FARMING PROGRAMME
Our farming programme is rooted in two of the Earth Trust’s Resource Farms and training Centres located in Holabettu and Manara in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu, India. Through this programme, and using the centres as hubs, we identify farmers who wish to adopt organic agricultural practices, guide them on land preparation, planting and crop cycles, and handhold them until their farms achieve commercial viability. In this way, we bring back living soil to the Nilgiris, one farm at a time.
Since inception, we have transitioned 45 farmers to practice natural farming, increased their per-capita income by 400% and turned 36 acres of their land into organic cultivation farms.
Creating sustainable livelihoods
through organic, natural, and Biodynamic farming
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME
Enabling self-reliance in women is the top priority of the Earth Trust's Women Empowerment Programme. We support both tribal and non-tribal women, who are working as agricultural labourers, tea pluckers, small scale industry workers, and home makers, and get them to become self-reliant through self-help groups. The programme brings together women at their own hattis (villages) for 3-months, and equip them with self-employment skills through vocations such as tailoring, knitting, gardening, and other home-based activities.
Over the years, 800 women from 50 villages has been benefitted from our women empowerment programme.
Improving women's socio-economic conditions through skill building
HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAMME
Women are ‘keepers’ of family health and traditional knowledge. At a time when malnutrition is high locally, and increased occurrence of sickle-cell anaemia among indigenous communities, optimal health and local nutrition interventions are needed immediately. Recognising this, the Earth Trust has designed and implemented 13 modules on community health. The topics range from personal hygiene to common ailments, herbal remedies to mental health.
Over the years, 400 women has been benefitted from this programme. Over 200 herb kitchen gardens has been created in 20 villages across the Nilgiris.
Recovering health of families through better nutritional and healing practices
ECO-CLUB PROGRAMME
Holistic ecological awareness through activities is a core part of our eco-club programme. By setting up eco-clubs in schools, we impart life-skill and knowledge on organic agriculture to the students, inculcate the importance of environmental hygiene, organic food and health, and nurture children as agents of change. By setting up a food garden in every eco-club, children gain practical farming knowledge, and become aware about the need for better nutrition and food security in their community.
We have published a guide on organic agriculture for students and organised eco-club programmes for 200 children in 10 schools.
Increasing environmental awareness
among school children
TRIBAL WELFARE INITIATIVE
Basic amenities are essential for families to elevate their socio-economic conditions. The Earth Trust identifies hamlets that are in need of such facilities and sources funds from donors to make them happen. With the support of The Hans Foundation in New Delhi, we improved the livelihood of Chengal Pudur Hamlet in the Nilgiris. We constructed a 1-kilometre fence and gate, 4 toilets, solar lights, solar panels, smokeless stoves for all houses.
We also repaired roofs for all the houses, provided each of them a 1000 litre water storage tank, cows, chicken coop, medicinal plant nursery, among many others. All the families of the hamlet now have electricity and running water as well
Providing basic amenities for
low-income families