Case study of Kotha Kalingapattinam Village in Srikakulam District
Dr. S P Agarwal, Dr. A Lakshmana Rao, Mr. Hector Palacios
IRCS, established in 1920, is one of the largest and oldest indigenous humanitarian organizations in the country. It is known for its work in disaster response (earthquake, cyclones, drought, floods and internal conflicts) as well as healthcare, blood services and welfare programs. India has 28 states, 6 union territories and 1 national capital territory region. The IRCS is a national federation of 700 district branches and sub-district branches. Neither the headquarters nor the branches are by themselves the Society. Their collectivity interwoven together comprises the IRCS.
Copyright IRCS 2011
For more information, please contact: IRCS-NHQ, #1, Red Cross Road, New Delhi - 110001, INDIA Cover photo: Hector Palacios Pujolar Phone: +91 11 23716441/2/3, www.indianredcross.org
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Participatory Rural Appraisal
5 Table of Contents
Acronyms i
Acknowledgements ii
Introduction iii
1 SOCIAL MAPPING 8
1.1 Population 10
1.2 Education 11
1.3 Occupation 11
1.4 Others 12
2 TIMELINE AND TREND CHANGE 13
3 SEASONALITY CALENDAR 18
4 VENN DIAGRAM 21
5 LIVELIHOOD MATRIX 25
5.1 Women 25
5.2 Men 27
6 SOCIO ECONOMIC SECURITY 30
7 DAILY ROUTINE CHARTS 33
7.1 Inland Fishermen 33
7.2 Dried Fish Vendors - Men 33
7.3 Marine Fishermen 34
7.4 Fresh Fish Vendors - Women 36
7.5 Dried Fish Vendors - Women 37
8 PROBLEM MATRIX 38
8.1 Common Problems 38
8.2 Problems of Men 41
8.3 Problems of Women 45
9 NEEDS ANALYSIS OF WOMEN 48
10 WEALTH RANKING 50
Conclusion vi
6 Acronyms
APSB Andhra Pradesh State Branch
ARC American Red Cross
BRC British Red Cross
CM Chief Minister
CRC Canadian Red Cross
DMC Disaster Management Cell
DRDA District Rural Development Agency i FDO Fisheries Development Officer
FRP Fiber Reinforced Plastic
GoAP Government of Andhra Pradesh
GPS Global Positioning System
GRC German Red Cross
ICRC International Committee of Red Cross
IFRC International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent
IRCS Indian Red Cross Society
ItRC Italian Red Cross
LIC Life Insurance Corporation
MLA Member of Legislative Assembly
MP Member of Parliament i MRO Mandal Revenue Officer
NGO Non Government Organization
NHQ National Head Quarters
PNS Partner National Society
PRA Participatory Rural Appraisal
SHG Self Help Group
SRC Spanish Red Cross
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7 Acknowledgements
The Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) is grateful to the fisher folk community of Kotha Kalingapattinam village in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh for their participation and contributions in the development of the Participatory Rural Appraisal report.
We greatly appreciate the efforts of the IRCS Andhra Pradesh State Branch for developing this document in view of the identification and formulation of project intervention with the support of Spanish Red Cross in coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Thanks to Hansen Thambi Prem for training the IRCS Srikakulam District Staffs and volunteers on PRA both theoretically and practically to conduct PRA and appraise the information with the community.
The authors thank Mr. J agan Mohan Rao, Srikakulam IRCS District Secretary and Deputy Director of Fisheries, Srikakulam, Government of Andhra Pradesh for the logistic arrangements, local administration and cooperation with the study team in conducting the study.
Special thanks to all the staff and volunteers involved for their tireless efforts in planning and conducting field visits to develop this document.
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iii
Introduction
IRCS, established in 1920, is one of the largest and oldest indigenous humanitarian organizations in the country. It is known for its work in disaster response (earthquake, cyclones, drought, floods and internal conflicts) as well as healthcare, blood services and welfare programs. India has 28 states, 6 union territories and 1 national capital territory region. The IRCS is a national federation of 700 district branches and sub-district branches. Neither the headquarters nor the branches are by themselves the Society. Their collectivity interwoven together comprises the IRCS.
The governance of the Society rests with its Managing Body which has powers to constitute and/or dissolve state branches. The branches enjoy high level of autonomy as they raise their own resources and run their core activities by themselves. They prepare their annual report and annual account and may run programs specially suited for their respective territories. However, they broadly adhere to the directives/guidelines issued by the NHQ and accept international donations/funding through the NHQ.
The IRCS mobilizes peoples involvement as volunteers and members. In 2008, the society had over 12 million members and volunteers. The IRCS collaborates with other organizations in the country, which share similar objectives and principles. Red Cross partners in the country include the IFRC, ICRC and PNS (including ARC, BRC, CRC, GRC, ItRC and SRC). The IRCS also works closely with various government ministries such as health, social justice, defense, home external affairs & education. The IRCS has extensive experience in disaster relief work beginning with the 1934 Bihar earthquake up to the Gujarat earthquake in 2001 which was of a magnitude 7.9 on the Richter scale leaving around 20,000 people dead. Most recently IRCS has responded to Tsunami in December 2004 and floods in 2009.
SRC started its intervention in India since 1999 with response to Orissa Super Cyclone. Thereafter assistance was extended to victims of Gujarat Earthquake 2001, Bihar and Assam Floods 2002, Tsunami 2004, J ammu & Kashmir Earthquake 2005, Andhra Pradesh Floods 2007, etc. SRC is working in India mainly for Development Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Capacity Building focusing on livelihood, community health, disaster preparedness and response.
PRA is an approach used by NGOs and other agencies involved in international development which aims to incorporate the knowledge and opinions of rural people for development programmes. PRA can be described as a family of approaches, methods and behaviors that enable people to express and analyze the realities of their lives and conditions, to plan and to monitor & evaluate the results. PRA provides a structure and practical ideas to help stimulate local participation in the creation and sharing of new insights. There is no single way to do PRA, although there are core principles and several methods available to guide teamwork, do sampling, structure discussions and visualize analysis. The combination and sequence of methods will emerge from the context. Optimal ignorance and triangulation of findings guide the fieldwork in recognition of the need to know enough without knowing it all and to ensure that the qualitative insights are cross-checked by different sources using different methods.
On March 2011, IRCS and SRC jointly conducted training for IRCS district staff and volunteers on PRA Tools - Theory & Practice. Mr. Mohan Krishna, IRCS State Project Coordinator introduced about IRCS and its activities followed by an introduction to the training by Mr. Madhu Sagili, SRC State Programme Coordinator of Andhra Pradesh. Later, Mr. Hector Palacios, SRC Head of India Delegation briefed about SRC and its presence in India. He also shared in brief the projects implemented in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. He also shared the purpose of the training and the importance of volunteers role in identifying projects. This was followed by detailed training on PRA tools by Mr. Hansen Thambi Prem, SRC Program Manager. The entire team visited Kotha kalingapattinam village in Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh and with the community participation appraised information. The consolidated information is presented in this document, detailed information is with IRCS and the community.
9 1. Social Mapping
Date & Time : 15 th March 2011, 15:00 -18:30 Hrs Facilitator : Hansen Thambi Prem Documenter : Satyanarayana Venue : Fishermen Shelter Participants : 12 (10 men & 2 children)
The social map tool allowed having an overall view of the villages socio economic composition with their representation in a spatial distribution. This tool provided information regarding the type of habitation structure, the distribution of family members per age and literacy rate classes, primary livelihood option (occupation that more contributes to the total household income), assets, presence of electricity and the livestock reared by the household, etc.
The tool was executed on the floor so as to give opportunity for more number of villagers to participate in sharing the information about the village and its households. The villagers identified and agreed to use the following symbols for appraising information on the household cards of the social map.
The symbols given by the community for the social mapping are as follows,
Symbol s Descript ion of t he Symbols
Fishing in the lake
Fishing in sea
Opinion leaders F Agriculture Coolie Mestri Mason (construction)
Village Head
Vice President (Upa Sarpanch)
President of Fishermen Cooperative Society
Concrete houses E Houses without electricity
Persons With Disability T Houses owning coconut trees
Houses owning buffaloes (only male buffaloes used for agriculture purpose no female buffaloes) A Houses owning Auto Rickshaw
Houses having ducks (Egg and meat used for consumption and not for business)
Member of Self Help Group
H
10 Symbols given for appraising population details are as follows Age Gender Male Femal e 0 - 2 Years
3 - 11 Years
12 - 19 Years
20 - 35 Years
36 - 50 Years
Above 51 Years
Symbols given for appraising education details are as follows Educati on Stat us Gender Male Femal e Illiterate X Up to Class 5 5 Class 6 to 10 10 Class 11 to 12 12
UG, PG C
Social map of Kotha Kalingapattinam village
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11 The information collected through social mapping has been depicted through pictorial form under the following categories:
1.1 Population Total population of the village - 924(472 Male and 452 Female) 36 18 88 96 92 71 131 129 59 72 66 66 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 0 - 2 Years 3 - 11 Years 12 - 19 Years 20 - 35 Years 36 - 50 Years Above 51 Years Age Wise Population Det ails Male Female
51% 49% Male Female
1.2 Education 159 259 166 111 111 61 19 6 10 0 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 Not Educated Up to Class 5 Class 6 to 10 Class 11 to 12 College Education Status Male Female
12 Total number of people uneducated in the village - 418 (159 Male and 259 Female)
Uneducated 38% 62% Male Female
Total number of people educated in the village - 484 (306 Male and 178 Female) Educated 63% 37% Male Female
1.3 Occupation
The majority of the people are involved in fresh fish vending (mainly fisherwomen) and sea fishing (fishermen) which is their primary occupation. The other occupations are secondary and are done in addition to the primary occupation during off seasons.
Vil lage Occupation 22% 5% 17% 0% 17% 23% 15% 1% 0% Sea Fishing Lake Fishing Agriculture Coolie Construction Mason Daily Wage Labour Fresh Fish Vending Dried Fish Vending Pettie business Tailoring
Vill age Occupati on No. Sea Fishing 151 Lake Fishing 34 Agriculture Coolie 116 Construction Mason 1 Daily Wage Labour 116 Fresh Fish Vending 164 Dried Fish Vending 102 Pettie business 4 Tailoring 1
13 1.4 Others
There are 10 opinion leaders in the village who are responsible for taking important decisions for the village. There are two leaders (one is an elected representative of the village and the other is the one appointed by the government). The vice president and fish cooperative president are also government representatives. There are a total of 23 houses having people with disability (different types). Two houses own auto rickshaw by which the entire village depend for community to and from the village. Majority of the houses in the village (64%) own few ducks which they rear only for consumption of egg and meat. None rear them as a means of livelihood or business.
Description Houses Opinion Leaders 10 Village Head 2 Vice President 1 Fish Cooperative President 1 People with Disability 23 Auto Rickshaw 2
151 34 116 29 126 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 Ducks Buffaloes Coconut Trees No Electricity Member of SHG Hous es
Through this participatory tool we could gather information related to the history of the village, occupational changes, basic facilities, cultural changes, important milestones, achievements, lifestyle changes, area, etc. over a period of time and to understand the factors responsible for the trend changes.
BEFORE 1957 1957-1986 1987-2006 2007-2011 Origin of the Vil lage Due to difficulty in fishing 20 families shifted from Yudavanipalem 1957 - 20 families settled & was named Kotha Kalingapatnam
1957 - 80 thatched huts made of mud walls and coconut leaves 2007 - First concrete house was constructed in the village
2011 A total of 235 houses which includes Hindus & Christians Geography of the village The area of the village was only 1 acre which is a common property
2011 The area of the village is seven acres common property Disasters in the vill age 1967 - Entire community went to Kusumuru for shelter during cyclone
1980 - Cyclone shelter was constructed by DMC-GoAP & all thatched houses were burnt due to fire accidents
Water Source for the village 1957 - Used to dig pits and draw water for drinking & domestic purpose
1970 Villagers dug wells for drawing water 2003 ARTIC & VISWAS NGOs installed 2 bore wells
2003 Hand pumps installed to draw water
Fishi ng practice in the village 1957 - Elderly fisher women involved in vending fish, they travel to near by villages like Sompet for vending fish. Fishermen used only country crafts called Theppa
1970 10 fishermen regularly migrate to Andaman (3 days) by boat for fishing
1980 Fishermen used upgraded country crafts called Kara Theppa 1996 - 40 migrate to Chennai, Goa & Mumbai by train for fishing during lean seasons
2003 - ARTIC NGO provided Fiber Reinforced Plastic boats for few fishermen
2008 - Fishermen use country crafts made of Fiber Reinforced Plastics. Fish vendors coordinate through mobile for fish vending
2009 - Fish catch has reduced and increased price/ demand for fish. More than 100 migrate to Chennai, Goa & Mumbai by train for fishing
2011 Fisherwomen transport fish by truck autos for vending Education facilities for the vill age
15 1957 - Few learned under thatched huts in the village
1966 - Formal education under thatched huts in the village by the government 2006 First person from the village studied in a college
Electricity suppl y for the vil lage 1957 Villagers used kerosene lamps and lanterns
1986 Villagers met the CM and submitted application for electric supply 1996 Few houses in the village got electricity 2009 - Entire village had access to electricity supply Livestock reari ng in the vill age 1957 Villagers rear chicken in their houses for eggs and meat 2008 Villagers rear male buffaloes for agriculture activities and ducks for eggs & meat Health facilities for the vill age 1957 - Villagers travel 6 Km for medical treatments. Women gave birth at home assisted by traditional midwives 1996 - Auxiliary Nurse Midwives were appointed by the government for the village for basic health care 2008 Villagers visited near by village to obtain basic health care from Rural Medical Practitioners
2009 Villagers travel to a near by village (Kusumur) for treatment from the Government Hospital Village Organizations Village was part of fishermen cooperative society which included 3 adjacent villages 1957 - New fishermen cooperative society formed for the village 1996 Government formed 9 Self Help Groups through District Rural Development Agency
Public I nfrastructures in the vill age 1977 Government constructed high school in the village 1990 - Baptist church was established in a thatched hut
2003 Villagers constructed Shivarama dikshitha hindu temple
2004 Villagers constructed Radhakrishna hindu temple and the Baptist church 2008 Government constructed the Fishermen shelter through DRDA. Fish drying platform was contructed by MPs fund
2009 DRDA constructed a 30 metres concrete wall as a barrier to prevent backwaters entering the village during high tide and prevent flooding Transportation facilities for the vill age Villagers traveled by walk or boat to cross the backwaters and reach the mainland 1977 - School teacher guided the villagers in applying for a road to the village
1986 - Villagers met CM and applied for a village road 2004 - Villages again met the new CM and applied for a village road 2009 - Village road was sanctioned through PM road scheme
2010 The village road is being laid through the PM scheme Lifestyle practices of the villagers Villagers had only Ragi and cereals as rice was very expensive 1957 - Men wore dhothi and lalchi, women wore only traditional sarees without blouse
1966 - Food habits changed to rice as the staple diet
1977 - Men wore shirt & pants, Ladies wore traditional sareers with blouse 2000 Men started wearing Jeans & t-shirt. Ladies started wearing Punjabi dress & fancy sarees.
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Origin of the Village: The village was established in the 1957 with not more than 20 families. It is during the same year that they have named it as Kotha Kalingapatnam. These 20 families have come from Miliruputtaka. The following are the reasons for these families to come to this village: Due to increased population size which led to difficulties in fishing Due to less place in the village as sea water came forward In search of better opportunities for sea fishing As mentioned earlier, before the establishment of the village there were only 20 houses and in 1957 the number of houses increased to 80. All these houses were thatched in nature (roof covered with coconut leaves). In 2000, for the first time a concrete house was constructed in the village. At present (2011) there are 235 houses in the village.
Geography of the village: Before 1957, the size of the village was only 1 acre. In 1977 when the population size increased in the village (there were more than 80 houses) the size of the village enlarged to 3 acres. It is during this year that the villagers started to have common coconut trees. In 1980, the villagers have planted coconuts plants for individual families, at present (2011) the size of the village is 7 acres.
Disasters in the village: After the formation of the village for the first time the villagers have experienced cyclone and the entire village has fled to a nearby village (Kusumpuram) for shelter. Considering the vulnerability of the village for natural calamities the Disaster Management Cell of Government of Andhra Pradesh constructed a cycle shelter in the village in 1980. The cyclone shelter is situated at the entrance of the village. During the same year (1980) all houses in the village were burnt.
Water source for the village: In the initial stage of the establishment of the village (1957), the villagers used to dig pits to draw water used for drinking. It is only in 1970 that the village had open wells used for drinking water. For the first time in 2003, 2 bore wells were made available for the villagers by two organization (joint venture) ARTIC & VISWAS. In 2009, hand pumps were installed in the village. At present the hand pumps are not working and the open well used for drinking water are only 2. The water is most often dirty and during the summer the water level in the wells is goes down drastically leading to insufficient water for all the households in the village.
Fishing practice in the village: It is learned from the villagers that in 1957 only elderly women (above 50 years age) used to be involved in vending fish. The villagers are not comfortable to send young women for vending fish for the following reason - they have lot of responsibilities at home (taking care of children, cooking and other household activities). Even at present only elderly women are actively involved in vending fish. The villagers have expressed that they had good fish catch till 2009, but later the quantity of fish caught in sea is reduced due to natural calamities. Due to less supply of fish the price of fish is increased. Since the year of village establishment, the villagers have been using the country crafts for fishing (Theppa). In 1980, the same country crafts were further modified by the villagers themselves, which they named it as Karra Theppa. The villagers feel that it is their master work and later other villagers too started adopting similar crafts for fishing. In 2003, few of the villagers were provided FRP boats by two organizations ARTIC & VISWAS. From 1957 till 2008, women used to travel to neighbouring villages to vend dry fish but it is since 2008 that they began to coordinate with agents in marketing their fish by contacting them over mobile phones. At present, the agents come to the village, after they are informed by the villagers, to buy fish (mostly dry fish). For the first time in 1970 a group of 10 fishermen have migrated to Andaman by boat for fishing activities. From 1996 more than 40 fishermen began to migrate to Chennai, Goa and Mumbai by train and work for other agents in the above mentioned city (fishing). Since 2009 more than 100 fishermen migrate to the above mentioned cities for a period of 4 months to 12 months. Majority of the fishermen with Recreation activities of the villagers 1957 - Traditional puppet shows were conducted about Ramayanam & Mahabaratham in the village
1970 Villagers paid external troops for record dance and skits in the village
17 whom the team interacted shared that they have lot of difficulties when they migrate to these cities as they are not familiar with the language and more over the agents deceive the villagers particularly when it comes to making their payment. They are paid on monthly salary basis. At present they are paid Rs. 5000/ per month as their salary.
Education facilities for the village: The villagers have shown a significant interest for education since the establishment of the village in 1957. Though they did not have any official school established and supported by the government the village had the education facilities in a thatched house (kamala pakala) and very few used to learn to read and write. It is only in 1966 formal education was started in the village under the same thatched house (kamala pakala). It was in 1977 the foundation for construction of school building was laid and it completed in five years time. The school building was constructed by the government of Andhra Pradesh. It is after this that a good number of children (who are not in later 30s) attending formal schooling. The villagers knew the importance of education. The school teachers have played a major role in sensitizing the community on education. In 2006, for the first time one individual started to go to college in the nearby town Kaviti.
Electricity supply for the village: In 1957 the villagers used kerosene lamps and lanterns for light. As the villagers were finding it difficult due to lack of electricity in the village, in 1986 the villagers have met the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (NTR) to submit an application for supply of electricity. In 1996 the electricity supply came for few houses for the first time. It is only in 2009, all the houses in the village were supplied with electricity. However, there are more than 30 houses which do not have electricity at present as they are not able to pay the electricity bill.
Livestock rearing in the village: Many households in the village rare chicken since the year 1957 till date. It is only in the year 2008 only five families started to rare buffaloes (male for ploughing and other activities) and ducks (for consumption by the family and not for selling).
Health facilities for the village: The villagers have shared that in 1957 they had to travel 6 Kms for medical treatment in case of any serious illness. On the other hand, since the establishment of the village till date majority of the deliveries take place at home in the village. If only the delivery is found to be complicated they rush the pregnant women to the hospital. In such cases they used to carry the patient on cot or rap them in a mat due to lack of transportation facilities to access medical treatment.
Village organization: Even before the formation of the village there existed fishermen cooperative society for three neighbouring villages (Idduvanipalem, Ikkalapalem and Karrivanipalem). After establishment of the village the villagers have started a new fishermen cooperative society for the village. In 1996, the government of Andhra Pradesh through Velugu project (DRDA) has formed 9 Self Help Groups. At present there are 10 SHGs in the village.
Public infrastructures in the village: In 1957 the village had an informal school in a thatched house and this was set up by the villagers themselves and in 1966 the formal education started in the village but under the same roof (thatched house). In 1977 the government of Andhra Pradesh began the construction of school in the village. The school has the facility to educate the village children up to class 7. In 1980 the Disaster Management Cell Government of Andhra Pradesh has constructed a cyclone shelter in the village. In 1990 a Baptist Church was established in the village in a thatched hut. In 2003, Shivaram Dikshith temple was constructed by the villagers. In 2004, Radhakrishan temple was constructed by the villagers. It is during the same year that the Baptist Church constructed a new building as the church in the village. In 2008 the fishermen bhavan was constructed by DRDA and in the same year a fish drying platform was constructed by the then Member of Parliament (MP) near on the sea shore. In 2009, a 30 meter concrete wall was constructed behind the school building to prevent the inflow of water from the lake behind the village.
Transportation facilities for the village: The village had no transportation facility till September 2011. It is only in the month of October 2011, the government started laying road leading to the village from Kusumpuram. In order to achieve this, the villagers have taken lot of efforts. In 1977 with the support of the school teacher the villagers have submitted an application to the government of Andhra Pradesh for laying of the road. In 1986 the villagers have met the then Chief Minister (NTR) and submitted an application for road. Again in 2004 the villagers have met the late Chief Minster (YSR) and submitted an application for road. It is in 2009 the government of Andhra Pradesh has approved
18 to lay road to the village under Prime Mister Scheme. The work for laying the road commenced in the month of October 2010 and at present the road has almost reached the village. It is likely that the work will be over in 6 months time.
Life style practice of the villagers: In 1957 men wore dhoti and lalchi, whereas the women wore only sarees. In 1966 the food habits of people changed to rice from using raagi. In few houses raagi is consumed even now. In 1977 men started to wear shirts and pants, whereas the women wore blouse and saree. In 2000 the men started to wear T-shirts and J eans pants, the women wore Punjabi dress and fancy sarees.
Recreation activities of the villagers: During the initial years of the establishment of the village, the villagers used puppet show as one of the main recreations, particularly on the feast days. In 1970 the villagers hired troops (dancers) to dance during the village festivals. These dancers were paid for the villagers. They also started to hire people for small skits.
The Seasonal Calendar was applied to have a general picture of important environmental, cultural and socioeconomic periods throughout the year, which allowed expansion of the teams understanding of local conditions beyond the time spent in the area (diversity and fluctuations in terms of weather conditions, types of seasonal occupation undertaken during the year, income and expenditure patterns, patterns of migration, periods susceptible to disease, village festival s and marriage periods).
Using this tool with the villagers the team has observed that they are very familiar in addressing the months by number rather than by their names. Months Events Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Sea fishing ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Fibre boat
Ordinary boats
Nearby trawlers
Discovala
Siragavala
J ogavala
Katlavala
Wind - N to S
Wind - S to N
Wind - W to E
Wind - E to W
Prawns catch
Lake fishing ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Coolie work
Drying fish
Fish vending
Expenditure ` ` ` `
Income
( ( ( ( ( Marriages
Sickness
+ + + +
Borrowing money
( ( (
Migration m m m m m
m m m m m Mogili flowers
Festivals
Use of Buffaloes
Availability of Villagers
m m
20 Sea fishing: It is learned from the villagers that they are engaged in sea fishing activities for 9 months in a year (from August to April). During the months of May, J une and J uly the fishermen do not go for fishing as this is the breeding period. It is also learned that the government would announce in their village about period for fish breeding and avoid fishermen going into the sea for fishing.
Use of fibre teppa (Fibre boats): The villagers have shared the information that they use the fiber boats with motor for 8 months in a year (from September to April). At present there are only 5 motor boats in the village and each boat is used by 20 fishermen.
Karra teppa (Ordinary boats): These boats are used for fishing in the sea from August to April. They are not used for 3 months during the fish breeding period. These boats are used by 3 to 4 fishermen. Most of these boats are run rowing them.
Trawlers from neighboring cities: In a year for 11 months the trawlers come into the area of the fishermen for fishing. It is only in the month of April that these trawlers do not enter their area for fishing. It is also learned from the villagers that the frequent coming of the trawlers to the area of the fishermen using ordinary and motor boats makes it difficult for them to catch good fish as the fish is disturbed by bigger boats. The villagers feel that they can question them as the opponents are might (bigger size of boat and they are rich) and the villagers feel that the government will not support the fishermen if they complain on the issue.
Use of discovala (Nets): The Disco Nets are used for catching prawns during the months of August, September, October and November. The remaining months it is not used. At present there are only 3 disco nets in the village. In order to catch prawns the fishermen leave for fishing at 5:00 am and come back to the village by 12:00 pm during the above mentioned months.
Use of siragavala (Nets): The Siraga Net is used during the months of October, November and December. This is used to catch small size fish called Kalavalu. In order to catch this fish, the fishermen go to sea at 4:00 am and come back to the village by 10:00 am during the above mentioned months.
Use of jogavala (Nets): This net is used during the months of March, April and May to catch bigger size fish called Kanagari and Vajram. This net is used only by three people in rowing boats.
Use of katlavala (Nets): The use of Katla nets takes place during the months of March, April, May, J une, J uly and August. This is used to catch medium size fish. Each of this costs from Rs. 1.50 to Rs. 3.00.
Wind from North (Uttar gali): Usually during the months of September, October, November and December this wind falls. This wind is good for fishing.
Wind from South (Toorpu gali): This wind is supposed to start in the month of February and last till May. It is informed by the villagers that this wind can be very bad for fishing.
Wind from West: The wind from the west lasts for 7 months (February to August). If such wind comes the fishermen identify it for caution for cyclone.
Wind from East: This occurs during the months of J une, J uly, August, September and October. During this season the currents will be very strong and it makes the fishermen very difficult to go for fishing.
Prawns catch: Fishermen catch prawns during the month of J une, J uly, August and September.
Fishing in lake (backwaters): Fishing in the nearby lake takes place throughout the year. But it is intensified during the months of May, J une and J uly as the fishermen do not go into the sea for fishing due to fish breeding period. It is learned that every family during months go for fishing in the lake and use them for consuming only and not for selling.
Agriculture coolie (women): It is learned from the villagers that during the month of August and December the women in the village go to neighboring village in the districts and at times to the
21 villages in Orissa in search of work as agriculture coolies. They mainly work in paddy fields. The women are paid between Rs. 100 to Rs. 150 a day.
Drying fish: Majority of the villagers/household are engaged in fish drying activities. The peak months for drying fish are September, October, November and December.
Fish vending: Fish vending happens throughout the year (fresh and dry fish).
Expenditures: It is learned from the community that they have more expenditures during the month of J anuary, February, March and April as this is the time when they have several festival (buying clothes, painting house and variety food). In addition this is also a peak time for marriages.
Income: The income that the villagers get from vending fish is higher from August to December months. It is during this season that there is a good catch of fish compared to other seasons in a year.
Marriages: The marriage season begins in the month of February and last up to J une. It is learned from the villagers that the bride and bridegroom will be of very young age and mostly the marriages happen within the village and very few of them marry outsiders. And most of them who marry an outsider (village) are love marriages.
Sickness/Illness: The villagers are prone to diarrhea and fever during the summer season (April to J uly). The reason for such illness is that they eat lot of mangoes, which are not very hygienic and it is during this season that plenty of fruits are available. Due to poor hygienic practices they are prone to be to ill.
Borrowing of money: The villagers borrow money from the money lenders during the months of April, May and J une. This is the period for fish breeding and they do not go for fishing into the sea. They borrow money to run the family and to repay the loans they have taken from the money lenders. They borrow money from the following villages: Isukayapalem, Karrivanipalem and Kothapalem.
Migration: A good number of the villagers go on migration to other cities in search of job as fishermen. They migrate for 10 months (from August to May). Majority migrate to Chennai, Goa and Mumbai.
Selling of Mogali dong flowers: The villagers are engaged in vending the mogali flowers from April to August. The flowers are exported and essence to make perfume is drawn from these flowers. Each flower is sold for more than Rs. 5.
Festivals: The village feast is called Chinthamani Grama Devatha Utsthavalu. This takes place in the month of August for a period of nine days once in five years. All the expenditure is met by the villages and they contribute towards this celebration for a period of five years. The funds are managed by the village committee.
Use of Buffaloes: The buffaloes are used for ploughing only two months a year (J anuary and August).
Availability of villagers: All the villagers will be available in the village only during the months of J une and J uly. During this period, even the fishermen who have gone on migration return to the village.
22 4. Venn Diagram
Date & Time : 18th March 2011, 12:00 -15:00 Hrs Facilitator : Hansen Thambi Prem Documenter : Satyanarayana Venue : Fishermen Shelter Participants : 11 (8 men, 2 women & 1 boy)
The Venn diagram exercise was applied to explore and understand how the services and functions of the local institutions, organizations and policies are relevant to the community, based on the perception given by villagers (Government organizations, NGOs, bank, police station, post office, court, local elites, health nurse, fisheries department, fish market, ration shop, hospital, school, etc.)
1. Local Government School Teacher (Head Master): The community has identified the school head master as VERY IMPORTANT for the village, it has very good rapport and places it very close to the village. The community feels that the education is very important for them and there are 130 getting educated. Prior to laying of the road, the school teachers were not regular but for the last one year, they are very regular to the school. The RELATIONSHIP between the teachers and the community is highlighted to be at ITS BEST when compared to other institutions or persons. The teachers show more interest in the development of the children studying in their school. The teachers also share with the parents about the progress and behaviour of the children in the school. The village has appointed a volunteer teacher, who is paid by the village (from the savings of the village)
2. Mandal Education Officer: Situated in Kaviti about 7 Kms from the village. The community has identified the institution and the officer as VERY IMPORTANT but they have SATISFACTORY RAPPORT with the office and officer and therefore, they have placed it a bit away from the village (middle circle). Most often the villagers go to the office for any signatures on documents and if work is not completed the villagers would approach the local Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA)
23 3. Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA): The community feels that the MLA is VERY IMPORTANT. The MLA was very supportive to the village and has supported in educational needs, road and creating employment opportunities for the educated youth of the village at toll gates (temporary). In spite of this the community has expressed that the RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MLA IS SATISFACTORY as not all the requests and support sought by the villagers are sanctioned and attended to, therefore, they have placed the MLA at a distance (middle circle)
4. Fishermen Union: This is a union of the fishermen hailing from 23 villages in the mandal situated in Kaviti. This union was started a year ago (2009) and the community feels the union as VERY IMPORTANT as any support related to their livelihood is done by the union and the union members/officers are supportive to the fishermen in providing more information on their livelihoods and attend to their needs regularly. The community expressed that they have a VERY GOOD RAPPORT but not as good as they have with local school teacher (HM)
5. Electricity Officer: It is situated in Kavati, talking about the importance of the Assistant Electricity Officer the village expressed that the department and the officer are of VERY IMPORTANT as they can help them lead a better life by providing electricity in the village and attend to the problems reported by the village. The village has expressed that they have VERY POOR RAPPORT with the department/officer as they do not attend to the electricity problems in the village and do not respect them when they approach the officer. Recently (in 2009), the village caught fire due to electricity wires and people were afraid that the entire village would be burnt. The villagers have informed the electricity officer but did not bother of the complaint and therefore, the villagers informed one of the villagers, who happened to be in Kaviti informed the police station and later the police requested to attend to the problem. Immediately the electricity department attended to it. Due to this the community places it very far away from the village.
6. Mandal Revenue Officer (MRO): It is situated in Kaviti, the villagers approach MRO for submission of various requests for the development of the village, request to support them in purchasing boats if they are destroyed. The community expressed that they have lot of work with the revenue inspector. The community identifies its importance as MEDIUM as they do not attend to their needs and the relationship with MRO is VERY POOR.
7. Fishermen Society: The villagers have expressed that it is VERY IMPORTANT for them but not much good has been done through the society. Through the society the fishermen are to get rice and other provisions from the government during the fish breeding period but so far, only 2 families received such support. Therefore, the villagers feel that they have AVERAGE RAPPORT with the society and places it in the middle circle.
8. Fisheries Development Officer: The villagers were very hesitant to speak anything about the fisheries department or fisheries development officer. Their reluctance was to an extent that they have exhibited their poor knowledge about the department. Later when more clarity was given to the villagers about the fisheries department they have expressed that they feel it is VERY IMPORTANT for their development. The FDO comes to the village twice a year and does not related well with the community. As they have not received any assistance till date from the fisheries department they have expressed that their rapport with the department is VERY POOR and placed it very far away from the village.
9. Health/Hospital/ANM: The villagers expressed that the ANM comes regularly to the village based on the health camps, which are conducted either on monthly or weekly basis. The health camps are conducted at Anganwadi school, most often she comes for giving polio drops to children. The villagers feel that the ANM is VERY IMPORTANT for them. They have expressed that there is a GOOD RAPPORT with ANM and placed her very close to the village but not as close as school head master.
10. Self Help Groups: There are 10 SHGs in the village, the women feel that SHGs are of MODERATE IMPORTANCE and therefore, they still continue to work in SHGs. Currently the SHGs are not very actives due to lack of resources for development and lack of loan facility from banks and other money lending institutions. In the past the SHGs have availed huge loans and have a good track of clearing loans in time. The women have placed it in the middle circle and expressed they DO NOT HAVE A GOOD RAPPORT due to lack of money.
24 11. Banks/Vishaka Grameena Bank: Bank is situated in Kaviti, the SHGs have joint accounts in this bank. The SHGs have availed loans from this bank in the past, there are also individual savings accounts in this bank from this village but none of the SHG group members have individual savings account. A good number of the villagers have savings account in State Bank of India in Kaviti. A good number of fishermen who work in Chennai/Goa/Mumbai on migration prefer to deposit their earnings and come home and therefore, reduce the risks. In spite of this, the villagers have expressed that it is of MODERATE IMPORTANCE to them and majority of the villagers DO NOT HAVE A GOOD RAPPORT with the bank as all of them do not use the banking facilities/services.
12. Post Office: The post office is situated in Kusumbur, a near by village, the villagers feel post office is NOT IMPORTANT. Few of the villagers go to post office for money order purpose. The relationship that exists between the villagers and post office is expressed to be MODERATE and placed it in the middle circle. It is expressed by the college going students that the post office could be a very important component for their education in future as they can get their exam hall ticket and any other information related to their studies and jobs. Therefore, they expressed the need for bringing it very close to the village in term of its relationship.
13. Police Station: It is situated in Kaviti, most of the disputes in the village are solved by the village committee and if something is beyond their reach will be addressed at the police station. For the last two years the villagers have not taken any single issue to Police Station and therefore, the villagers have MODERATE IMPORTANCE for Police Station and have expressed to have MODERATE RAPPORT.
14. Ration Shop: This is situated I Kusumur village, the villagers feel it VERY IMPORTANT but the RAPPORT IS AVERAGE. However, the villagers avail provisions through the ration shop on a regular basis
15. ARTIC - NGO: The organization intervened 10 years ago in the villages (supported in providing hand pumps). The villagers feel it VERY IMPORTANT as the organization has undertaken lot of developmental works but the community did not positively utilize them due to lack of awareness for the time being RAPPORT IS AVERAGE.
16. Indian Red Cross Society: The village was not aware of IRCS till the team reached them to conduct PRA after having known the activities of IRCS the village feels is VERY IMPORTANT. But since IRCS has not intervened in the village so far, they have placed it very far away from the village expressing it relationship. Therefore, the RAPPORT IS VERY POOR however, the community wishes to have close relationship with IRCS.
17. Fish Market: There is no fish market as such close to the village, the villagers sell to few shop owners (eg. Mr. Satyam a shop owner) and the shops do not have any name. The villagers carry dry fish in baskets or sacks and sell them in Sompet and Umasanth in Orissa. Fresh fish would be sold in the neighbouring village and if they have good catch they would transport to Chennai. The villagers gave very POOR IMPORTANCE to it as the RAPPORT TOO IS AVERAGE.
18. Gram Panchayath: The villagers feel it very IMPORTANT as they know that development of the village is possible through it but they have VERY POOR RAPPORT with the panchayath (placed far away). They did not attend to requests of villagers to lay roads and have street lights, etc
19. Veterinary Hospital: It is situated in Kaviti, for the last time the Veterinary doctor visited the village was 5 years ago as many people do not have cattle, they feel it is of POOR IMPORTANCE. The villagers have placed it far away from the village expressing their POOR RELATIONSHIP.
20. Government Hospital: 108 services provided by the Government is very useful for the villagers, they feel it is VERY IMPORTANT and also have VERY GOOD RAPPORT as they respond immediately.
21. Money Lenders: There are no money lenders in the village, most often if the villagers wish to borrow money they get it from neighbouring villagers and repay them on monthly basis. Few of them go to Sompet to borrow money. The villagers maximum capacity to avail money is approximately Rs.
25 20000/-. However, the villagers consider having MEDIUM IMPORTANCE and placed it very close to the village expressing VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP.
22. College: There is a Government Degree college situated in Kaviti, the villagers consider it to be VERY IMPORTANT as more than 20 attend regularly but presently the RAPPORT IS VERY POOR and placed it far from the village.
23. Anganwadi Teacher: Anganwadi teach is VERY IMPORTANT as she supports the children and pregnant women and provides basic health care. The villagers have a VERY GOOD RAPPORT.
24. Agriculture Department: As many do not have lands for cultivation the villagers have MODERATE IMPORTANCE for it and placed it very far away from the village expressing its POOR RELATIONSHIP.
25. Village Elders: The villagers feel they are the MOST IMPORTANT people of the village. They expressed them to be the backbone of the village. They have high respect for the leaders but their RAPPORT IS MODERATE at present as the elders do not show much keen in village development activities.
26. Member of Parliament: The fish drying platform in the village is constructed by the previous MP under MPs funds, at present MP does not have good rapport with the village and feel it is of MODERATE IMPORTANCE.
26 5. Livelihood Matrix
5.1 Women
Date & Time : 18th March 2011, 15:00 -17:15 Hrs Facilitator : Mohan Krishna Documenter : Satyanarayana Venue : Central Village Street Participants : 22 (2 men, 15 women & 5 children)
The livelihood matrix tool was conducted with a focused group of women to understand the livelihood options exi sting in the village and their perspectives in prioritizing the livelihood options. This tool is about listing livelihood options, analyzing against each livelihood factors (travel, work load, skills required, duration of work, investment, expenditures and occupational hazards), scoring and ranking the livelihood options in the community.
Liveli hoods Factors Essenti al f or Liveli hood Score Rank S k i l l s
T r a v e l
D u r a t i o n
I n v e s t m e n t
E x p e n d i t u r e
I n c o m e
H a z a r d s
S u s t a i n a b l e
Fresh Fish Vending
23 II Dry Fish Vending
11 V Coolie (Agriculture)
14 IV Coolie (Daily Wage)
20 III Pettie Business
28 I Legend: Skills required - If more skills required the scoring is less, if less skills the scoring is more. Travel - If more travel involved the scoring is less, if less travel the scoring is more. Work duration - If work duration is more the scoring is less, if less work duration the scoring is more. Investment - If more investment required the scoring is less, if less investment the scoring is more. Expenditures - If more expenditure involved the scoring is less, if less expenditure the scoring is more. Income - If more income is obtained the scoring is more, if less income the scoring is less. Hazards - If more hazards involved the scoring is less, if fewer hazards the scoring is more. Sustainable - If the livelihood is sustainable (throughout the year) scoring is more, if it is seasonal the scoring is less.
Fresh fish vending: A countable number of women in the village are engaged in vending fresh fish in the nearby villages. Due to lack of preservation and transportation facilities they do not vend more than 10-15 kgs of fresh fish a day. Skills No specific skills required, anybody could carry out the work. In the village there are 20 women involved in this activity. Travel Traveling is very difficult because they do not have transportation facility and have to walk till Kusumuru and board a bus from Sompet to other villages. Work duration They start the activity in the morning at 7:00 and work till 4:00 pm Investment They investment for buying baskets, utensils and tools for vending fish. Expenditure They borrow money (approximately Rs.600) from others in the village to buy fish and travel which is returned on daily basis. Income They get less income as they can vend only few quantity of fish Hazards Due to lack of road and transportation facilities, the fisherwomen at times walk in the water (lake) and travel by boat to reach other villages, which is at time very risky. In addition due to poor transportation facilities it takes long time to reach villages and fish loses its freshness as a result it does not have good value in the market.
27 Sustainability They get fish for 9 months a year and they vend fish during this 9 months only
Dried fish vending: Majority of the women in the village are dry fish vendors. Most of the dry fish is sold for livestock due to poor infrastructure to dry fish for human consumption. It is learned that most of the villagers travel to neighbouring state (Orissa) to vend fish. They usually transport the dry fish by a truck/lorry to the market place, stay for more than two to three days until fish is sold. Skills Anyone can do this business and but requires few skills in mixing salt to cure, time to cure, etc. Travel They travel long distances to sell the fish and at times if the fish is unsold they would need to stay back and move to other areas until sold Work duration If fish remains unsold the villagers would move from place to place. Therefore, they would take from 1 to 4 days to do this business. Investment The investment to carry out dry fish vending is very high compared to fresh fish vending. The spend for purchase of curing tubs Expenditure Spend for buying salt, when they travel long distances they spend on travel, buying rice and vegetables. Income There is a very poor income from vending dry fish as it does not have good demand such as fresh fish in the market. Hazards There is fear during the rainy season as the fish can be spoilt due to poor storage and involves mush risk. Sustainability During the rainy seasons its difficult to cure and dry fish
Agriculture coolie: During the months of August and December most of the women in the village migrate to other villages (in Andhra Pradesh as well as Orissa) in search of work as agriculture coolies. Most of them work in the paddy field (planting and harvesting). During these two months they will have 30-40 days of work and earn Rs. 100 to Rs. 130 a day. Skills Skills are learnt from parents and feel it is inherited to practice gardening and farming activities Travel In search of this work, the villagers migrate to Orissa for 2 months in a year and face difficulties in traveling Work duration They start the work at 6:00 am and come back homes after 6:00 pm. Investment No investment is required for this occupation Expenditure Involves expenditure such as travel, food and other provisions. Income Income compared to vending of fresh and dried fish is very poor and preferred to score it (0) Hazards The work is usually during rainy seasons, flooding and its difficult to work Sustainability This is practiced only for 2 months (August & December) in a year.
Daily wage labour: Some of the villagers work as daily labourers at construction sites, road works, etc. The villagers will have to own required tools to work as coolies in the above mentioned work places. Skills Anyone can carry out this occupation and do not require skills Travel Travel to neighboring villages for work Work duration They work for the entire day from morning till evening (6 am to 6 pm) Investment Need to invest in buying crowbars, spades, etc Expenditure Involves travel expenditures but not much
28 Income Income compared to vending of fresh and dried fish is much better because they can get Rs.100- 150 per day Hazards Less hazardous job and not much risk is involved Sustainability This is practiced only for 4 to 5 weeks in a year depending on the need.
Pettie business: The information on petty business was appraised from one of the villagers (woman) who is engaged in petty business. Skills Anyone can carry out this occupation and do not require skills Travel Travel to neighboring towns to purchase provisions Work duration As the shop is in the house or very close to the house, they work for the entire day from morning till evening (6 am to 7 pm). Investment They invest money in buying provisions, vegetables, setting up a shop, etc Expenditure Involves expenditures in traveling, purchasing provision and vegetables but not much Income The income is not very attractive but sufficient enough for a day. They earn about Rs. 50 to 75 profit a day. Hazards Pettie business has hazards but not very risky Sustainability Sustainability for petty business is more.
5.2 Men
Date & Time : 19th March 2011, 15:00 -16:15 Hrs Facilitator : Mohan Krishna Documenter : Satyanarayana Venue : Fishermen Shelter Participants : 15 men
A livelihood matrix tool was conducted with a focused group of men to understand the livelihood options existing in the village and their perspectives in prioritizing the livelihood options similar to the exercise done with a group of women.
Liveli hoods Factors Essenti al f or Liveli hood Score Rank S k i l l s
T r a v e l
D u r a t i o n
I n v e s t m e n t
E x p e n d i t u r e
I n c o m e
H a z a r d s
S u s t a i n a b l e
Sea Fishing
15 V Lake Fishing
20 IV Mogali Plants*
34 I Agriculture
27 III Tailoring
28 II * It is a kind of plant found in the village; the flowers from these plants are very expensive as it is used for cosmetics.
Sea Fishing: Majority of the men in the village are engaged in fishing, mostly sea fishing. There are only 5 motorized boats in the village and each of this is used by nearly 15 fisherwomen, who share
29 the expenditure and profit. Others use ordinary boats (rowing). They work 6 days a week and rest on every Saturday. Skills Lot of skills required to sail the boat into the sea and to estimate the fish availability. Travel It will take nearly 2-3 hours to reach the spot and they have to sail on their own to reach there. Work duration Normally they will spend 7-8 hours on fishing; if more fish is available they will spend even 18 hours in the sea in a single stretch. Investment They have to invest a lot for the making of Boat and purchase of different nets. Sometimes the nets will damage frequently. Expenditure Expenditures are limited. Income they are getting average income compared to their difficulties etc. Hazards Very high. They might drown in the sea, vulnerable for cyclones, life threat. Sustainability 10 Months (2 months ban period)
Lake Fishing: The men who fish in the lake are of countable number in the village. However, during the fish breeding period, all the men go for fishing in the lake, but they do not sell the fish rather use them for cooking. Skills Required to prepare the bamboo traps, place the traps in right place, repairing of the traps everyday Travel Distance wise may be near but has to walk in the mud to reach the location Work duration Normally they will spend around 7 hours a day for the occupation i.e. early morning 1 hour for collecting fish from bamboo traps, 3 hours for repairing the damaged bamboo traps, 2 hours for making new bamboo traps and 1 hour for insertion of repaired traps. Investment Though few bamboo traps prepared by them, some bamboo traps has to purchase and needs to be replace every 4 months. Sometimes they even damage very early. Expenditure operation cost is low Income they are getting only Rs. 50/- to Rs.70/- per day Hazards vulnerable for shell wounds while walking in the mud, they mentioned that there is no day for them without getting a wound on their occupation Sustainability 9 months (3 months water wont be there in the lake)
Mogali Plants: During the months of March, April, May and J une a good number of the villagers are engaged in vending Mogalidonga flowers. Few of the villagers own these plants. It is learned from the villagers that they sell the flowers to agents and later they export the flowers to other countries. Skills Not required, it is only to pluck the flowers from the tree and to squeeze to get the perfume Travel Very less 0.5 to 1 Km. Mogali flowers are available surrounding of the village Work duration Less 2- 3 Hrs. entire activities will take only limited time, Investment Very less. No need of fertilizers or any other investment. Trees will grow on their own. Expenditure No expenditure involved in this activity Income they get income on average basis Hazards vulnerable for snake bites and cut wounds by the sharp leaves) Sustainability 9 months (3 months water wont be there in the lake)
Agriculture: During the months of August and December the villagers work in the paddy fields. Skills required to know farming process, when to fertilize etc. but easy to learn the process Travel less 0.5 to 2 Km. need to go by walk on mud roads
30 Work duration it will take entire day during work and will take 5 months per crop Investment need to put investment for buying Seeds, fertilizers etc Expenditure need to pay to the labor whenever they work in the process of farming Income Average compare to their investment and the period for the income. Sometimes they even lost their crop due to cyclones, floods etc. Hazards Very less Sustainability 9 months (5 months one crop and 4 months another crop)
Tailoring: There are only 4 men who are engaged in tailoring. They stitch pants, shirts and dress for the women. Skills Need training on stitching, cutting etc Travel no need of transportation can be sit in one place and can do the work Work duration entire day time they will be involved in the work, even work in nights when they is lot of demand (festivals) Investment Less. Only to buy threads etc Expenditure no expenditure involved in carryout the activity Income Income is high. They will get around Rs.150/- per pair Hazards Very less, may get health problems in longer period Sustainability work will be available in the entire year
31 6. Socio Economic Security
Date & Time : 19 th March 2011, 11:45 -14:10 Hrs Facilitator : Hansen Thambi Prem Documenter : Krishna Venue : Nukadasus House Participants : Nukadasus wife and 3 children (2 boys & 1 girl)
Based on the details furnished in the social mapping household card one family was identified randomly by the PRA team which represented the same socio economic conditions of most families. The socio economic security tool was conducted with the identified family, the family details are as follows,
Nukadasu, a fisherman aged 39 is head of the family his wife Bharathamma aged 33) is a home maker, they have 2 boys (Samuel aged 17 stopped studying after 10th standard and Raju aged 10 studying in 5th standard) and 1 girl (Sara aged 13 studying 6th standard. Nukadasus wife shared the information as Nukadasu had migrated to Mumbai for fishing.
The discussion was to understand the expenditures, income, savings and social security of the family on daily, monthly and annual basis through a self analysis done by the family.
Expenditure in INR Daily Monthly Annually Rice X 3500 X Vegetables 15 X X Edible Oil 10 X X Breakfast/Tea 10 X X Alcohol 77 X X School Uniform for children X X 1200 Purchase of books/pens X X 500 Electricity X 60 X Purchase of provision X 500 X Travel for agriculture coolie X X 1200 Loan repayment X 30 X Medical expenditure X X >15000 House Tax X X 40 Payment to Village Committee X X 500 Make up Items - girl child X X 1000 Purchase of close on festivals X X 6000 Festival expenditure X X 1000 Boat repair and net mending X X 10000 Salt for curing fish X X 2250 Drying of fish X X 600 Fish curing (plastic sheets) X X 2400 Painting of house X X 100 Household articles X X 500 Lake fishing X X 400 Total 112 4090 42000
The economic security tool was used with a single family in the village. The following are the details of the family. The husbands name is Nukadasu and his wife is housewife. The family has 2 male children and 1 girl child. The eldest son studies up to class 10 and now stopped studying. The girl who is in the second in the family is studying class 6 and the last boy is studying class 5. The information was shared by the mother of the family as the father was away in Mumbai on migration.
The woman has shared that daily her family spends Rs.112 (Rupees one hundred and twelve only). The details of the expenditure are as given below.
32 It is learned that the family purchase vegetables and edible oil on daily basis. As milk is not easily available in the village the family prefers to buy tea/coffee from the shop. It is also learned that her husband consumes alcohol every day after coming back from fishing in the sea. The team was informed that the head of the family consumes minimum of 160 ml of alcohol every day. The preferred alcohol is brandy and not toddy or local alcohol (not available in the village).
The family purchase rice on monthly basis for an amount of Rs. 3500 to Rs. 4000. It is learned that when the head of the family goes to sea for fishing he would have meals at least four times a day. This would increase the consumption of rice compared to the days when he does not go for fishing. In addition to rice, the family purchase salt, turmeric, tamarind, chilly power and chilies, onion, and other provisions for a total of Rs. 500 every month. As the family has electricity supply in the house it pays Rs. 60 every month towards usage. In addition to this, the family pays an amount of Rs. 30 towards clearance of the loan availed from SHG (the woman is member of SHG in the village).
As the family has two children who are studying in class 5 and 6, the family spends approximately Rs. 1200/ towards purchase of school uniform. It is learned that from the coming academic year the government would provide school uniforms to the students. Similarly the family spends Rs. 500 every years towards purchase of note books, pens and pencil for their children.
In the past one year the family has spent more than Rs. 15000 towards health care. One of the family members was not feeling well and they have spent that much amount in the hospital. When the mother of the family goes for coolie work (agriculture) she spends approximately Rs. 1200 towards travel, food and other expenditures. The family pays house tax (Rs. 40) on yearly basis. The family also makes payment to the village committee every year. A total of Rs. 500 is paid. The amount is paid based on the number of male elders living in the house. As the family has a grown up boy and the father of the boy they have paid Rs. 250 each. The girl children and woman need not pay to the village. The money paid will be utilized by the village committee for its development works.
In addition to this, the family spends about Rs. 1000 towards make up items and other items related to women/children in the family. The family also spends lot of money on festivals mainly for purchasing clothes. As this family embraces Christianity, they purchase clothes on the Christmas day. It was also shared that on this day, the family also purchase clothes for the close relatives and gifts them. Other expenditures that occur on Christmas are to paint the house, cook tasty food, etc.
The expenditure related to the livelihood is as given below: They spend approximately Rs. 10000 towards repair of the boat annually. As the family is involved in drying fish, they spend Rs. 2250. They buy 15 bags of salt; each bag weighs 100 kgs of salt. In order to cure fish they dig earth and cure it in a plastic sheet and cover it again with plastic sheet.
Though the family has not spent any money on the marriages of their child so far, the team has in general gathered information on how much money is spent on marriage. The following was the information shared by the villagers. The girls family spends approximately from Rs. 150000 to Rs. 250000. The minimum dowry given to the boys family is Rs. 100000. Apart from this the girls family has to purchase gold, clothes for the girl. On the other hand the boys family will spend approximately Rs. 50000.
It is also learned from the community that majority of the deliveries take place in the village and there are four midwives in the village who attend to this. The following are the names of the midwives in the village: Karri Kanthamma Wife of J agannaik, Karri Papamma No husband, Landa Vallamma Wife of Landa Ramayya and Yeddu Korlamma Wife of Yeddu Ramayya.
Income i n INR Daily Monthly Annually Fresh fish catch 500 X X Dry fish vending X X 10000 Agriculture coolie X X 3000 Mogalidonga Flowers Vending X X 15000 Total 500 X 28000
33 The above table illustrates the sources of income of the family. There are four major sources of income, such as, vending of fresh fish, selling of dry fish, agriculture coolie and selling of Mogalidonga flowers. The income from vending of fresh fish is Rs. 500 daily at an average. The family has a boat (rowing type) and the head of the family hires two more to support him in fishing. At the end of the day based on the quantity of fish caught the head of the family pays them half of what is earned that day (50% of the total amount earned). In case the boat requires repair or the net needs mending, it is the responsibility of the head of the family to meet these expenditure and not of the two persons who join him in fishing. The family dries fish but is not directly involved in vending fish. The family sells the fish to the parents of head of family (Mr. Nukadasu), who pay them Rs. 10000 (Rupees Ten Thousand a year) and they vend the dry fish. Apart from the income from the fish business the family also earns by going for coolie job (agriculture woman only) and also by vending Mogalidonga flower which is available in the village.
Savings in INR Cash Assets Savings in Self Help Groups Rs. 30 (Daily) X J ewels X 10000 LIC Policy 300000 X Bajaj Life Insurance Policy 60000 X Kattela Boat X 7000 Nets (4 types) X 90000 House X 30000 Compensation from fishermen society X 10000 Total 360000 147000
The family has savings in the form of cash as well as assets. As the woman in the family is member of Self Help Group, she saves Rs. 30 (Rupees Thirty Only) on daily basis (365 days * Rs. 30 =Rs. 10950 a year). On the other hand the family has two life insurances: LIC and Bajaj Life Insurance. Under LIC annually the family saves Rs. 24000 (Rupees Twenty Four Thousand Only). However this amount is paid on monthly basis Rs. 2000 (Rupees Two Thousand Only). This is paid for a period of fifteen years and the total insured amount is Rs. 300000 (Rupees Three Lakhs only). Similarly the family has just started savings with Bajaj Life Insurance for a period of five years and annual payment of Rs. 6000 (Rupees Six Thousand Only). The total sum assured is Rs. 60000 (Rupees Sixty Thousand Only). In addition to the above the family has assets as given below: the woman has gold worth Rs. 10000 (Rupees Ten Thousand). It consists of ear rings gifted by her parents at the time of marriage. The family owns a boat and net which are worth Rs. 97000 (Boat Rs. 7000 and Net Rs. 90000). The house they live in is worth Rs. 30000. This amount is specified only for the material and the cost involved in constructing the house. The amount for the land is not calculated as it is given by the village. Finally, the head of the family is the member of the fishermen cooperative society and the family is eligible for compensation of Rs. 10000, if anything happens to him while in the sea for fishing.
34 7. Daily Routine Charts
7.1 Inland Fishermen Name of the Respondent : A. Devaraju House No : 1 Family Members : 4 Date : 19 th March 2011 Time : 14:30 to 15:00 Hrs Facilitator : Mohana Krishna G Documenter : Satyanarayana Devaraju is an inland fisherman in the village who does fishing in backwaters. The purpose of this tool was to understand the daily routine activity of the inland fishermen of the village using the daily routine chart to discuss with Devaraju. 06:00 to 07:00 07:00 to 08:00 08:00 to 11:00 11:00 to 13:00 13:00 to 15:00 15:00 to 18:00 18:00 to 21:00 21:00 to 06:00
06:00 to 07:00 Wakeup, colleting fish from the bamboo traps 07:00 to 08:00 Toilets / bath / breakfast 08:00 to 11:00 Repairing of Bamboo Traps 11:00 to 13:00 Lunch & Rest 13:00 to 15:00 Prepare new bamboo traps 15:00 to 18:00 Chatting / rest / TV 18:00 to 21:00 Dinner 20:00 to 06:00 Sleep
7.2 Dried Fish Vendors Men Name of the Respondent : Lakshman Behra House No : 24 Family Members : 4 Date : 19 th March 2011 Time : 10:45 to 11:45 Hrs Facilitator : Madhu Sagili Documenter : Mohana Krishna G Lakshman Behra is a fish vendor who is fully involved in the dried fish vending. He has a regular routine from Monday to Thursday and a weekend routine on Saturdays and Sundays. One daily routine chart was applied to understand the Lakshmans regular routine and one chart was applied to understand his weekend routine.
Monday to Friday 05:30 to 06:00 06:00 to 07:00 07:00 to 10:00 10:00 to 12:00 12:00 to 13:00 13:00 to 15:00 15:00 to 19:00 19:00 to 20:00 20:00 t0 20:30 20:30 to 21:00 21:00 to 05:30
35 05:30 to 06:00 Wakeup 06:00 to 07:00 Toilets / bath / Breakfast 07:00 to 10:00 Drying of Previous day fish 10:00 to 12:00 Buying Fresh Fish 12:00 to 13:00 Lunch, Rest 13:00 to 15:00 Curing of Fish 15:00 to 19:00 Buying of Dry Fish from the villagers 19:00 to 20:00 Inventory 20:00 to 20:30 Dinner 20:30 to 21:00 Watching TV 21:00 to 05:00 Sleep
Saturday & Sunday 04:30 to 05:00 05:00 to 05:30 05:30 to 12:00 12:00 to 12:30 12:30 to 17:00 17:00 to 03:00 03:00 to 04:00 04:00 to 12:00 12:00 to 19:00
04:30 to 05:00 Wakeup 05:00 to 05:30 Bath / toilet / Breakfast 05:30 to 12:00 Packing the Dry fish in bags 12:00 to 12:30 Lunch 12:30 to 17:00 Purchase of Dry Fish 17:00 to 03:00 Travel to market for vending dry fish 03:00 to 04:00 Unloading of Fish Bags 04:00 to 12:00 Vending Dry Fish 12:00 to 19:00 Return J ourney
7.3 Marine Fishermen Fishermen in the village fish using mainly two types of boats, they are Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) boats and Theppa (Country crafts). The FRP boats are having better features compared to the country crafts. There are only 5 FRP boats in the village and a total of 75 fishermen depend on this for their livelihood. There are 40 country crafts in the village and a total of 120 fishermen depend on this for their livelihood. Daily routine chart was applied for both in order to understand the daily routine of both type of fishermen.
Fishermen with FRP Boats Name of the Respondent : Karri Kotesh House No : 4 Family Members : 5 Date : 19th March 2011 Time : 13:00 to 13:30 Hrs Facilitator : Mohana Krishna G Documenter : Satyanarayana Mr. Kotesh along with 14 fishermen in the village owns a fiber boat. The information related to daily routine was appraised from him, who said that though he along with other fishermen has less difficulty in catching fish, availability of the ice, fuel is the main constrains for the fishermen fishing with FRP boats.
36 Fishing with Fiber Boat - Daily Routine Chart 04:00 to 04:30 04:30 to 05:00 05:00 to 05:30 05:30 to 06:00 06:00 to 11:00 11:00 to 12:00 12:00 to 13:00 13:00 to 15:00 15:00 to 17:00 17:00 to 18:00 18:00 to 19:00 19:00 to 20:00 20:00 to 21:00 21:00 to 04:00 04:00 to 04:30 Wakeup, toilet, bath 04:30 to 05:00 Preparing Net & Boat for fishing 05:30 to 05:30 Breakfast 05:30 to 06:00 Boat Travel for fishing 06:00 to 11:00 Fishing in the Sea 11:00 to 12:00 Return J ourney 12:00 to 13:00 Lunch 13:00 to 15:00 Rest 15:00 to 17:00 Prepare Nets / Boats for next day fishing 17:00 to 18:00 Watching TV / Chatting with people 18:00 to 19:00 Other issues / Family issues 19:00 to 20:00 Dinner 20:00 to 21:00 Watching TV 21:00 to 04:00 Sleep
Fishermen with Country Craft Name of the Respondent : R. Purushottam House No : 79 Family Members : 5 Date : 19th March 2011 Time : 13:30 to 14:00 Hrs Facilitator : Mohana Krishna G Documenter : Satyanarayana Purushotham catches the fish in a traditional boat with two other people. The traditional fishermen are facing lot of difficulties in their daily livelihood activities such as, the sea waves in Kothakalingapatnam are very high, compare to other villages, the fishermen has to sail the traditional crafts on their own. Therefore the fishermen left with little energy after crossing the waves to carry out their livelihood activity. A part from this, trawlers equipped with technology and equipments are sweeping the fish in their area before the traditional fishermen could reach the fishing spot. They have to start their activity very early in the morning till the late afternoon; sometimes they even spend more time for fishing. 02:00 to 03:00 03:00 to 03:30 03:30 to 05:30 05:30 to 17:00 17:00 to 18:00 18:00 to 19:00 19:00 to 20:00 20:00 to 21:00 21:00 to 02:00
02:00 to 03:00 Wakeup, toilet, bath 03:00 to 03:30 Breakfast / preparing Net & Boat for fishing 03:30 to 05:30 Boat Travel for fishing
37 05:30 to 17:00 Fishing / Lunch 17:00 to 18:00 Separate fish from the Net 18:00 to 19:00 Fresh / Rest 19:00 to 20:00 Dinner 20:00 to 21:00 Watching TV 21:00 to 02:00 Sleep
7.4 Fresh Fish Vendors Women Name of the Respondent : Nanda Polamma House No : 92 Family Members : 5 Date : 19 th March 2011 Time : 11:50 to 12:10 Hrs Facilitator : Mohana Krishna G Documenter : Satyanarayana
The women fresh fish vendors work regularly from Sundays to Fridays and depend on the availability of fresh fish on that particular day. The fisherwomen of Kothakalingapatnam village purchases fish from the sea going fishermen and will travel to Kaviti (or) Sompeta to sell their fish, now the government is laying a road to their village, earlier days they have to cross the back waters by boat or walk through the water to reach the road. They travel 15 20 kms to sell their fish. If the fish is unsold they either dry fish or throw them depending on its condition. Saturday is time for the entire villagers to refrain from work and relax at home.
Sunday to Friday 03:00 to 04:00 04:00 to 07:00 07:00 to 08:00 08:00 to 13:00 13:00 to 14:00 14:00 to 16:00 16:00 to 19:00 19:00 to 22:00 22:00 to 22:30 22:30 to 03:00
03:00 to 04:00 Wakeup, toilet, bath 04:00 to 07:00 Wash vessels, clean the house and prepare breakfast / prepare children for school 07:00 to 08:00 Breakfast, sending children to school 08:00 to 13:00 Buying of Fresh Fish 13:00 to 14:00 Lunch 12:00 to 16:00 Travel to Vend Fish 16:00 to 19:00 Fish Vending 19:00 to 22:00 Return J ourney 22:00 to 22:30 Dinner 22:30 to 03:00 Sleep
Saturdays 03:00 to 04:00 04:00 to 07:00 07:00 to 08:00 08:00 to 12:00 12:00 to 13:00 13:00 to 15:00 15:00 to 16:00 16:00 to 21:00 21:00 to 21:30 21:30 to 03:00
38 03:00 to 04:00 Wakeup, toilet, bath 04:00 to 07:00 Wash vessels, clean the house and prepare breakfast / prepare children for school 07:00 to 08:00 Breakfast, sending children to school 08:00 to 12:00 Gathering of Fire Wood 12:00 to 13:00 Lunch 13:00 to 15:00 Rest / watching TV 15:00 to 16:00 Bath / cleaning of vessels / house keeping 16:00 to 21:00 Spending time in Temple 21:00 to 21:30 Dinner 21:30 to 03:00 Sleep
7.5 Dried Fish Vendors Women
Name of the Respondent : Nanda Polamma House No : 92 Family Members : 5 Date : 19 th March 2011 Time : 11:50 to 12:10 Hrs Facilitator : Mohana Krishna G Documenter : Satyanarayana
The fisherwomen of Kothakalingapatnam village purchases fresh fish from the sea going fishermen and dry them on the sand or at platform constructed by the department. Most of the fish dried is used for livestock. They will travel to Kaviti (or) Sompeta to sell their fish, now the government is laying a road to their village, earlier days they have to cross the back waters by boat or by walk through the water and mud to reach the road. From there they will travel 15 20 kms to sell their fish. If it delayed in selling the fish they have the stay in that town over night as there wont be any transportation facility to the village at that time. 03:00 to 04:00 04:00 to 07:00 07:00 to 08:00 08:00 to 13:00 13:00 to 14:00 14:00 to 17:00 17:00 to 18:00 18:00 to 21:00 21:00 to 21:30 21:30 to 03:00
03:00 to 04:00 Wakeup, toilet, bath 04:00 to 07:00 Wash vessels, clean the house and prepare breakfast / prepare children for school 07:00 to 08:00 Breakfast, sending children to school 08:00 to 13:00 Purchase of Fresh Fish 13:00 to 14:00 Lunch 14:00 to 17:00 Drying of Cured Fish 17:00 to 18:00 Bath / cleaning of vessels / house keeping 18:00 to 21:00 Spending time in Temple 21:00 to 21:30 Dinner 21:30 to 03:00 Sleep
39 8. Problem Matrix
8.1 Common Problems
Date & Time : 19 th March 2011, 15:00 -16:30 Hrs Facilitator : Madhu Sagili Documenter : Satyanarayana Venue : High School Veranda Participants : 18 (10 women & 8 men)
The problem matrix is a tool to understand the felt problems in the village and to understand their causes. The identified problems are listed and analyzed against each of the other problems highlighted to prioritize them. This will help to understand the problems causing greater impact to the communities in the village. In this regard, pair wise problem matrix tool was adopted and applied. At the end of the exercise the team as well as the community had a general understanding about the problems in the village.
Probl ems 8
-
L a c k
o f
p r i v a c y
f o r
b a t h i n g
&
d e f e c a t i o n
7
-
D i f f i c u l t i e s
i n
c o m m u t i n g
t o
a n d
f r o m
t h e
v i l l a g e
6
-
V i l l a g e
v u l n e r a b l e
t o
f l o o d i n g
b y
b a c k w a t e r s
d u r i n g
h i g h
t i d e
5
-
F r e q u e n t
p o w e r
c u t s
a f f e c t i n g
a c t i v i t i e s
a f t e r
d a r k
4
-
P o o r
a c c e s s
t o
b a s i c
e d u c a t i o n
a b o v e
7 t h
s t a n d a r d
3
-
D i f f i c u l t y
i n
a v a i l i n g
h e a l t h
t r e a t m e n t s
2
-
P o o r
a c c e s s
t o
b a s i c
h e a l t h
f a c i l i t i e s
1
-
I n s u f f i c i e n t
d r i n k i n g
w a t e r
f o r
t h e
v i l l a g e
Score Rank 1 - Insufficient drinking water for the village 1/8 1 1 1 1 1 1 X 7 (1) I (A) 2 - Poor access to basic health facilities 8 2 2 2 2 3 X X 4 (2) III 3 - Difficulty in availing health treatments 8 3 3 3 3 X X X 5 (3) II 4 - Poor access to basic education above 7 th standard 8 4 4 4 X X X X 3 (4) IV 5 - Frequent power cuts affecting activities after dark 8 7 5 X X X X X 1 (5) VI 6 - Village vulnerable to flooding by backwaters during high tide 8 7 X X X X X X 0 (6) VII 7 - Difficulties in commuting to and from the village 8 X X X X X X X 2 (7) V 8 - Lack of privacy for bathing & defecation X X X X X X X X 7 (8) I (B)
Villagers identified the key problems, defined their problems and listed them which were analyzed against each of the other problems and prioritized.
1. Insufficient drinking water for the village: There are only two open wells from where the villagers draw drinking water. However, the villagers have expressed that the drinking water is not sufficient for the entire village, particularly during summer, where the water level of these seas will be at the minimum level. On the other hand, the villagers have also shared that the water drawn from the well (drinking) is not very hygienic, particularly during rainy season. Though an organization (the villagers dont remember the name of the organization) has sensitized them on boiling the well water before drinking, the villagers do not have such practice. Due to this, often people are affected with various illnesses.
2. Poor access to basic health facilities: The villagers have shared that the villagers have very poor access to health facilities, particularly for availing treatment during the emergency period. In the past, it is learned from the villagers, that one girl child was dead of fit, which she was on her way to
40 hospital from the village. Similarly one pregnant woman also passed away while shifting her to the hospital. One of the main reasons for such incidents in the village was due to lack of poor transportation facilities. In the past, the villagers used to carry the sick either on a cot or cover them in mat. Often they used to walk up to Musunuru and from there either go by bus or any other transportation to Government hospital either in Sompet or Kaviti. Taking into consideration all these concerns the villagers feel that they have very poor access to treatment facilities.
3. Difficulty in availing health treatments: The villagers have also shared that they have poor access to medicines for common sickness, such as, headache, fever, stomachache, diarrhea, cold, etc. It is learned that ANM visits the village quite frequently but she will not be available always for the village particularly if they need any basic or first aid treatment.
4. Poor access to basic education above 7th standard: The village has a government school upto class 7. In the recent times, majority of the children are going to the school and there is a good relationship between the school teachers and the villagers. However, a good number of the children drop out from schooling when they have to go out of the villager for further studies. It is learned that due to lack of facilities for transportation and long distances a good number of the student drop out of school.
5. Frequent power cuts affecting activities after dark: The frequency of power cut is very high. The villagers have power from 6:00 am to 12:00 pm and they get power again in the evening at 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Due to power cuts in the night, a good number of the villagers prefer to sleep on the seashore along with small kids. The problem they have expressed related to this is that sleeping out with new born children (3 to 12 months) is affecting their health. Apart from this they have no major problem in line with frequent power cuts.
6. Village vulnerable to flooding by backwaters during high tide: During the months of J une to September, the lake situated behind the village is flooded with water (rain water as well from the sea). When the lake is full, the water flows into the village, particularly near the school area and its surroundings. Due to this, the movement of the villagers in the village is restricted and the school will not be functional during this season.
7. Difficulties in commuting to and from the village: The villagers have expressed that they have very poor facilities to commute to and fro the village. Earlier they used to travel by boat for 2 Kms as they did not have road. From this point they walk to Kusumur and go by bus or other transportation means to Sompet and Kaviti. For the last 6 months road is being laid and now the villagers use auto rickshaw as means of transportation. However, they cannot depend on it when required by the villager as it would not be available.
8. Lack of privacy for bathing and defecation: Both the men and women present at the discussion have expressed that lack of public toilets, particularly for the women, is one of the main concerns of the villagers. It is learned that people are used to defecation in open areas. On the other hand, they have expressed the lack of privacy for the women.
Prioritization of the problems: After identifying the problems the villagers have prioritized them by comparing a problem with the rest. The following are the reasons for the villagers to prioritize the problems. Compari son of Problems Reasons f or Pri oritization Insuffi cient drinking water f or the vil lage Lack of privacy for bathi ng & def ecati on When prioritizing the problem the community (men & women) had lot of confusion. The women have prioritized lack of privacy for defecation whereas the men prioritized insufficient drinking water. Consensus could not be drawn on this due to differences of opinion and both were given equal importance. Insuffi cient drinking water f or the vil lage Difficulties for movement from and to the village Insufficient drinking water is the key problem as the entire villagers struggle without drinking water during summer. Now the village has a road and assumes that sooner they will have vehicles to commute to nearby villages. Insuffi cient drinking water f or the vil lage Village vulnerable to flooding by backwaters during high tide Insufficient drinking water is the key problem compared to the other as the villagers have already acted to prevent the flooding of backwaters by constructing a 39 mtrs wall behind the school building. Insuffi cient drinking Frequent power cuts Insufficient drinking water is the key problem compared to the
41 water f or the vil lage affecting activities after dark other as the frequency of power cuts disturbs the after dark activities but still could manage but not without drinking water. Insuffi cient drinking water f or the vil lage Poor access to basic education above 7 th
standard Insufficient drinking water is the key problem compared to the other as nearly 20 children are going outside the village for further studies. The community assumes that improved access to transportation facilities after completion of the road would reduce the number of drop outs in schools or colleges. Insuffi cient drinking water f or the vil lage Poor access to medicines for common illness in the village Insufficient drinking water is the key problem compared to the other as the ANM visits the village very often and provides them with required medication. The village also has a stock of basic medicine to certain extent. Insuffi cient drinking water f or the vil lage Poor access to health facilities Insufficient drinking water is the key problem compared to the other as due to the upcoming road the villagers assume that they will have better access to health facilities through transportation. Poor access to basic health facilities Lack of privacy for bathi ng & def ecati on Lack of privacy is the priority compared to the other especially for women, the men also agreed to it. The women have no privacy either for defecation or taking bath as they have to wait and bath or defecate in the dark when no one is available. Poor access to basi c health facilit ies Difficulties in commuting to and from the village Poor access to basic health facilities is the priority as the road which is under construction will solve the problem of commuting to and from the village. Poor access to basi c health facilit ies Village vulnerable to flooding by backwaters during high tide Poor access to basic health facilities is the priority as the inflow of backwaters has been arrested to some extent by construction of a 30 mtr wall. Poor access to basi c health facilit ies Frequent power cuts affecting activities after dark Poor access to basic health facilities is the priority as they could manage some activities after dark even if there are frequent power cuts. Poor access to basi c health facilit ies Poor access to basic education above 7 th
standard Poor access to basic health facilities is prioritized as the community assumes that the children village will soon have improved access to basic education after completion of the road. Poor access to basic health facilities Dif ficulty in availing health treat ments Difficulty in availing health treatments is prioritized as they can manage in accessing basic health facilities but difficult to avail treatments. Difficulty in availing health treatments Lack of privacy for bathi ng & def ecati on Lack of privacy is prioritized as the health treatments are occasional issues for the villagers but lack of privacy is a day to day issue. Dif ficulty in availing health treatment s Difficulties in commuting to and from the village Difficulty in availing health treatments is prioritized as the community assumes that they will have improved transportation facilities after completion of the road. Dif ficulty in availing health treatment s Village vulnerable to flooding by backwaters during high tide Difficulty in availing health treatments is prioritized as the community has attempted to prevent the flooding of backwaters by constructing a 30 mtr wall behind the school. Dif ficulty in availing health treatment s Frequent power cuts affecting activities after dark Difficulty in availing health treatments is prioritized as they can manage their activities after dark even if there are frequent power cuts. Dif ficulty in availing health treatment s Poor access to basic education above 7 th
standard Difficulty in availing health treatments is prioritized as the community assumes that it would have improved transportation facilities and thereby increase the access to further studies. Poor access to basic education above 7 th
standard Lack of privacy for bathi ng & def ecati on Lack of privacy is prioritized as the community assumes that it would have improved transportation facilities and thereby increase the access to further studies. Poor access to basi c educat ion above 7 th
standard Difficulties in commuting to and from the village Poor access to basic education is prioritized as education is important for the development. The community feels both has equal importance and the problem of commutation will soon be solved once the road is completed. Poor access to basi c educat ion above 7 th
standard Village vulnerable to flooding by backwaters during high tide Poor access to basic education is prioritized as the community has been addressed by the community to certain extent by constructing a 30 mtr wall. Poor access to basi c educat ion above 7 th
standard Frequent power cuts affecting activities after dark Poor access to basic education is prioritized as frequent power cuts do not affect much the activities of the villagers. Frequent power cuts affecting activities after dark Lack of privacy for bathi ng & def ecati on Lack of privacy is prioritized as frequent power cuts do not affect much the activities of the villagers. Frequent power cuts affecting activities after dark Dif ficulti es in commuti ng to and from the vill age Difficulties in commuting are prioritized as frequent power cuts do not affect much the activities of the villagers.
42 Frequent power cut s affecti ng act ivities after dark Village vulnerable to flooding by backwaters during high tide Frequent power cuts is prioritized as the flooding of backwaters has been addressed to some extent by constructing a 30 mtr wall behind the school. Village vulnerable to flooding by backwaters during high tide Lack of privacy for bathi ng & def ecati on Lack of privacy is prioritized as the flooding of backwaters has been addressed to some extent by constructing a 30 mtr wall behind the school. Village vulnerable to flooding by backwaters during high tide Dif ficulti es in commuti ng to and from the vill age Difficulties in commuting are prioritized as the flooding of backwaters has been addressed to some extent by constructing a 30 mtr wall behind the school. Difficulties in commuting to and from the village Lack of privacy for bathi ng & def ecati on Lack of privacy is prioritized as the village will have road completed soon but the problem related to privacy is still unaddressed.
Ranking of the Problems: At the end of prioritization of the problem ranking was done based on the priorities. Two of the problems (Insufficient drinking water and Lack of privacy) were prioritized as the most concerning problems of the entire community with equal scores and ranked in the first place. In order to prioritize between these problems, the community discussed among themselves and prioritized Insufficient drinking water as the most priority problem than lack of privacy as it is the problem of the entire community and accordingly these problems were sub-ranked as A & B.
8.2 Problems of Men
Date & Time : 19 th March 2011, 15:00 -16:30 Hrs Facilitator : Madhu Sagili Documenter : Satyanarayana Venue : High School Veranda Participants : 10 men
Similar pair wise problem matrix was applied to a focus group of men to understand their problems in the village.
Probl ems 1 0
-
I n c r e a s e d
u n e m p l o y m e n t
9
-
O c c u p a t i o n a l
m i g r a t i o n
8
-
A v a i l i n g
&
r e p a y i n g
l o a n s
7
-
U n s t a b l e
l i v e l i h o o d
6
-
R o u g h
s e a
a f f e c t i n g
f i s h i n g
5
-
P o o r
m a r k e t i n g
s k i l l s
4
-
L o w
p r i c e
f o r
f i s h
3
-
P o o r
f i s h i n g
g e a r s
2
-
D i f f i c u l t y
i n
p r e s e r v i n g
f r e s h
f i s h
1
-
P o o r
f i s h i n g
c r a f t s
Score Rank 1 - Poor fishing crafts 1 1 8 7 1 1 1 3 1 X 6 II 2 - Difficulty in preserving fresh fish 2 9 2 2 6 2 2 3 X X 5 III (B) 3 - Poor fishing gears 3 3 3 3 6 3 3 X X X 8 I (B) 4 - Low price for fish 4 4 4 4 6 4 X X X X 5 III (C) 5 - Poor marketing skills 10 5 8 7 6 X X X X X 1 VI 6 - Rough sea affecting fishing 6 6 6 6 X X X X X X 8 I (A) 7 - Unstable livelihood 7 7 7 X X X X X X X 5 III (A) 8 - Availing & repaying loans 10 8 X X X X X X X X 3 IV 9 - Occupational migration 9 X X X X X X X X X 2 V (A) 10 - Increased unemployment X X X X X X X X X X 2 V (B)
43 Poor fishing crafts: They have to wait for a longer time to catch the fish. Sometimes they expect and go for fishing but couldnt get the fish. In traditional boat will take time to reach the fish available place, by the time engine boats / trawlers are sweeping the available fish so will be returning with bare hands. Non availability of ice in the boat is also forcing them to come to the coast early even there is a possibility to catch more fish.
Difficulty in preservation of fresh fish: Due to lack of preservation facilities in the boat, the fishermen are unable to carryout for longer hours as if they continue the fishing for a longer time, the fish caught earlier will be spoiled. Due to lack of preservation facilities, they are forced to sell the product immediately after arriving to the beach.
Poor fishing gears: Normally the trawlers will have the GPS facility to track the fish availability, so that they can catch the fish easily. There is a rule that the trawlers and the engine boats should not catch the fish within 8 km from the coast. They also use tires at the bottoms of the nets to avoid damage to the nets by the hills under the sea. Due to this they are sweeping all the fish that are available in the particular area. This is creating a great difficulty to the traditional craft using fishermen in catching the fish. The fishermen use the sun, moon, stars and the wind direction to reach the coast in the right direction.
Low price for fish: Due to lack of transportation facilities from the village, the traditional fishermen are unable to get the good price and forced to take the price whichever fixed by the intermediaries. Due to unavailability of ice and lack of preservation facilities they are unable to wait to get a good price for their fish. The village doesnt have the road facility so the fisherwomen have to walk in the backwaters with head load to reach the nearest village to sell the fish. This is creating a great difficulty for the women.
Poor marketing skills: Most of the villagers ate illiterates and doesnt have the experience in marketing the fish. The villagers expressing that the villagers dont have the capacity to learn and practice the marketing and negotiation skills. So the villagers are selling the fish to the intermediaries for the lesser price.
Rough sea affecting fishing: Compare to other villages in Srikakulam, the waves size in Kotha Kalingapatnam is very big. It will take around 1 to 2 hours only to cross the waves, so the fishermen left with little energy to carry out the fishing activity. Due to this only the people who are strong enough to cross the waves are able to continue the fishing activity. The waves will even dangerous when they the wind direction if from north or south.
Unstable livelihood: Sea fishing can be done only for the period of 8 months in the year. Though the official ban period is only 45 days, they are unable to continue fishing for a period of 4 months due to the high waves and unnatural winds. Even in normal days, if the net damages then they have to repair their nets without going for fishing. The fishermen are very much vulnerable for the cyclones etc.
Availing & repaying loans: Due to unstable livelihood options the fishermen are forced to obtain loans form the money lenders. Due to lack of medical facilities the villagers frequently get illness so they have to spend lot of money for their medication. Therefore they are unable to repay the loans and the money lenders are increasing the fine amount.
Occupational migration: Due to the foresaid reasons many villagers are migrating to other places like Mumbai, Goa, Chennai, Gujarat etc in search of livelihood options. Sometimes the recruiters dont pay the fishermen if they want to come back to the village in the middle of the contract. Sometimes the migrants relatives will get sick in the village and nobody will be there to look after them and the recruiter there will not pay them if they want to comeback. In that cases they have to lose the money even for the time they work.
Increased unemployment: Nearly 20 - 30 villagers are studied up to intermediate. The educated people are not willing to go for fishing and even not able to get the sufficient job opportunities for their education qualification. This is creating difficulties for their families to survive with the lower income getting from other family members.
44 Prioritization of the problems: After identifying the problems the villagers have prioritized them by comparing a problem with the rest. The following are the reasons for the villagers to prioritize the problems.
Compari son of Problems Reasons f or Pri oritization Poor f ishing crafts Increased unemployment Poor fishing craft is prioritized as many men in the village face this problem and only 15 to 20 youths are unemployed. Through these crafts they are not able to fish big quantity. Poor f ishing crafts Occupational migration Poor fishing craft is prioritized as this is a problem throughout the year but migration is only seasonal. Poor fishing crafts Avai ling & repaying loans Availing & repaying loan is prioritized as most of them depend on money lenders to carry out their fishing activities. Poor fishing crafts Unst abl e l ivelihood Unstable livelihood is prioritized as all the livelihoods are seasonal and they have no alternate options. Poor f ishing crafts Rough sea affecting fishing Poor fishing craft is prioritized as due to rough sea they are not able to go for fishing and return on time affecting their daily income. Poor f ishing crafts Poor marketing skills Poor fishing craft is prioritized as there few people only involved in marketing of the fish in the village. Poor f ishing crafts Low price for fish Poor fishing craft is prioritized. If there is a low price the fish is processed by curing and drying to be sold the next day but there is no alternative for fishing with traditional crafts. Poor fishing crafts Poor f ishing gears Poor fishing gear is prioritized as the fishermen from neighboring coasts have better fishing gears (better nets and fishing techniques) the native fishermen get a less catch. Poor f ishing crafts Lack of Preservation facilities Poor fishing craft is prioritized as the problem of preservation is only when large quantities are caught which is not always. Due to difficulties with traditional crafts they are not able to catch the fish. Dif ficulty in preserving fresh fish Increased unemployment Difficulty in preservation is prioritized as it affects majority of the men in the village compared to unemployment. The fresh fish has less shelf life and should be sold immediately to get optimum value. Difficulty in preserving fresh fish Occupat ional mi grati on Occupational migration is prioritized as they face lot of difficulties by the employer like harassment and abuse but preservation of fish is not a big issue. Dif ficulty in preserving fresh fish Availing & repaying loans Difficulty in preservation is prioritized as they are not able to preserve for long and sell for better price. If able to sell for a better price there is no point in availing loans. Dif ficulty in preserving fresh fish Unstable livelihood Difficulty in preservation is prioritized as if they can preserve well, they can sell during off season when the demand increases and there would be regular income. There livelihood will not be unstable. Difficulty in preserving fresh fish Rough sea aff ecting fishing Rough sea is prioritized as they are not able to go far for fishing by their crafts on a regular basis but preservation is required only when there is a good catch. Dif ficulty in preserving fresh fish Poor marketing skills Difficulty in preservation is prioritized as there are very few involved in marketing and preservation is an issue for many men in the village. Dif ficulty in preserving fresh fish Low price for fish Difficulty in preservation is prioritized as the low price is caused due to poor capacities in preservation. If the fish can be preserved well then the price will certainly increase and they will not less for less. Difficulty in preserving fresh fish Poor f ishing gears Poor fishing gear is prioritized as it is the main problem for many fishermen. Unless they fish well they cannot concentrate on preservation of fish. Poor f ishing gears Increased unemployment Poor fishing gear is prioritized as it is the main problem for many fishermen. The unemployment is increasing but the priority is for poor fishing gear as it affects many men. Poor f ishing gears Occupational migration Poor fishing gear is prioritized as it is the main problem for many fishermen. The occupational migration is seasonal but the fishing gear is required for the entire year and comparatively there are not many migrating.
Poor f ishing gears Availing & repaying loans Poor fishing gear is prioritized as it is the main problem for many fishermen. They are not able to repay loans due to poor fishing gear, if they had better gears there is no need for loans.
45
Poor f ishing gears Unstable livelihood Poor fishing gear is prioritized as it is the main problem for many fishermen. If they had different types of fishing gears they can fish all round the year and it would be sustainable. Poor fishing gears Rough sea aff ecting fishing Rough sea is prioritized as they need better crafts in fishing or they will have to spend most of their energy only to cross the waves. The fishermen hardly will be left with energy to carry out the fishing activity. Poor f ishing gears Poor marketing skills Poor fishing gear is prioritized as it is the main problem for many fishermen and there are few fishermen involved in marketing of fish. Poor f ishing gears Low price for fish Poor fishing gear is prioritized as it is the main problem for many fishermen. If they had different types of fishing gears they can fish better and have good price. Low pri ce for fish Increased unemployment Low price for fish is prioritized as many fishermen face this problem and the increasing unemployment is not a major concern. Low pri ce for fish Occupational migration Low price for fish is prioritized as many fishermen face this problem and they are forced to migrate for having better income. Low pri ce for fish Availing & repaying loans Low price for fish is prioritized. If they have better price for fish they will not avail loans and it cannot be an issue. Low pri ce for fish Unstable livelihood Low price for fish is prioritized. If they have better income they can save better and manage even during off seasons and unstable livelihoods will not an issue. Low price for fish Rough sea aff ecting fishing Rough sea is prioritized as they cannot fish using the poor crafts and gears in the rough sea ultimately resulting in low price. Low pri ce for fish Poor marketing skills Low price for fish is prioritized as many fishermen face this problem and there are few involved in marketing of fish. Poor marketing skills Increased unemployment Increased unemployment is prioritized as there are very few involved in marketing compared to the number of people unemployed in the village. These youths are neither having jobs nor involved in fishing. Poor market ing skil ls Occupational migration Poor marketing skill is prioritized as the number of people migrate will reduce and start concentrating on marketing of fish products. Poor marketing skills Avai ling & repaying loans Availing loan is prioritized as due to poor livelihood capacity many fishermen avail and repay large quantity of loans.
Poor marketing skills Unst abl e l ivelihood Unstable livelihood is prioritized as it is a concern for most of the fishermen. Only few are involved in marketing of fish. Poor marketing skills Rough sea aff ecting fishing Rough sea is prioritized as they cannot fish using the poor crafts and gears in the rough sea ultimately resulting in low price. Only few are involved in marketing of fish. Rough sea aff ecting fishing Increased unemployment Rough sea is prioritized as they cannot fish using the poor crafts and gears as many faces this problem and unemployment is an issue for few. Rough sea aff ecting fishing Occupational migration Rough sea is prioritized as they cannot fish using the poor crafts and gears in the rough sea. The ratio of the people suffering with high waves is high compared to the migrated people. Rough sea aff ecting fishing Availing & repaying loans Rough sea is prioritized as they cannot fish using the poor crafts and gears in the rough sea. If they have better capacities in managing this they will not avail loans.
46 Rough sea aff ecting fishing Unstable livelihood Rough sea is prioritized as they cannot fish using the poor crafts and gears in the rough sea. If they have better crafts and gears to mane fishing in rough sea they will have a stable livelihood. Unst abl e l ivelihood Increased unemployment Unstable livelihood is prioritized as it is an issue for most of the fishermen but unemployment is a concern only for few. Unst abl e l ivelihood Occupational migration Unstable livelihood is prioritized as it is an issue for most of the fishermen. If they have a stable livelihood the migration will be reduced. Unst abl e l ivelihood Availing & repaying loans Unstable livelihood is prioritized as it is an issue for most of the fishermen. If they had stable livelihood they will not avail loans from money lenders. Availing & repaying loans Increased unemployment Increased unemployment is prioritized as they are causing extra burden to families in availing loans and repaying them. Avai ling & repaying loans Occupational migration Availing loan is prioritized as there are many facing this issue compared to the men migrating for occupation. Occupat ional migration Increased unemployment Occupational migration is prioritized as the unemployed are dependent on some source of income but migration is striving for a livelihood.
8.3 Problems of Women
Date & Time : 19 th March 2011, 16:30 -17:40 Hrs Facilitator : Madhu Sagili Documenter : Satyanarayana Venue : High School Veranda Participants : 8 women
Similar pair wise problem matrix was applied to a focus group of women to understand their problems in the village.
Probl ems 7
-
P o o r
l o a n
r e p a y m e n t
c a p a c i t i e s
6
-
D i f f i c u l t i e s
i n
d r y i n g
f i s h
5
-
U n
s t a b l e
l i v e l i h o o d
p r a c t i c e
4
-
D i f f i c u l t i e s
i n
c u r i n g
f i s h
3
-
D i f f i c u l t i e s
i n
s t o r i n g
d r i e d
f i s h
2
-
D i f f i c u l t i e s
i n
p r e s e r v i n g
f r e s h
f i s h
1
-
D i f f i c u l t i e s
i n
t r a n s p o r t i n g
f i s h
Score Rank 1 - Difficulties in transporting fish 7 6 5 4 3 2 X 0 (1) V 2 - Difficulties in preserving fresh fish 7 2 5 4 3 X X 2 (2) IV (A) 3 - Difficulties in storing dried fish 7 3 5 4 X X X 3 (3) III (B) 4 - Difficulties in curing fish 7 6 5 X X X X 3 (4) III (A) 5 - Unstable livelihood practice 7 5 X X X X X 5 (5) II 6 - Difficulties in drying fish 7 X X X X X X 2 (6) IV (B) 7 - Poor loan repayment capacities X X X X X X X 6 (7) I
1. Difficulties in transporting fish (fresh and dried): The village has faced difficulties in the past in transporting fish (fresh and dry). This was due to lack of road. Now the road is being laid but vehicles do not come to the village. Many were of the opinion that though the road is being laid, it would take few more years for the public to know that Kotha Kalingapatnam exists as most of the people are
47 aware of only Kalingapatnam situated near Srikakulam. Due to lack of poor transportation facilities, the villagers have been selling the fish to agents at a convenient price for them than the community members.
2. Difficulties in preserving fresh fish: The villagers lack the facilities for preservation of fish (non- availability of ice and ice boxes to preserve). It was informed that they do not have any ice plant nearby and therefore, they are not able to avail ice. Since ice is not available they do not show any interest in preservation equipment or vessel. However, there was no mention of ice box by the women present.
3. Difficulties in storing dried fish: Due to lack of storage facility for dry fish most of the villagers store the fish in their houses or in an open place. When stored in the house it becomes inconvenient for the family members to stay in the house as they get foul smell from the dry fish. They also have expressed that it is unhygienic for the children. Whenever the dry fish is stored in the house most often the family spends their time outside the house (in veranda). When the dry fish is stored in an open place, the fish get spoiled due to rains. As a result they have poor value for the fish or they have to throw it.
4. Difficulties in curing fish: Majority of the community is engaged in dry fish activities in the village but with very poor facilities for curing the fish. At present the community follows the following methods in curing the fish before drying. They dig a pit on the sea shore, place a plastic sheet in the pit ensuring that sand does not flow into the plastic sheet and later mix fish with salt for curing. Once mixing is complete they cover the pit with another plastic sheet. It takes about 3 to 4 days to cure the fish and it is followed by drying the fish. It is informed by the fisherwomen that this process is very expensive as the plastic sheets used for curing fish do not last long and they have to buy the sheets every two months. At times the plastic sheets get torn paving way for the sand to get mixed with the fish being cured.
5. Unstable livelihood practice: Fishing as the main source of their livelihood/income has been expressed as seasonal livelihood. For four months in a year their livelihood becomes standstill due to the fish breeding period. It is during this period that community looks for alternative livelihood outside the village as coolies (agriculture and daily wage labour). Considering the above situation the women were of the opinion that they are dependent on vending fish than any other livelihood activities.
6. Difficulties in drying fish: The fisherwomen have expressed that majority of the fish they dry is used for livestock than human consumption due to lack of hygienic fish drying facilities. At present there is only one fish drying platform in the village constructed through MPs funds. However, this can be used by two to three individuals. Therefore, many prefer to dry fish on the seashore and sell it for livestock. Very few families have the practice of drying fish on a bed of sticks. But these sticks cost them a lot. If the village has hygienic facilities to dry fish, it is informed that majority would sell dry fish for human consumption, which has higher market value.
7. Poor loan repayment capacities: Majority of the women have expressed that one of the major difficulties they face is to repay the loans taken from the money lenders. The problem is more during the three months when they have no fish vending business.
Prioritization of the problems: After identifying the problems the fisherwomen have prioritized them by comparing a problem with the rest. The following are the reasons for the fisherwomen to prioritize the problems.
Compari son of Problems Reasons f or Pri oritization Difficulties in transporting fish Poor l oan repayment capaciti es Poor loan repayment is prioritized due to poor income, particularly during the off season. The women assume that the transportation facilities will be improved after completion of the road work. It is during this season that the money lenders force them to repay or else the penalty charges are quite high. In order to repay the loan to avoid penalty charges, they borrow money from others. Difficulties in transporting fish Dif ficulti es in drying fish Difficulties in drying fish are prioritized compared to transporting fish. The villagers have enough fish, which they dry but most of it is processed and dried for livestock rather than human consumption as they do not have hygienic facilities to dry fish for human
48 consumption. Difficulties in transporting fish Unst abl e l ivelihood pract ice Unstable livelihood practice is prioritized as the women feel that they have no further skills to take up alternative livelihood during the off seasons except to work as coolies (agriculture and daily wage laborers). Difficulties in transporting fish Dif ficulti es in curing fish Difficulty in curing fish is prioritized as they have very poor facilities for curing fish. The present methods adopted by them are very expensive and difficult. On the other hand, at present the marketing agents come to their village to purchase fish and so the difficulties they face in transporting fish is smaller compared to the poor facilities for curing fish. Difficulties in transporting fish Dif ficulti es in storing dried fi sh Difficulty in storing dried fish at home is prioritized than the difficulties in transporting fish. It is because the family finds it difficult to reside in the house due to the foul smell due to dried fish and feel its hazardous for their health. Difficulties in transporting fish Dif ficulti es in preserving fresh fish Difficulty in preservation of fresh fish is as most often they sell the fish for cheaper price to the market agents. They have no capacity to bargain for better price as they are afraid that the market agents would not purchase if the fish is costly. In such case, the villagers do not have capacity for preserving fish for the next day or until the fish is sold for better price. Difficulties in preserving fresh fish Poor l oan repayment capaciti es Poor loan repayment is prioritized as they are frequently approached by money lenders to repay the money. Especially during the off season they have poor income and have to repay with lot of interest rates. Dif ficulti es in preserving fresh fish Difficulties in drying fish Difficulty in preservation of fresh fish is prioritized as the fresh fish have better market value than the dry fish in which lot of time, human resources and money is spent. Difficulties in preserving fresh fish Unst abl e l ivelihood pract ice Unstable livelihood practice is prioritized as the women are forced to depend on seasonal livelihood and they dont have any source of income for three months during the fish breeding period or other livelihoods. Difficulties in preserving fresh fish Dif ficulti es in curing fish Difficulty in curing fish is prioritized as the cured fish can be stored for long and the process followed is quite expensive. Difficulties in preserving fresh fish Dif ficulti es in storing dried fi sh Difficulty in storing dried fish at home is prioritized as it is very hazardous for health and also it makes the life of family member difficult in the house due to the foul smell. Difficulties in storing dried fish Poor l oan repayment capaciti es Poor loan repayment is prioritized as storing of dried fish can be managed but the repayment of loan cannot wait. Dif ficulti es in storing dried fi sh Difficulties in drying fish Difficulty in storing dried fish at home is prioritized as drying can be done anywhere outside but storing should be safe and it is difficult. Difficulties in storing dried fish Unst abl e l ivelihood pract ice Unstable livelihood is prioritized as they lack skills for alternative livelihoods that could be adopted during the off season for fishing and ensure the sustenance of their livelihood which is a bigger problem. Difficulties in storing dried fish at home Dif ficulti es in curing fish Difficulty in curing fish is prioritized than storing for curing is expensive and difficult compared to storing fish. Difficulties in curing fish Poor l oan repayment capaciti es Poor loan repayment is prioritized as the curing of fish can be done when they wish but repayment of loan must be done on time and it is difficult. Difficulties in curing fish Dif ficulti es in drying fish Difficulty in drying fish is prioritized as they have poor facilities to dry fish for human consumption which has better market value compared to the dried fish sold for poultry farm. Difficulties in curing fish Unst abl e l ivelihood pract ice Unstable livelihood is prioritized as the women feel that if alternative livelihoods could be adopted during the off season for fishing their livelihood will be sustainable. Unstable livelihood practice Poor l oan repayment capaciti es Poor loan repayment is prioritized as possibility of stable livelihood can be though but for repayment we have to pay and cannot wait which is more difficult. Unst abl e l ivelihood pract ice Difficulties in drying fish Unstable livelihood is prioritized as the women feel that if alternative livelihoods could be adopted during the off season for fishing their livelihood will be sustainable. Difficulties in drying fish Poor l oan repayment capaciti es Poor loan repayment is prioritized as the drying of fish can be managed but for repayment we have to pay and cannot wait which is more difficult.
49 Ranking of the problems: Based on the scoring of the problem, the poor loan repayment capacity was ranked in the first place followed by the unstable livelihood practice. Difficulty to cure fish and difficulty in storing dried fish at home were ranked as III place. However, the community further analyzed and sub ranked as A for difficulty to cure fish and B for difficulty in storing dried fish. Similarly the difficulty for preservation of fresh fish and the difficulty for drying fish for human consumption were ranked equally as IV place. However, the community further analyzed and sub rank difficulty for preservation of fresh fish as A and difficulty to dry fish as B. The difficulties in transporting fish was ranked as V.
9. Needs Analysis of Women
Date & Time : 20 th March 2011, 12:00 -14:15 Hrs Facilitator : Madhu Sagili Documenter : Ravi Venue : High School Veranda Participants : 8 women
The needs analysis is a tool intended to discuss analyse and understand the needs and proposed solutions. Similar to the process followed for pair wise problem matrix it was applied to a focus group of women.
Identifi ed Needs Proposed Solut ions Safe drinking water for all the houses in the village Construct overhead water tank and draw pipeline from the nearby villages (Kusumpuram) big overhead tank. Privacy for bathing and defecation Construct individual toilets with bathing facilities for houses willing to contribute through labour or cash. Facilities to store dried fish for long period Construct a big room to store dried fish a little away from the residence. Community will contribute by providing land and labour for contruction. Facilities to hygienically cure fish Provide concrete cement curing tubs or made of some other lighter materials for hygienically curing fish. Access to basic health care and treatment Train unemployed youth in the village on basic health care and provide health kit. Community will benefit through paying for medicines and for their service. Prevent flooding during high tides caused by backwaters Construct streets with good drainage facilities. Facilities to preserve fresh fish Provision for procuring ice locally and ice boxes to fresh fish vendors to preserve fish. Facilities to commute and transport fish Provision of share autos or vans and community will contribute in procuring and maintaining.
1. Safe drinking water for all the houses in the village: The women have expressed that one of the major concerns or the needs of the entire village is to have access to safe drinking water. As mentioned in the problem matrix (village) the village does not have safe dirking water during the summer season during which the only two wells in the village become dry. Solution: The women have proposed to construct a water tank in the village and the villagers would approach the local authorities to lay water pipes from Kusumpuram to their village so that they will have regular drinking water. Digging of bore wells is considered to be a poor option as they would only get muddy water and the water level would go down during summer season.
2. Privacy for bathing and defecation: The women have expressed that they lack privacy in the village for bathing and defecation. There are no public toilets in the village at present.
50 Solution: The women were of the opinion not to have public toilets as it would be very difficult for maintenance. This is mainly because no one would take responsibility in maintaining it even if a team is formed to ensure its cleanliness. On the other hand, they proposed to have separate toilet with bathing facility for each house. The members of the household will contribute to achieving this by working as labourers. Having private toilets will ensure that each family takes care of its own toilet.
3. Facilities to store dried fish for long period: The community stores the dry fish in their houses until it is sold. Storing the dry fish at home causes lot of health hazards, particularly for the children. At time the dry fish is stored out in the open place and often due to rain the fish get spoiled. Considering this the women have identified the need for having a storing facility. Solution: The women have proposed to construct a room for storing the dry fish. This room will be used by all the households and would assist in reducing the health hazards and also preserve the fish for long duration and until it is sold for better price.
4. Facilities to hygienically cure fish: Majority of the families in the village are engaged in vending dry fish cured in salt. But these families have very poor and unhygienic practices in curing the fish. Considering the difficulties in this, the women have identified the need to have hygienic facilities to cure fish. Solution: The women have proposed to have access to cement tubs or tubs made of Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP), which are provided to few families in the village by IRCS under livelihood project supported by Spanish Red Cross.
5. Access to basic health care and treatment: Although the village is visited frequently by the ANM, who treats them for minor illnesses, the villagers feel that she is not available to them all the times, particularly when they require her assistance. Therefore, they have expressed the need for having access to basic medicine and first aid within the village. Solution: The women have proposed that in order to achieve the above, the youth who are educated and unemployed in the village could be trained on basic health care and assisted with a health kit and basic medicines for headache, stomachache, diarrhea, etc. This trained youth could have this kit in his house instead of having it a separate building. Every time someone uses the services of this individual they would pay him a nominal fee and that would become his livelihood.
6. Prevent flooding during high tides caused by backwaters: It is learned that during the rainy season the walls of the houses in the village would be damaged since they are made of mud. On the other hand, the sand which is in front of the houses would be washed off along with the rain water and the villagers will carry the sand back to the houses. The sand is used for drying fish in front of the house. Therefore, the women have felt the need to protect their houses from the natural calamities. Solution: In order to address the above need the women have proposed to lay cement roads in all the streets and on either sides of it drainage canals so that the water passes through the canal. This will reduce the chances water touching the walls and damaging them. On the other hand, the community also could use this cement road for drying fish.
7. Facilities to preserve fresh fish: The women have expressed that there is high need for having access to better facilities for preservation of fresh fish. At present since they do not have the facilities, they sell their fish at a cheaper price to the market agents. Solution: In order to address this need the following was proposed by the women. If the women are provided with ice boxes they would get the ice from Sompet. This would help them preserve fish for longer duration.
8. Facilities to commute and transport fish: The women have felt the need for having improved access to transportation facilities in order to carry out their livelihood. Solution: This will be addressed by having more number of vehicle (government and private), such as buses, auto rickshaws, vans and other vehicles.
51 10. Wealth Ranking
Date & Time : 21st March 2011, 13:00 -14:15 Hrs Facilitator : Mohan Krishna Documenter : Ravi Venue : Fishermen shelter Participants : 4 men
The wealth ranking tool was applied to understand the local perceptions of the economic situation of the households present in the community, and consequently of the community as a whole. The households were classified as poor, medium or rich based on the criteria given by the community.
During the initial discussion the four participants proposed to categorize the entire village into three and they assess them on a set of criteria for each of these categories and placed each household card under the most suitable category. Accordingly the participants have designed the following criteria and have given a symbol for each of these categories.
Rich Medium Poor
Criteri a: Family owning land Family owning boat (Fiber with motor) Family owning concrete house Family having buffaloes Criteri a: Family owning boat (without motor) Family owning a concrete house Family owning house with asbestos
As per the villagers criteria more than 50% are considered poor in the village.
Wealth 12% 36% 52% Rich Medium Poor
52 Conclusion
Some of the village specific observations are,
The village has a good local management system which is a traditional practice in sharing responsibilities and working together. Religion is a very sensitive issue as the majority of people are Hindus and few are Christians in the village. The school in the village is considered as an important institution in uniting the villagers and a means for coordinating in initiating development activities. The primary occupation is fishing (fishermen in sea and backwaters) and fish vending (mainly fisherwomen in vending fresh and dried fish). The village is situated in a remote area with poor access to basic services such as transport, health, water, sanitation and education. The priorities of women are different from that of men but the important and final decisions are taken by men.
The information appraised by the community of Kotha Kalingapattinam village through the PRA tools highlighted their socio economic conditions which were illustrated using different tools. The felt problems and needs of the community were disclosed and analyzed. This is the general situation prevailing in most of the fisher folk communities all along the coast of Andhra Pradesh.