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* This project does not have 501(c)(3) status, thus your contributions are not tax-deductible.
$ 35 will purchase plastic to line one rainwater catchment basic (aka hafir) and address the following issues:
Access to water:
currently the villagers must walk up to 15 km a day to fetch ever-elusive water. For $35 we can build a simple water catchment system so that villagers can harvest and store rainwater at their home.
Nutrition and health:
Many of the illnesses in the village are directly related to micro-nutrient deficiencies. With a local water source at their home, the family can begin to cultivate a small garden to grow a diversity of foods using bio-intensive agriculture methods. Read our training manuel.
Prevent urbanization and HIV/AIDS transmission:
With no food to feed their children many villagers are forced to migrate to urban areas seeking waged labor. With little to know marketable skills, and out of great desperation, some women will resort to transactional sex; thus contributing to transmission of HIV/AIDS. The process of urbanization undermines the cultural continuity of tribal traditions. This problem is especially probablematic with the youth who leave the village seeking a better life and never return. By providing a local source of water, families can cultivate their own food and regain a sense of independence and self-determination.
Preserve traditional culture and endemic genetic diversity:
The Barabaig’s traditional livelihood is embedded within the rhythms of their homeland. Their traditional knowledge includes methods for sustainably managing and making use of the local natural resources. Without food, the villagers are forced to give up their traditional livelihood and migrate for waged labor, thus contributing to cultural erosion and the subsequently changes the relationship in how the community manages the native landscape.
Timeline:
Sept – Nov 2012 Construct one rainwater catchment syestem at each home “boma” in the village. ~150 homes
Nov – Dec 2012 Women’s group from the neighboring town of Katesh will conduct trainings using our training manuel to teach the villagers how to grow food using bio-intensive agriculture. Send a nurse to village to asses health needs and make an action plan to treat most prevalent diseases.
Dec 2012 – Dig and build a well in village. We are currently seeking funds to drill the bore hole. A private donor has agreed to match a $5,000 contribution.
Jan- April 2013- Prepare fields for cultivation of cash crop, and build a ‘living classroom’ 1 acre farm plot to teach the youth how to farm.
June 2013- Train villagers in documenting traditional knowledge in regards to natural resource utilization and management.
**In addition to cash donations, we are seeking collaborators who would like to market/distribute hand crafted jewelry and/or honey. We also can use any extra electronics such as old phones, cameras, computers for our mobile classrooms.
Our vision is a people-centered poverty-free society, based on full and equal access to food and nutrition for all, and to the resources necessary to achieve the same; control over key resources; full participation in decision-making; on implementation and monitoring; and the strengthening of sustainability and self-reliance from the grassroots to the national to the global level.