Making it Green, a baby step

We met in Mysore. It was an unplanned meet and none of us knew what were we planning to speak. But we strongly wanted some outcome (at least I wanted). We wanted to see this meet as the a meet for our renascence. Though, it didn’t turn out into a bunch of sparkling ideas, it ignited a small spark in us to think and act.

We have been seeing things happening in this world from last 18-20 years. Are we really happy with everything happening around us? Can we be happy when mejority around us are struggling to find daily bread? How can we be silent, when the humane life is becoming so insecure?

The energy we have can change few things to their better, and make our lives also better. We are sure that, spending some time with our people, we can also get back the lost peace of mind. But, we dont expect that. (We should not expect anything).

So what next then?

There are many options around us.

1. Getting into the field of learning (formal) and education , and trying to promote the organizations helping the financially weak to learn (not to study). This might help people to understand the better ways to earn and live.
2. Give the available time to alternate schools like Kaliyuva-Mane. They are suffering from shortage of physical labour. Teach the unfortunate amongst us. Time is more precious than money. So give it at least this way.
3. Give scholarships to the few genuinely financially-weak students and help them learn. (But the problem here is – how do we find genuinely financially weak people). Even if they cant become Abdul Kalam, atlest they become, a common Rama, Bhima, Thomas, Mohammod.

But, all of the above options in the field of formal education will not reach till the most badly affected areas. There, most people dont send their children to the schools.So it seemed better idea to have something being done in countryside, where almost 80% of us live.  As most of us hail from different parts of the rural Karnataka, we thought of getting into the countryside and do something. There was no clear idea again. The result is clear – to create self sustained living. It may be:

1. Self employment- Includes Dairy forming, Poultry, weaving, Organic Fertilizer generation, growing Mushroom, Horticulture, Handcraft, Sewing, growing/exporing ayurvedic plants… etc. But what after starting any of the above?who will market it? How?
2. Making sure that we get water for irrigation for at least 6-8 months. Water, if supplied for at least half of an year to our formers, dairy forms and other agrarian product units, people can do magic out of it. If a reliable source of water is there, one can rely upon their regional professions, or they can start something at there regions afresh. then “PEOPLE NEED NOT MIGRATE”. Also, all other agrarian occupations can sustain. People can depend on farming, dairy-form, the crafting, the pottery, the sericulture, weaving, horticulture. Up on these, we can try to start few new job opportunities including production of Organic Fertilizer, Cattle feed production, Mushroom cultivation, growing/Package/Export of Ayurvedic Plants. Just we need a reliable source of water and a proper marketing strategy. The water source must be atleast  so reliable that, we can beg someone to help us out in other hardtimes.

So… How to have sufficient amount of water? The only option flashed to us was “Rain Water Harvesting” in a big scale. Though we don’t have much idea about the fund needed to store such a large amount of rain water for agriculture and how to start with it, we have the clear idea about the result of the storage.

1. Our people, cattle need not be dependent on bore well/wells for water.
2. Even if wells go dry, the stored water can help us to grow one more crop. If we grow a single crop every year, we would grow two.
3. Even if it rained only once, the stored water can be used to fight drought.
4. At the normal conditions, the area around the stored water becomes greener with more plants. We can also grow more plants to make it even greener.
5. We can (re)start agriculture dependent occupations like dairy farming, Horticulture, sericulture, Organic fertilizer production, Cattle feed production, growing Ayurvedic Plants, Mushroom cultivation and so many..

So we are planning to give it a call. My friends have assured that, people will join hands with us. We are hopefull that we will get the fund, donation from the IT/BT industry when we need it. But what we need give is a proper start.

The ideas are still very abstract and immature. But as we discussed, only having clear ideas doesn’t help anything/anybody. Even if the ideas are abstract, if we start with them, the experience refines them. The mistake we make may give more courage to go ahead and correct them.

The main reason to write this article is to make ourselves more clear that we want to do something – as soon as possible.

If any one of you have any better knowledge, more details, more experience, you are well come to write to us. Please do contact us, if you have plans to dedicate yourself into it. It doesn’t take all of your time. But it takes your dedication when you are with it. We have identified the location to start the work for now. Its in Belgaum district, facing shortage of rain every year.

Explore posts in the same categories: We the people