PRESENCE IN GUJARAT
ACF works in 580 villages in Gujarat across 8 Districts/blocks:
- Gir Somnath
- Junagadh
- Amreli
- Bhavnagar
- Morbi
- Gandhinagar
- Ahmedabad
- Surat
Women were largely supressed until the advent of the Women’s Federation and SHG movement. However a ‘saturation’ approach is required to ensure every woman is involved in income generation and gains independence. Non-communicable disease is rampant and there is a widespread lack of awareness on menstrual hygiene. And whilst much work has been done to increase the profitability of farmers, this remains a focus due to the area’s reliance on agriculture as a livelihood.
Micro irrigation is a major thrust area with 6162 ha converted and 500 ha added each year – saving water and enhancing yields. Communities are being empowered to conduct Water Quality Testing, and in partnership with WASMO (Government of Gujarat) 78 coastal villages have received tap connectivity to date. Importantly, groundwater is also being monitored and managed.
Additional water storage capacity
Reduction in TDS levels
Pushback of Salinity
Under Micro Irrigation
Due to Drip Irrigation
With 100% Tap Connectivity
Better Cotton is the primary focus with over 38600 farmers engaged. Allied agriculture strengthens income streams for farmers so ACF promotes animal husbandry and works to optimise cattle health and milk production. Horticulture and vegetable plantation are also crucial thrusts. ACF builds the capacity of farmers via the formation of FPOs and supports value-added products like mango pulp and ginger powder.
Better Cotton Farmers
Under Better Cotton System
Orchards
Using bio products
Use safety equipment
value adding produce
ACF promotes the socio-economic empowerment of women by forming Self-Help Groups – training women on micro-credit, bank linkages, credit rotation plans and income generation. In Gujarat, the groups are so independent that they have started their own Credit Cooperative Society. Women have also established the Sorath Mahila Vikas Sahkari Mandali to take up socio-economic development activities in the region.
SELF-HELP Groups
Women Engaged
Women’s Federation
Accounts in Credit Cooperative Society
ACF promotes preventive and promotive health with a strong focus on women and children. The program is implemented by trained, village based health workers. These Sakhis are associated with the Government to provide better health facilities at village level. Sanitation remains a focus, with 14 ODF villages created. ACF also supports Anganwadi centers for better nutrition for children.
ODF villages
School Toilets Renovated
Anganwadi Centres Supported
Health camps
Patients treated in camps
Sakhis
With 5 SEDIs across Gujarat, local youth are trained in Welding, Electrical, CNC Cutting, Nursing, BPO and Electronics. SEDIs has NSDC affiliation and features state of the art facilities for workshops and labs. A CNC Machine has been procured to meet the needs of the local manufacturing industry. Additionally, SEDIs is a leader in training girls in male dominated fields such as Electronics.
Youth trained
Placed in jobs
Placement Rate
In Male Dominated Fields
ACF’s education program focuses on the promotion of physical education, WASH and reading. To improve the quality of physical education as a subject, training is imparted and resources provided. To support reading, ACF has established school libraries and fosters regular reading habits. Provision of adequate WASH facilities to support sanitation in schools has also been prioritised.
School Libraries
Schools in Physical Education
Schools with WASH Facilities
Mini Science Lab
In 2007, the India Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR) sanctioned establishment of a KVK by ACF for Junagdh District. KVK builds the capacities of farming communities through training, demonstrations and on farm research, to reduce the time lag in the transfer of technology to farmers. Complete with a Community Radio Station for farmers, Soil & Water Testing Laboratory, Model Nursery, Crop Cafeteria and Unit of Medicinal Plants, KVK is the pride of ACF’s work in Gujarat.
With Community Health Clinics noticing a spike in viral fevers during monsoons, ACF discovered high levels of bacteria in local water sources. Taking a 3-phase approach ACF set about educating communities about the importance of regular water quality testing - teaching them how to conduct a simple water test; and showing them the steps necessary to address the problem - using chlorine powder to treat water, cleaning storage tanks and electing a local Water Operator to manage the water and its distribution. Today 13 villages are empowered to conduct tests and manage their water quality.
In 1986, the government installed 30 tidal regulators in the coastal belt of Gujarat – 6 of them in Kodinar. However, the tidal regulator in Muldwaraka went totally defunct in a short period of time. After many attempts by the community to fix the problem, ACF was allotted the task of reviving it and putting their heads together, decided to build a temporary earthen bund downstream, to prevent the barrage of water from the sea. Despite multiple collapses of the bund, the team persevered and in 2009 the project was completed in just 5 months.
Once upon a time, the women in Kodinar, Gujarat, were so suppressed that they barely left their homes. Today they are a force to be reckoned with - uniting to form the Sorath Mahila Vikas Sahkari Mandali Women’s Federation, and kickstarting their own Cooperative Credit Society Bank. Today these women are tackling social issues such as ill-treatment of widows, sanitation and domestic violence, whilst also driving income generation for their households – transforming the status of women in just 10 years.
‘Venuben’ is the most successful woman entrepreneur in ACF’s history! A simple housewife from Gujarat who dreamt of owning her own boat and business, and calling the shots in her life, Venuben took a massive risk, borrowed heavily and invested in a fishing boat - putting her heart and soul into her fishing enterprise. Bucking the odds, she was rewarded when, in just one bountiful fishing trip, she hauled in the extremely valuable ‘ghol fish,’ earning 70 lakhs in one hit and paying off all her debts. The future of her family was changed forever, thanks to the courage and passion of this incredible woman, supported and guided by ACF.
20 years ago, farmers in Pipli grew just one crop of groundnut a year – the crop was always poor because the ground water they used was saline. The harvest was never enough to survive on, so men used to migrate to find work. But ACF helped turn things around. Back then the entire village lived in mud huts, but today they live in concrete houses. Once water came farmers grew 3 crops a year – cotton, sugarcane, wheat - and even got into animal husbandry. Pipli village is today considered 100% educated – all the kids go to school, and the older ones have government jobs or have been to college. All because of water.
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