Our Senna Small Farmers in Rajasthan

In the Thar Desert, we combine ecological agriculture with health, education and empowerment, especially for girls and women.

ROUGH CLIMATE
Life in the Thar Desert in the western part of Rajasthan in India is not easy. It consists of heat, dust, wind and extreme dryness. And, as a result, also great poverty. Rain falls only during one month of the year and is completely absent in two out of three years. The rough climate especially determines the lives of the girls and women. They are responsible for fetching water and walk up to 10 hours a day in the heat of the desert, half of the way with heavy loads. 60-85% of the women are illiterate.

SEANNA FROM THE THAR DESERT
When rain comes, small farmers can cultivate senna – a plant whose healing power humans have been using for over 1,000 years. Senna is a frugal plant that grows where no food plant can thrive. It requires only little water and no pesticides or fertilizers. Therefore, Martin Bauer Group purchase senna from the Thar Desert in sustainably certified quality. Thus, the families receive a fair income in the dry period after the harvest.

MARTIN BAUER GROUP IS COMMITED
Beyond our sourcing, we are committed to the well-being of the people in our supply chain. In Rajasthan, we work together with the two NGOs WomenServe and Traditional Medicinals on the Revive! project.

THREE COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTERS ESTABLISHED
With our financial support, three Community Resource Centers were built between 2009 and 2014. In the centers, the senna harvest can be stored dry and clean, as well as grain, feed and seeds for the next sowing. But the centers are much more for the communities: they combine agriculture with health, education and empowerment.

• They are a popular meeting place for the village community,
• a protected marketplace where small farmers and self-help groups can offer their products,
• as well as a training and meeting room. The centers are equipped with electric light from a solar system, which is why the meetings and training sessions can take place even after dark, which accommodates many villagers.
• There are interiors with privacy for medical examinations and check-ups.
• The families can get to know, try out and use unknown technology here, e.g. solar lanterns and cookers.
• The roofs of the centers catch valuable rainwater.
• Playgrounds were installed for the children of the villages.

THE REVIVE! PROJECT
Since 2009, the project has been committed to the senna families in the Thar Desert and especially to the girls and women in the communities. It has already achieved a lot in five areas. For example:

• Water: The families can collect rainwater in Taankas and use it for drinking, cooking and washing. Until then, they had to spend a third of their income and a large part of their time supplying water.
• Food: The families have been able to create small gardens and some pastureland. They keep goats, cows or sheep and use their milk, manure and wool. A mobile veterinary camp has been set up in each of the 6 villages to treat sick animals. As a result, infections can no longer spread throughout the village herd.
• Health: Mobile medical camps and health education sessions have improved the health of the families. In each village, women have been trained as Village Health Workers. They especially support young mothers and help the families to make use of state health services.
• Education: 850 children, including 365 girls, receive lessons and a wholesome meal in three newly built primary schools. The majority of the girls have previously been excluded from education.
• Women: Women increasingly participate in the life and the decisions of the community. In 24 self-help groups with 183 active members, they try out how they can  contribute to the family income with animal husbandry, a village or spice shop, a flower mill or tailor shop and lead a more self-confident and self-determined life.  Additionally, 128 women are engaged in income-generating activities through the Thar Artisan Collective.