Growing autonomous at the grassroots

While self-help groups and women beneficiaries of microfinance are being seen as a success story, a group of illiterate women in Medak district have not only secured their livelihoods within agriculture but are reaching for greater autonomy in work and life.

Numbering around 5,000 and living in 70 villages around Zaheerabad in Medak district, they are known as 'Sangham women' to their fellow residents.

Unlike the SHG members, their lives are centred on farming -- beginning with turning their fallow lands into farms, growing crops for their needs, distributing the surplus grain among the poor to conserving traditional seeds.

They are guided and mentored by the Deccan Development Society (DDS), a non-governmental organisation which has been working in the area for the last 25 years.

Six of the women were in Hyderabad on Friday to share their experiences of making a short film about their journey so far. Their work has also found mention as an example of food sovereignty in the latest World Disaster Report prepared by the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Society.

Having experienced starvation at some stage of their lives, they say they only grow food crops, especially millets like jowar, ragi and others. “No cotton for us,” says Chinna Narsamma emphatically.

The Sangham now grows an average of 10,000 quintals of foodgrain a year, mostly jowar. Narsamma says, “It’s different from what is available in the market. Because we grow it without using synthetic fertilisers and with our own traditional seeds.”

The produce goes to support whole villages in what they describe as an ‘alternative public distribution system.’ Its success has led to the erstwhile landlords willingly offering their lands on lease to the Sangham women.

DDS director PV Satheesh says the Sangham has been able to achieve complete control over seeds. “Each family has at least 10 seed samples,” he says, terming it autonomy from the government in terms of seeds and fertiliser.

The Sangham women have also been trained in video production, which they have put to use in making films about themselves. They also run a community radio, known as Sangham Radio, in one of the villages.