Community Support in Covid Times

Project Report on Commonwealth Youth Council Mini-Grant Covid-19

We are very thankful to the commonwealth council to consider AGRO RANGERS application among 2900 applicants to help farmers community through our organization. Because of Covid-19, India is in lockdown from past 4 months. This lockdown has a big impact on the farming community especially on marginalized farmers and daily wage workers. We at AGRO RANGERS envision a world where organic farming with a focus on health and environment becomes the standard for communities around the globe. We really appreciate your support in this endeavor and we want to acknowledge everyone’s extra effort from the commonwealth team, special thanks to Ms. Tanuja Nailwal, Mr. Qasam Farsat and Mr. Mukesh Vashisht.

The proposed project by AGRO RANGERS

We were pitched a project to the commonwealth to collect vegetables from farmers pack it and provide it to the needy one. For that, we needed to conduct a survey of farmers and areas where we can distribute them. We have found out many marginalized farmers in our village but decided to go with a few of them. For distribution, we chose the tribal areas where most of them are daily wage workers and covers their daily living food expenses through their work.

Project Execution by AGRO RANGERS

Survey
Our team have conducted a successful survey where we found out 9 farmers including women farmers, a young farmer, and natural farmer as well. Also, we have found out distribution area in tribal place of name Thakarwadi, at post-Wadgaon-Patole, Rajgurunagar, Pune. There are almost 80 tribal families and most of them are daily wage workers. In this region, the Pune district announced a very strict lockdown from 16 July 2020 to 24 July 2020. We decided to conduct activities in these days so farmers and tribal both can benefit. Due to sudden lockdown has made difficulties in tribal lives and they are not able to work.
Sourcing Vegetables from Farmers
We have started resourcing vegetables from farmers on date 17th July 2020 from morning 8 AM. We have informed all farmers one day before with exact order detail. Please check the name for farmers and vegetables in the provided cash-book. We have hired one tempo to collect vegetables and distribute them for the whole day.
Preparing baskets for distribution
After suggestion from one farmer, we have decided to rent bamboo basket rather than plastic bags to pack vegetables. These baskets are re-usable and more environmentally friendly. We have rented 20 crates and 30 baskets from one farmer who also helped us in distribution. We have decided a total of 6 kg vegetable kits containing 9 different vegetables. This one 6 kg basket for one family is enough for them to survive in this strict lockdown of 9 day.
Preparing transportation ready for distribution
Final Distribution:
At evening 5 PM, our team along with farmers started vegetable basket’s distribution in this tribal tenement. We have served almost 80 tribal families in this place. Vegetable distribution drive went well and people also returned our rented baskets.
Vegetable Basket
One vegetable basket contains the following vegetables as per quantity:

Sr. No	Vegetable name	Quantity	Price
1	Tomato	500 gm	30.00
2	Lima Beans	500 gm	20.00
3	Ridge Gourd	500 gm	25.00
4	Chilli	750 gm	37.50
5	Guar	500 gm	15.00
6	Lady finger	1 kg	30.00
7	Sponge Gourd	750 gm	30.00
8	Bottle gourd	1 kg	30.00
9	Bitter gourd	500 gm	20.00
	Total	6 kg	237.50

Impact With the support of this mini grant, we helped 9 marginalized farmers to resource their vegetables and pack them in environment-friendly baskets for distribution. Rent of baskets added additional income to one tribal family whose baskets we were resourced. We have resourced total of 480 kg vegetables and distributed it among the total 80 tribal families. As more people are suffering due to Covid-19, we would like to continue this generous work with more support from people.
Challenges

Because of lockdown, all markets were closed, so we were not able to get recycled bags as we planned before. Then one lady farmer suggested us to use these hand-made bamboo baskets for distribution. So, we rented these baskets for distribution.
We faced many challenges to conducting the activity, because of the current Covid-19 situation nobody from the community came to help for distribution. But two farmers whose vegetable we resourced helped us in packaging and distribution.
Nobody wanted to risk their lives while in the distribution. At some point, I was not getting any photographer who can just click the photos on mobile. But one of the farmers helped us in photography. Here in our local town, we have very increasing number of corona patients. It was a big deal to do it but finally, we made it.
Some farmers and tribes denied clicking the photo as they got insecure. They thought we are going to post it on social media.
At the last moment, the rain started but there were 6 families still who were not able to get the baskets. We waited in rain until they get the vegetable basket.

We are very thankful to Commonwealth Youth Council, Farmers, Tribal, Ms. Tanuja, Mr. Mukesh, Mr. Qasam and all supporters to guide all the time and supported in this generous work. If you would like to contribute to the work of AGRO RANGERS, please contact founder@agrorangers.org or Call / WhatsApp on +917709920155

ABOUT US

AGRO RANGERS empowering marginal and small landholder farmer's by rejuvenating their farmland through regenerative organic farming. We are mitigating climate change effect by restoring atmospheric carbon in to the soil to cultivate land under full organic potential.