MPSM: working extensively with the poor, creating economic, environmental, agricultural support structures to give small and marginal Adivasi farmers a semblance of sustainable livelihoods.

1. June 2012
MAHARASHTRA PRABODHAN SEVA MANDAL
Over the last many years we have worked extensively with the poor, creating economic,
environmental, agricultural support structures to give small and marginal Adivasi farmers
MPSM IS A
a semblance of sustainable livelihoods. However, in today’s free-market economy, where
VOLUNTARY rampant, unbridled capitalism rules the roost, how does one ensure a level playing field
ORGANIZATION for those at the base of the socio-economic pyramid? “Social Engineering for
COMMITTED TO Mainstreaming” – big words that simply mean, building the capacities of weaker socio-
RURAL AND economic commuities to hold their own in the interaction with the market. A number of
TRIBAL our efforts over the last year can be looked at from this strategic perspective and we hope
AWAKENING to carry them forward in the year ahead.
(PRABODHAN)
THROUGH
COMMUNITY The Kohor Watershed
ORGANIZATION, Development Project is now in
ECONOMIC its fifth and final year. This year
we completed 113 Loose
GROWTH AND
Boulder and Gabion dams in the
NATURAL
drainage lines and four Check
RESOURCE
Dams. With the last of the
DEVELOPMENT. Forest and Crop-cultivation lands
now being treated, the physical
work on the watershed will be
Executive Office completed before the monsoon
M.P.S.M., Karanjali,
Tal. Peth, Dist. Nashik,
this year. But the question we
MS, 422 208, INDIA . are asking is, “How has all this
Tel: 02558 234533 work impacted the people in
terms of building their capacities for self-deternmination?” Over and above the physical
Branch Office work of the watershed, the Village Watershed Committee (VWC) members have been
M.P.S.M., Kamble Niwas,
Old Dindori-Kalvan Rd, supporting a number of village initiatives linked to the Adivasi Welfare Department,
Dindori, Dist. Nashik Agriculture Department, Zilla Parishad and other Governmental institutions. That four
MS, 422 207, INDIA
Tel : 02557 222249
members of this young VWC were elected to the Grampanchayat earlier this year speaks
well of the confidence of the villagers in the emerging younger leadership.
Training Centre
MPSM, Lokmanya Nagar, The Shingarpada School had been shut down for a year pending Governmental
Gangapur Rd, Nashik
422002. Tel.0253 2316062
permission. This year, with Mr. Ashok Apsunde at the helm, a group of villagers and
dedicated Nashikites have come together, registered themselves as a Society and are now
working towards the permission for the school.
The Dairy continued to collect a little over 6000 litres of milk a day from around a
thousand farmers in 25 villages but with a difference. A number of villages have now
Soc. Reg. No: BOM registered their Womens’ Groups and the dairy activity is slowly been handed over to
127/1964 GBBSD them.
BPTA 1950 :
F - 1400 (Bom)
FCRA No. 08390014
PAN : AAATM 6167 A
TAN : MUMM 18423G
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2. An organic farming training and herbal
medicine demonstration at village Ruipetta. Inauguration of Farmers Club at Dondavne.
This year we registered 16 Farmer’s Clubs with NABARD, another 15 are in the pipeline. The Clubs have
provided a forum to bring farmers together to discuss sustainable organic farming, collective purchase of seed
and fertilizers or selling of produce. We have still to reach the level where farmers will strategize on crop
patterns and the total cultivation area per crop, so as to match crop production with market demand, thus
allowing farmers greater control of the market price of vegetables.
The invitation to work with the Central Board for Workers’ Education (CBWE) came as a welcome break.
The Education wing of the CBWE was commissioned to organize two-day workshops in every village and in
MPSM they found an NGO with an extensive village base. The workshops were aimed at explaining the
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) and the processes involved in its
implementation. The workshops also brought the villagers face to face with the local government officials
who were directly responsible for its implementation. More than 50 villages were covered in these workshops
between November 2011 and February 2012. Over ` 2.5 Crore of developmental work (roads, wells, check
dams, water storage tanks, nurseries…) was sanctioned. It now remains to reflect with the villagers on the
work experience and the learning therein, so that this is not just a one off windfall of casual labour but a
learing experience on the path of self-determination.
The MPSM Centre for Eduation Research and Training (MCERT) continues its village outreach with multiple
initiatives to suppport education in the remote hilly villages through tuorial classes, village libraries and
trainings in herbal health and organic farming.
(L) MNREGA village meet in progress.
(R) Excavation of a water tank under the MNREGA
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3. (L) Hostel boys enjoying a community festive meal. (R) A village library in session
The MCERT Hostel at Nahik houses 160 Adivasi students attending undergraduate, post-graduate and
professional courses at various institutions in Nashik.
The MCERT has also been actively promoting sustainable agriculture through numerous shibirs and
demonstration plots for organic farming. While the Adivasi farmers are still far from organic certification
and markets, they are increasingly beginning to see the benefits of the organic system.
The MCERT has also been actively promoting herbal medicines through its shibirs and medicinal
preparation demonstrations. The village-level shibirs are accompanied by the sale of small sample
packagings of medicinal preparations and sapplings of herbal plants reporduced in the MCERT nursery.
We continue promote the integration of agriculture, horticulture and forestry as a sustainable model of
development for the Adivasis in the hills. This year 491 acres of fruit trees were laid down under the
NABARD sponsored Wadi project. 35 acres of private waste land have been dedicated to forest species.
These farmers in the Harshul and Mokhada blocks have not had the benefit of sponsors like NABARD. They
have dug the pits on their own, and MPSM sponsored the plants.
After much negotiating, Mahindra & Mahindra, who have a sizable presence here in Nashik district,
committed themselves to sponsoring the check dam at Sendyachimet. This is a good example of how
corporate-Adivasi patnership can work towards sustainable, eco-friendly development. It has been our
priveledge to be active catalysts in this process. We hope we can link many more corpoates in partnership
with other Adivasi villages.
Checkdam at Sendyachimet. One Acre forestry plot in the Harshul block.
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4. All these efforts would not have been possible without the active support of our many friends, well-
wishers and benefactors. To all of you, for ourselves, and on behalf of the Adivasi community, a big
THANK YOU. Many of the works we have described here are not covered by projects of government of
other funding agencies. We depend on donations and Divine providence to make ends meet. In the next
year, we would like to concentrate on building our Corpus, to bring a little degree of financial stability to
our work. We look forward to your continued support and assure you of our prayers.
Fr. Wendell D’Cruz, S.J.
for the MPSM Team
Mo. 9422491412,
website: www.mpsm.in; e-mail: wendelldcruzsj@gmail.com
We would like to support the good work of your Trust. Please accept our donation
towards :
 Education works,  Developmental works,  Corpus of the Trust.
(Please send us this filled in form for Income Tax purposes.)
Name : _______________________________________________________________
Address: _____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
PAN Number : ___________________________
 I am enclosing cheque/DD No. ................................... dated ........................
in favour of : Maharashtra Prabodhan Seva Mandal,
Address: MPSM, At PO. Karanjali, Tal. Peth, Dist. Nashik, Maharashtra, 422 208 INDIA
 I have sent money by RTGS/ NEFT to the Account below
Name of Bank : State Bank of India, Nashik City Branch,
Bank IFS Code No. : SBIN0001469,
For Foreign Funds For Indian Funds
A/c Name : Maharashtra Prabodhan Seva Mandal A/c Name : Maharashtra Prabodhan Seva Mandal
Account Number : 10980255878 Account Number : 10980255889
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