123
• It has been one year since the project period (five years) got over.
• A majority of the families are from the Pania Community, the most primitive community among the
tribals.
• The cultural and historical peculiarities of the community are somewhat responsible for their
exclusion and backwardness.
• The project has had no follow-ups and wadis were found to be abandoned.
• The survival rate of coffee and pepper plants was also very low due to the drought in the current year
and also due to neglect on part of both farmers and the NGO.
• Since it was the first project by WSSS, it had certain limitations that were subsequently improved
upon in their second project, the Thondernad-Thavinjal project, where community organization is
stronger.
• The mix of Pania and Kuruchiya communities has helped the former to abandon many myths and
created a healthy competitive spirit.
The second project visited was the Integrated TDF project in Thavinjal (FLAME), with 258 households
of which 26 families were surveyed.
• The majority of the tribals belong to the Kuruchiya community, a more forward community than the
Panias.
• The farmers were educated and made aware of the long term goals of the project.
• They were sensitized by the NGO about the importance of community organization. The main
problem faced by these households was a lack of proper tarred roads and transportation as well as a
lack of drinking water or a proper irrigation system.
The last project visited was the Integrated TDF project in Nenmeni, Noolpoozha (Shreyas), with 250
households where 25 households were interviewed.
• This area primarily comprised the Katunaika community; members of the Pania and Uraali
communities were also enrolled for the project.
• The most important aspect was the successful vegetable patches, where
`
500 worth of vegetable
seedlings were given with a 10% loan component wherein the vegetable patch once harvested can be
regrown every year and this has helped for a self-sustaining living.
• Since most of the colonies were in the forests, the farmers faced a threat fromwild animals, especially
in the current year as the elephants started coming in herds due to lack of food in the forests. The
buffalo rearing activity brought a significant amount of livelihood support for the families in terms
of dung and high price on resale.
• Alcoholism, tobacco chewing, etc., are some of the vices that plague the community and are
responsible for their exploitation and backwardness.
• The changing food habits of the community are also a matter of major concern.
