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Grainbanks in Chiliguda village, Orissa,
help the villagers battle hunger and starvation
Sitamani Padhy of Chiliguda village in Koraput district
of Orissa was hospitalised for acute dehydration. She had been starving
for 11 days; feeding whatever food she had to her children. This was the
fate of most of the 9,264 agricultural labourers in Orissa during
April-May, 1995. The Chiliguda villagers
heard of a grainbank in a nearby village and went there for more
information. That is when they met with the Centre for Youth and Social
Development (CYSD). The CYSD adopted this village for their sustained
development programme. The grainbanks set up
by the Centre for Human and Sustainable Development (CHSD), the action
wing of CYSD, involve equal one-time contributions by all families in a
village, with a matching!
grant from the project. They have been working with poor communities,
mostly tribal, in five districts of Orissa, covering a population of
1,11,306. The CYSD, established in 1982 in
Bhubaneshwar, implements various programmes in the farm and non-farm
sectors to improve the financial condition of the people. Stabilising
people's livelihood to reduce poverty has been its major thrust. It
extends training, resource and material support to help communities raise
themselves above the poverty line. During
periods of crisis, people take loans from the grain banks at a marginal
rate of interest. The interest goes to the grainbank. CYSD has also played
an important role in reducing dependence on moneylenders and checking
migration. A total of 40-grain banks have been set up in Chiliguda
village. Encouraged by the impact of the grain bank in providing
sustenance during the lean months, the people are now planning !
to start a pulses bank. Contact:
Centre for Youth and Social Development
Plot No. E-1, Institutional
Area
Post: RRL, Bhubaneshwar 751 013
Orissa, India
Tel: 91-674-301 725/301 339/300
774
Email:
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