70% of participants in their meetings are females. Equal members from both genders are actively involved in improved home gardening.
A large number of display materials are available in the office opened for the project implementation at Dayagama junction (119 Km Post) on A-9 road. Distribution of a leaflet explaining essentials of project intended is to be implemented. The members of the organization have visited individual households to educate people on the project and to conduct the first socio-economic survey (July 11-12, 2014). A series of pocket meetings were conducted .Several more meetings conducted with all the relevant government officials explaining the importance of this work towards biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation.
Capacity - Building Component
Awareness of biodiversity and its impact on human life have increased, which was evident in their participation in discussions, pocket meetings held and by individual queries and questions that they posed every time when the project staff meet them. Techniques such as preparation of organic fertilizer, preparation of liquid fertilizer, proper bed-preparation, and planting density in prepared soil beds which were absent before the commencement of the project in July 2014 were introduced as field based practical demonstrations with respect to all aspects of organic farming .
Policy Influence
Farmer community will practice sustainable agricultural methods while providing a home garden model to other dry zone villages. It is recommended that the cascade based village development be replicated in other cascade based villages, as well.
Policy Impact
Irrigation and Agrarian Services Department - The water conservation and frugal use of tank water in downstream irrigation.
Departments/Organizations /institutions dealing with Environmental Policies - With resuscitation of gasgommana, silt traps and improved kattakaduwa leading to improvement of vegetation, increase of birds and other water living creatures would induce those concerned to adopt practices attempted in relation to Alisthana tank to be adopted in broader scales on other dry zone tank villages.
Fisheries/Departments/institutions etc - The importance of protection and propagation of native fish varieties on the verge of extinction and improvement of inland fisheries
Agriculture/Departments/Institutions - Need to engage more in chemical free fertilizer, pesticide and weedicides in agriculture to promote a healthy life of consumers. They can seriously consider the importance of conservation of traditional seed varieties and their productions.
For economic development concerns - Enhancement of family income during the off-season between the Yala and Maha production seasons through the implementation of home garden development activity.
Linkages gef projects
N/A
Planning gef grant
N/A
Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples
Not applicable
Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods
SAPSRI with the use of an agricultural expert has provided agricultural knowledge to the locals on necessary know-how in seed/ plant bed preparation and provision of appropriate vegetable seed varieties with the prime concern for traditional varieties.
The NGO is guiding the vegetable growers to rely on their own seeds for the coming season not depending on genetically modified seed varieties that rely on chemicals. Locals are encouraged to have organic home gardening which will eventually link the producers with niche? market buyers of bio-organic vegetables
Planning non gef grant
Since there are tested results in using bio intensive farming and drought resistance traditional seeds planning to scale up specially focusing on improving agrobiodiversity
Project sustainability
Since there is a credible farmer organization and women?s organization in the village, these groups have been monitoring and the growth of planted trees and protect the forest cover of the area.
Home garden and bee keeping activities are progressing with the involment of all family members.
Replication of project activities
Since this project was a pilot project which tested cascade based village development in dry zone, this project can be replicated in other cascades in dry zone.
Notable Community Participation
The importance of biodiversity associated with the objectives of the project was introduced. The participants include the members of the local Farmer Organization and the members of a local walfare organization (Maranadhara Samithiya). According to the initial plan SAPSRI has set up about 5-10 model home gardens to induce the others in the community, relying on the observations with the onset of the next North East monsoon rains this number is expected to increase.
Inovative Financial Mechanisms
They have establish a system for lend one percent interest loan scheme for the future work of the community.
Project Results
1.Owing to the prevailed drought in 2014, the initial effort of the project implementation was to restrict the number of home gardening families to 10. Subsequently the number was increased to 27 who have actively taken to home garden development activities
2.Beneficiaries have been using organic fertilizers in their home gardens. Training recipients were self-sufficient in organic fertilizer
3.A fishing committee has been established under the aegis of farmer organization to monitor and manage the fishing activities in Alisthana
4.Participants were capacitated in the inland fisheries management enabling them to manage their inland fishing activities in Alsithana Tank.
5.A fishing committee has been established under the aegis of Farmer organization to monitor and manage the fishing activities in Alisthana
6.At the time of the project initiation, there were no home garden-based bee keeping units in the project area. Nevertheless, 16 active home garden based beekeeping units are in operation in the project area.
7.Beneficiaries were trained to capture forest bee colonies and establish them in bee boxes in home gardens.
8.Beneficiaries were able to extract 07 new bee colonies from the wild and establish in home gardens. 9.The present beneficiaries will be able to expand their bee farming units and establish more bee farming units.
10.Beneficiaries has been able to harvest nearly 12 Kg bee honey form their first round. They will be able to harvest more bee honey in future.
11.200 school children were made aware of the importance of biodiversity conservation
12.Out of the 8,837 tree saplings planted, the survival rate is about 70%.
13.More than 70 % of crop varieties used in community home gardens were traditional varieties.
14.Availability of Chena crops in community home gardens
15.Conserved traditional seed by project beneficiaries, which can be seasonally used in future.
Due to the drought condition in the area project initially expected only 10 families to be gainfully engaged in home gardening. At the end of the project there were 20 families who engaged in home gardening activities.
16.Beneficiaries have been able to get 80 % of their vegetable need from their home gardens.
17.Surplus garden production, if any were shared among the households and sold to the village level vegetable vendors
18.Seed conservation at family level initiated.
19.Liquid fertilizer preparation units and compost units in beneficiary?s home gardens also initiated
20A fishing committee is now in place to make necessary decisions and take actions accordingly fishing activities.
21.Fish density of the tank has increased giving food and cash income to the project beneficiaries.
22.At the end of 2015, Farmer organization was been able to earn Rs. 250,000 from tank fishing
23.Mobile stall entrepreneurs have been able to earn an extra income from their small business ventures
24.Surplus home gardening harvest have been sell through these mobile outlets
25.Promotion of organic and traditional food products among consumers
