Project Detail

Mamring-Toryok Conservation and Development Project

MTFA is a community-based organization formed in 2005 to improve the standard of living of local people through sustainable development and conservation of local environment. The project is designed to improve the lighting system and reducing internal pollution at household levels. The project will replace the naked kerosene lamps with solar lamps in 641 houses in Mamring Toryok. Further, the plantation done with the community will protect the area from accelerated soil erosion. The goal of the project is to contribute to environment of Mamring-Toryok in a sustainable manner and ensure health and well-being of the community. The project is designed to reduce domestic pollution, initiate income generation along with plantations to conserve biodiversity and protect the area from soil erosion.

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Mamring Toryok Farmers? Association

Country:

India

Area Of Work:

Multifocal Area

Operational Phase:

Phase 3

Grant Amount:

US$ 48,330.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 2,302.21

Co-Financing in-Kind:

Project Number:

SGP/GEF/IND/OP3/1/05/WB06

Start Date:

10/2005

End Date:

9/2007

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

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Project Characteristics and Results

Capacity - Building Component

A three-day workshop will be conducted for the community members, school teachers and members of MTFA. External resource persons will conduct the workshop on awareness generation and conservation. The community members will also be trained in kitchen-garden raising and organic composting. The training will be imparted to about 32 farmers through the Saint Alphonsus Social & Agricultural Centre in vegetable growing, mushrooms cultivation, piggery and dairy.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

A three-day workshop will be conducted for the community members, school teachers and members of MTFA. The purpose of the workshop will be to raise awareness about environment conservation amongst the community. Further, Art and Skit competitions will be organized in schools to create awareness about biodiversity conservation and impact of our daily activities on environment and climate change.

Notable Community Participation

MTFA intends to promote sustainable development through commmunity participation. The community will collectively decide on the action plan for project implementation and all activities will be carried out through community participation. The community has also agreed that each household in the project area will plant 15 trees along the water catchment and on degraded lands to prevent land slides.

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

Once the vegetables grown by the community are marketed, some of the funds from the operation will be deposited in the community Trust Fund. Each household will deposit an amount of INR 20 in the trust. The interest accrued from this will be used for the welfare of the community; the capital will remain in the bank.

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

The project area is predominantly inhabited by the indigenous communities of the Lepchas and the Sherpas.

Replication of project activities

The project will be very much replicable in those areas where there is scarcity of land, labour and capital. Even the physically and socially challenged community can replicate this project.

Project sustainability

The project will engage the local people to improve their participation and disseminate the community project concept to all. Mamring-Toryok Women?s Group (MWG) will coordinate plantation of trees around their farm for easy access to firewood and green fodder Informal networking and link already exists between the community and the Holy Cross Society. Holy Cross Society will facilitate stronger networking and linking with GEF/SGP, SASAC, Eastern Forest Rangers? College, Local Government, Media etc. As the project implementation progresses, we foresee the networking/linking to strengthen simultaneously. For technical support and advice, Saint Alphonsus Social and Agricultural Centre (SASAC), Eastern Forest Rangers? College (EFRC), Department of Forestry, and GEF/SGP.

Gender Focus

The project will ensure at least 50% participation of women in all the trainings and other activities. The farmer training that will be conducted will also have 50% women farmers involved. The women will be actively involved in the vegetable production and plantation. Since, indoor pollution mostly affects women, the project will improve health conditions of the women.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

The project will promote quite a few modes of alternate income generation amongst the community. Organic composting will be promoted at the household level and this organic compost will then be used for vegetable production by the households. The produce will be marketed through a co-operative society. Mushroom cultivation and weaving will also be introduced as means of alternate livelihoods.

Project Results

The project has just completed the first quarter of activities and the results so far are: The trainings on mushroom cultivation, nursery raising and organic composting have been imparted to about 550 community members. The cultivation of oyster mushroom has been initiated in the 7 villages and some of the farmers have already taken their first harvest. The community has prepared 305 mini-greenhouses having 10 square meter bed each. Some of the households have already taken one harvest and have planted the next batch of vegetables. The introduction of Square Meter Vegetable Garden method has enabled the households to plant around 10 varieties of vegetables in comparison to two varieties that they were able to grow earlier. The land use has also increased by around 50%. 250 families have replaced the naked kerosene lamp with solar lanterns so far. The lanterns have been able to save around 3 litres of kerosene per household per month. This has accrued savings of INR 60 per household per month. As a result of the successful introduction of the alternate livelihood generation activities, the community has reduced the felling of trees for wood to be sold as firewood. This has decreased the pressure on forests. The forest nurseries have also been initiated and saplings are ready to be transplanted in the land slide prone areas.

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Indicators

Empowerment

Number of CBOs / NGOs participated / involved in SGP project 20

Empowerment

Number of women participated / involved in SGP project 600

Empowerment

Number of indigenous people participated/involved in SGP project 1000

Empowerment

Innovative financial mechanisms put in place through SGP project 1

Livehood

Increase in household income by increased income or reduced costs due to SGP project 2000

Livehood

Number of households who have benefited* from SGP project 1000

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