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The Corbett Foundation (TCF), while dedicatedly conserving wildlife, never oversighted the potential of humans and always envisioned harmonious co-existence of human and wildlife. TCF devised diverse community development programs in the villages scattered in and around the forests and other ecosystems. And of all the community support programs of TCF, women have always been an integral element.
To commemorate International Women's Day, 8th March 2018, TCF, through its newsletter, appreciates the invaluable services rendered by its women associates in varied areas. This is also an effort to acknowledge achievements of women beneficiaries who improved their lives through programs implemented by TCF.
Here’s the snapshot of success stories...with TCF!
#Empowering Woman, Empowering Family
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Wheels of Fortune
...With her expert hands on wheels, Indrakala Patle from village Sarasdol near Kanha tiger reserve, Madhya Pradesh, created a strong and constant financial support to her family... |
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Agriculture in monsoon being the only and meagre earning source, her family was in distress to meet their simple daily needs. Collecting Mahua flowers and tobacco leaves from core forest was the option family had accepted though life threatening.
Indrakala joined a sewing training course conducted by TCF in collaboration with USHA international sewing training school, under the sustainable livelihood program. With her natural inclination for sewing since childhood, she mastered the tailoring techniques very soon and completed the course successfully.
Now she not only fulfills the needs of her family but has turned out to be a competent entrepreneur taking orders from villagers and shops. She also trains needy ladies from her village with reasonable fees.
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“The alternate income source provided by TCF helped reduce dependency on forests and eventually the life-risk”, says Indrakala sounding grateful. |
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Sakhi Chulha...a Friend Indeed!
Nothing compares to the taste of food cooked on traditional Chulha...but surely not at the cost of health of a woman and nature |
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Without gas or electricity connection, burning of wood happened to be the only source of fire for daily needs of cooking and hot water. Obviously cutting of huge number of trees from forests was the option for the people of villages around the Bandhavgarh tiger reserve, Madhya Pradesh.
Ms Kamlesh Singh Atri, an associate of TCF-Bandhavgarh division, transformed traditional chulha to its today’s form eliminating most of its disadvantages, making it Sakhi, truly a woman’s friend.
Kamlesh said, "The cross-ventilation arrangement with iron grid at a small height from the ground ensured enough supply of oxygen for the complete combustion of wood and produced very less smoke".
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"This resulted in more heat, sufficient to cook two items at a time with reduced quantity of wood.The exhaust pipe provided in the chulha made the house smokeless & we could achieve 30-35% of wood saving compared to their earlier consumption. The proportion of respiratory diseases in women and children has gone down remarkably and their hardships of getting wood from the forest are saved"...Kamlesh explained further without resisting her proud feel. |
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Sakhi Chulha is an innovative and perfect blend of tradition and technology without compromising on taste & environment...a friend indeed... |
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Healthy People...Healthy Forests |
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Ignorance, limited access to healthcare resources, social constraints and most importantly less or no awareness about implications of all this on health, severely impact rural women.
TCF's regular ‘rural medical outreach program’ coupled with periodic ‘medical awareness camps’ in the villages near Bandhavgarh, Kanha & Corbett tiger reserves, has steadily built the trust and the perspective of the community is now changing. Women now more openly communicate with doctors about their health issues and are willing to take the prescribed treatments. The doctor visits the village every week, examines the patients and dispenses medicine at a very nominal fee of Rs 10.
The tireless efforts by unwavering doctors of TCF are slowly changing the healthcare picture...
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Brighter Side of the Story... |
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For Behrakhar & ten more villages situated around Kanha tiger reserve, nights and days were equally dark in the houses. Without electricity connection, the only alternative for people was to cook at 6 pm in day-light and go to bed by around 7 pm. Moving out at night was a grave threat as wild animal movements can be unnoticeable causing human-wildlife conflict.TCF provided portable solar lanterns to the families of these villages which made their life easy. These solar powered lanterns not only help ladies in cooking at night but also allow children to study at later hours. The lamps are also useful to tend the cattle in the dark.
The most far-reaching benefit being the reduction in human-wildlife conflict and use of firewood for light.
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Empowerment...in its true sense!
While working on wild-life conservation initiatives in the villages around Corbett Tiger reserve in Uttarakhand, TCF noticed pressing need for medical services in this remote, hilly and difficult terrain where primary healthcare centre was kilometers away from the settlements and most of the times people were unable to access help from the centre. TCF launched its rural medical outreach program in this area but manpower was scarce and regular visits to villages were imperative. That time, two ladies Sashi Rautela and Naseem Banoo from villages Ringora and Dhikuli, joined TCF through interview selection.
Their financial status wasn’t really good but they had a tremendous zest to learn, a dream to be independent & support their family. TCF trained them for assisting medical doctors on field. Since then there was no turning back. Sashi and Naseem faced enormous challenges in convincing people and gaining their trust to offer medical help. But their determination to help villagers was unshakable in every situation. At times, they even risked their lives through flooded rivers to reach the patients. Through thick & thin, they dedicatedly and efficiently convinced people for treatments and assisted doctors of TCF to improve health of villagers for long 18 years and still more to GO!!!
Their biggest achievement being trust and respect earned from patients along with the monetary help they provided to their family. They also supported their kid’s education and other family needs. Today their children are earning and equally helping the family.
“We love working with TCF, it has given us so much in life...we couldn’t have been at this level without TCF”, says Naseem.Their happy faces reflected it all.
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| Its her story...better one...deserved one...with TCF! |
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