This year we are supporting food security and better management of the water crisis in India. It is via the humanitarian association Karuna Shechen, founded in 2000 by Matthieu Ricard that we act. We chose this organization for its low operating costs and its targeted field actions.
Malnutrition in India
It mainly affects children under 5 and women. Karuna Shechen's project operates in two states in the north of the country, Bihar and Jharkhand. Malnutrition is almost irreversible in children and transcends the stages of adolescence and adulthood. Severe lack of food is the cause of high mortality and morbidity in these two states.
India's water crisis
Since the early 2000s, the state of Bihar has experienced significant water crisis. In Jharkhand, about a third of the surface and ground water comes out of the region. The consequences are wells and water reserves completely dried up, from November to February, in both states.
The actions of the association
Malnutrition actions
To ensure the food security of the poorest, Karuna Shechen deploys several micro-programs to install:
- vegetable gardens,
- nutritional gardens,
- drip irrigation,
- well,
- retention ponds,
- small dams,
- culvert construction
Farmers receive drip irrigation kits, including a 500 liter water tank, as well as vegetable and fruit seeds and seedlings with unique registration. They are also trained in mushroom cultivation and organic compost management.
Water actions
To boost water harvesting Karuna-Shechen installs rainwater harvesting systems, a traditional technique that turns rain into a reliable source of water for families' domestic and non-drinking needs. Teams in India are installing 1000 liter water tanks in schools and villages, as well as 500L domestic tanks next to homes for families, for laundry, sanitation and watering vegetable gardens. To help farmers during the dry season, drip irrigation systems have been introduced, so they can use water efficiently while growing more crops (65-75%), less weeding (80% savings). A suitable solution is offered to each farmer, depending on the layout of his land (well, reservoir).
In 2021, 320 people benefited from this program!