17 farmers with 2.63 acre area under cultivation provided agricultural interventions
Mrida Group, a social business venture that works with underserved rural communities, announces the successful response to skilling & livelihood activities that it carried out as part of INOX Air Products’ CSR initiatives in the two villages of Bajudih & Jharnamuri, near Bokaro in Jharkhand.
Over 70 villagers (most of them women) have been trained in a variety of livelihood generation programs including stitching, Incense stick making, soap making and paper bag making. Out of these, 2 women have been trained for duck farming and 2 women have been trained in goat rearing. Mushroom Cultivation was also undertaken in both villages.
Mrida has also provided Agricultural Inputs to over 17 farmers with around 2.63 acres of area under cultivation. A solar irrigation pump has been installed and the farmers were encouraged to grow vegetables such as Brinjal, Chillies, Suran, Radish, Taro, Cauliflower, Pigeon Pea, Potato, Leafy Vegetables, Onion and Wheat on the land under consideration. With the inputs, the produce will fetch better market rates, leading to better income for the farmers.
In addition, a micro-finance project has been launched and 17 beneficiaries have already been disbursed a sum of around Rs. 1,10,000/- for their various requirements. In this instance what is noteworthy is that the loan requirement is shared with the Village Development Committee, which considers each case and then disburses the loan from its own money, and earns an interest too. It empowers the rural communities to play a bigger role in the development of their own villages.
“When INOX Air Products talked to Mrida about helping these villages, we first undertook a base level study to understand the needs of the villages. We realized that almost everything needed interventions, be it the school there, the lack of clean drinking water or the irrigation system. We came up with a holistic plan that looked at all aspects – economic, social and cultural. We are gratified to witness the change that is enveloping the villagers of Bajudih & Jharnamuri. It has been only with the constant encouragement and support of the INOX AP team that this has been made possible”, says Mr. Arun Nagpal, Co-Founder & MD, Mrida Group.
“We firmly believe that the on-going project with Mrida will help improve the lives of the people, and that together, we can create powerful and empowered communities.” says Surendra Choudhary, Chief Financial Officer, INOX Air Products Pvt. Ltd.
Mrida has been partnering with leading business houses in India for integrated Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
