskilling them and promoting entrepreneurship, achieving an income increment of 30% among the target group.
CARD in association with Madhya Pradesh Mahila Vitta Evam Vikas Nigam/ Tejaswani has capacitated women from over 5300 households through 436 SHGs, formed 71 VLCs and opened accounts for 274 groups and savings during 2010-13. The project established linkages with state level schemes arranged training on Stitching, Organic farming & Soya Processing, SRI and Vegetable Cultivation, Plantation, Mulberry, etc.
Tribal Woman Agricultural Transformation
Under the Mahila Kisan Sashkatikaran Pariyojna, an ambitious pilot project of NRLM, 4500 woman farmers were empowered in diversified farming activities from 92 Villages of Mandla & Dindori Districts during 2011-2014. The project aimed at building capacities of the women farmers by creating a cadre of 500 strong Community Resource Persons (CRPs).