Agriculture

Transplant & Seeds

Water Harvesting

Environment

Rice Fallow Management

Comprehensive Rice Fallow Management Programme (CRFMP) of the Govt of Odisha - We collaborated to implement the project in a massive 44,200 ha across 5 districts of Odisha (Sundargarh, Jajpur, Cuttack, Khordha and Puri), and benefitted over 75,000 farmers. We supported farmers via community/cluster farming with important inputs like seed of suitable varieties and other critical inputs to promote the habit of the farmers to take up one more crop of pulse or oilseed in these otherwise fallow areas, so that there would be at least some return for consumption by the household, and addition of biomass and fixing nitrogen to the soil.

Seed Production Program

Undertook Seed Production Program for paddy using SRI technology with support of DDA Puri. Provided Trainings and conducted certified paddy and pulse seed production program under Adopted Farmer Scheme of Odisha State Seeds Corporation (OSSC) and Odisha State Seed Certification Agency (OSSCA).

Trainings and Capacity Building

Conducted extensive Trainings and Capacity Building activities in agriculture and horticulture programs under Wadi model. Besides conducting regular training programs for project purposes, we have conceptualized numerous village-level micro-plans and DSR trainings for successful and continued implementation and management of government schemes and programs.

GIS-based digitized micro plans

National Environment Awareness Campaign

Supported by the Ministry of Environment and Forest under the NEAC program, Orissa Foundation organized environment awareness rallies and selected sites in Gelpur high school campus for block plantation. This program created awareness among teachers and students regarding deforestation and other local activities that worsens global warming and climate change.

Land and Water Management

We developed GIS-based digitized micro plan for ISARA (MCC, Kolkata), Wosca (Concern Worldwide), Read Foundation (Rourkela Steel Plant), CYSD (PLAN), Kalinga Agro Pvt Ltd (Dhenkanal) for land and water management, promotion of agriculture and horticulture in 41 tribal hilly villages of Gajapati, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, and Dhenkanal districts of Odisha. We carried out contour surveys, plot-wise planning for treatment and production, and household-wise budgetary allocation, graded contour design for run-off management, and holistic plans for integrated development in the villages.

Planning and training on organic and sustainable farming

Orissa Foundation conducted training and capacity building programs on organic and sustainable farming – pulses in cropping system for farmers in Muribahal (Balangir) in association with ASA, Ginger cultivation in Pattangi in association with Help, and paddy, vegetable and mushroom cultivation in Itamati (Nayagarh) in association with Nirman. We conducted specialized trainings and demonstration of vermicompost/ compost making, cow dung and bio-extract preparation that are helpful for natural farming, application in SRI and SSI in rice and sugarcane cultivation.

Fisheries schemes for the marine fishing community

In collaboration with Fisheries Department, Govt. of Odisha, we have organized awareness programs through village level meetings and wall paintings of different fisheries schemes for the marine fishing community of Odisha.

SRI method of Paddy cultivation and Certified Seed Production

Orissa Foundation undertook activities on certified seed production and applied SRI technology to cover more area under seed program with limited available foundation seeds (under SRI technology, we used 18kg of seed instead of 30 kg seed per acer in normal method). In Nayagrh district, we extended technical support to demonstrate SRI in 15 acers of land involving 30 farmers in year 2007-08.

Certified paddy seed production trainings: The main objective was to produce certified paddy and pulse seed using foundation seeds involving adopted farmers of Orissa State Seeds Corporation. We implemented the program in villages of Gope block, Balanga block, Nimapara block, Aul, Pattamundai and Sunakhala blocks in 200 acres. We have trained 205 farmers on paddy and pulse seed production during implementation of these programs. The farmers became aware that around 20% more yield are obtained from use of quality seed (foundation and certified seeds), that generates more income apart from increased income from seed production program than grain paddy production.

The program produced seeds of varieties like CR-1009, CR-1018, Pankaj, Parijata, Lalat and Swarna. The results were very The farmers produced seed of very good quality and the farmers in the village and locality purchased the seeds of these varieties immediately. For this program we took help of OSSC and the OSSCA (Orissa State Seeds Certification Agency, Bhubaneswar).

Organization Development

Orissa Foundation organized 2 days seminar on Application of Statistical Tools in Social Planning Processes for benefit of various social organizations. The eminent statisticians from TNAU, Bangalore and OUAT, Bhubaneswar demonstrated how SPSS and other statistical tools can be applied for better analysis of social data and use in project planning, monitoring and evaluation. The practitioners demanded for a greater number of follow up trainings. Our staff are oriented with ToT on SPM (Social Performance Management) trained various in Odisha like ASA, Nisarg, Help, Nirman, RRO, OSA, PYSO, MYC, Life VO and Gram Unnati. The training helped NGOs to define their mission with clarity and define actionable points to achieve such mission within a time frame.

Swachh Bharat Mission program

To fulfil the greater objective of Govt. of India and Odisha, we participated and sensitized the Swachha Bharat Mission program. Under this scheme, Orissa Foundation facilitated small and marginal farmers and daily labour groups to avail scheme benefits for construction of IHHLs in Kakatpur block working with District Water and Sanitation Mission (DWSM).

FPOs/VBSEs based Quality Seed System

Participated in the Pulses Promotion Program of the Govt of Odisha to popularize appropriate varieties, and improved production technologies for rice-fallow cropping systems that led to the demonstration and dissemination of available and proven low-cost agro-technologies for pulses; to enhance the availability of pulses in daily diet, extra-income to farmers, and improve soil health by growing pulses as a second crop; to establish FPOs/VBSEs based Quality Seed System to make quality seeds available at farmers’ door-step; to develop the capacity of farmers, women, and youth on improved production technology, value addition and processing through formal and informal training programs.

Renewable Energy

Development Focus supported vocational training on renewable energy Supported by Development Focus, we conducted training for rural youths (boys and girls), on the concept of renewable energy, and the usefulness of bio-gasifiers and solar lights at the village level. The training made it easy for participants to understand solar light technology, assemble the devices at local levels, and train on service delivery and repair support in case of breakdown. The trained youths from various NGOs in Odisha and Jharkhand highly appreciated the utility of their remote areas and the potential to generate income as trained service providers.

Self-employment trainings

Through Project Roshini (Department of Public Enterprise, Government of Odisha) we provided self-employment trainings to VRS employees on mushroom cultivation in Gajapati and Koraput districts of Odisha. With added interest of participants, we extended training support on dairy and poultry cultivation and compost making processes.

Business Plan for Pulses

Orissa Foundation organized pulse producers in the Sunakhala area of Nayagarh to grow organic pyra pulse crops and establish linkages for marketing these organic produces. We mobilized the community to grow organic pulse crops and efforts for successful market linkage. Vasundhara supported us to conduct studies on the market potential of organic products in Ranapur areas. This study gave insight into better planning of markets for produce from organic farming for different crops and vegetables.
For Samudram, a fisher woman cooperative in Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Balasore, Orissa Foundation did elaborate studies on seasonality, value chain, grading and cleaning, processing and packaging aspects to keep natural qualities of marine fish. We helped them with a BDP (business development plan), methods to track market information and positioning of their products for satisfactory profits.

Health camps

Orissa Foundation has intervened in sanitation and health issues with support from Indian Oil Corporation and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation. We conducted detailed health situation study through intensive health camps in the peripheral villages of Paradip Refinery Project of IOCL and in slums in Bhubaneswar city. After these camp exercises, we developed a village health status report and resorted to action points to address critical health aspects in the village.

National Awareness Campaigns

Organized awareness programs and rallies under the NEAC (National Environment Awareness Campaign) and supported by the Ministry of Environment and Forest.

Orissa Foundation animators and village level youths were trained in Adolescent Girls Education, Malaria and HIV Education and organized village level trainings to educate youth, women, girls and other target community about their health issues, sexual health, nutrition and care before, during and after maternity.

Conceptualizing projects and developing proposals

To plan and formulate development programs independently or in association with other agencies for implementation by itself or through others engaged in development programs.

Projects