Where is Mandya?

The problem

Income and basic needs in Mandya.

Vikasana and Poverty Alleviation

Existing project: Beedi makers.

Vikasana and Education

Vikasana and Sanitation

What we want to help Vikasana to do for poor rural women in Mandya

 

From this WASTE, we will create WEALTH

The problem

 

Hard to sum up in 20 words or less! mainly, falling agricultural production as a result of climate-change induced drought is causing suicide amongst Karnataka’s farmers.

The Hindu, January 2, 2004, reported as follows: Repeated bank reminders for loan repayments drove farmers in Karnataka to suicide. I’ve summarised the report:

For three successive years, farmers in the village had to contend with a number of problems such as drought, failure of the monsoon, crop failure, migration, erratic power supply and drinking water shortages. In most cases, farmers and landless labourers had to borrow money even for their day-to-day needs. The common refrain among relatives of the dead farmers in 18 villages in Maddur taluk, Mandya district was, “Bank officers and their assistants, who were armed with notices insisting on the repayment of loans despite the fact that successive years of drought had taken a toll on all of us, forced our kith and kin to commit suicide in the past one year”. Typical loan amounts were 40 000 rupees (around AUD 1150).


Farmers’ relatives suggested that Karnataka chief minister S M Krishna stop releasing water to Tamil Nadu. They also requested the rescheduling of loan repayments, financial support, quality and subsidised seeds and pesticides, free seeds to below the poverty line (BPL) families, alternative employment to agricultural labourers and the waiver of loans.

 

The locals are helping themselves, through self-help projects in organic farming, beedi making and textiles, and they are now commencing some local tourism. The tour we are conducting in October 2008 is the first tour they have ever performed. These are photos they have supplied - left, organic farming: right, top, council meeting; bottom, village school.

pic

below - top photo, tailoring class; bottom, award won for excellence in a self-help organisation, 2002.

This is what they say about the indigenous tourism they want to develop:

INDIGENOUS TOURISM Introduction: Indigenous Tourism itself mentions that the periphery is places related to age-old traditional, folk, archeological and ancient places located in Southern India. India is unique in its own way for its flourishing natural resources, flora, fauna, historical background, palaces, temples, art and architecture, age-old tradition and customs, practices, festivals and fairs. Indigenous festivals in the villages, dance, drama, folk dance, folk culture and practices. Indigenous tourism covers states like Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Each state has a unique culture, customs and tradition especially in the rural area. We would focus only rural areas and cover only traditional aspects like: KARNATAKA: having 27 districts, all having unique tourist spots, some are very well known for its tourist spots like- Mysore- Palace, Chamundi Hill, Krishna Raja Sagar Dam (KRS), Tirumalakodu Narasipura Temples, Cauvery River, Somanathpur art and architecture, Talakadu famous for sand and temples, Srirangapatna for its Tippu Sultan Fort, Bird Sanctuary, Nanjangud Temple, Belur, Halebid Shravanbelagola, Chitradurga Fort, Gol Gumbaz Bijapura, Hampi in Bellary for its art and architecture. Shimoga JOG Falls, Agumbe, Kudhremuk, Madkeri for its natural beauty, coffee plantation, Nagarahole National Park, Bandipur forest, B.R.hills, Gopalswamy Hills, Mekedatu, Mangalore and Kharwar for its Sea shore and beach, Dhakshin Kannada District for its temples like, Dharmasthala, Sringeri, Udupi, Gokarna, Udupi, Horanadu, Kollur, Idugunji etc. and so many other tourist places. But we are not showing you the following places.

Our intension is to show you Typical Village Farming, Vermi compost, Sericulture, silkworm rearing, silk reeling, twisting, weaving, coffee plantation, Village folk Art, Architecture, Folk dance, Folk songs, multiple crops farming, organic farming, Yakshagana, Village fairs and festivals etc. This is of great use for the research students, college students, artists, archeologists, anthropologist and common interest groups from different countries. We would like to send interested people from India and other Country visitors could visit India for study tour. • Farm Tourism • Village stay / Home stay • Tribal areas • Historical places • Festival • Cultural exchange with Students, Women groups • Artist – Dances and others Covering – Kerala, Karnataka & Tamil Nadu