India

by Thomas John

Alternative Livelihood for Economic Self-reliance of Women

Chethana is going to launch a Program on Alternative Livelihood for Economic Self-reliance of Women. This program will provide a livelihood for deprived women, strengthen their skill and knowledge base, enhance their self esteem and lead to an overall empowerment of women and to quality of life for the family. At the same time it is designed to protect the ecosystem, promote an eco-friendly life style, and combat the dominant market frame work (globalization).

Through the Alternative Livelihood Initiative for Self Reliance, Chethana would like to realize what Thanal and their Zero Waste Initiative already represent. Therefore, in preparation of the lanch of this program, Chethana asked Thanal to demonstrate their work to the women's groups involved in Chethana. From 8-10 December 2006, seventeen members from groups of the Tamil Nadu region visited Thanal and participated in a training program about its "Zero Waste" Initiative in Trivandrum.

Building livelihoods from garbage

Accumulation of garbage is the inevitable consequence of a consumerist society. Garbage disposal is becoming a very disturbing issue for local governing structures in the context of their financial constrains. It is taking on such proportions that it has become a law order issue, with the local population opposing any move to dump the waste in their backyard.

The women's groups of Thanal collect garbage and separate them into bio-degradable and non-degradable items. They then use the biodegradable items to produce wormi-compost or compost, gas for cooking, or yet a different energy source for other activities. The compost is used for the organic cultivation of their own lands, or on leased out terrain. Non-degradable items are sold for recycling.

There are many products the Thanal women fabricate out of waste like discarded paper, clothe, and coconut shell etc, that would otherwise only increase the garbage heap. They recycle newspaper, for example, to produce bags that can replace the plastic bags so heavily used in shops. The women have even learned to make customized bags for companies, hotels and such other business establishments.

Campaigning for responsible lifestyles

The women of Thanal have also been successful in creating an alternative market for selling their products. They educate the public on environmentally sound, eco-friendly life styles and on mutual obligations for the creation of just and equitable ordering of our societies. They bring their organic agricultural produce to their weekly markets, as well as the home-made and value added products, and the many houshold items they have made out of waste. In this process, Thanal is involved in a campaign for sustainable and environment friendly life styles. The organization promotes organic farming methods that preserve the fertility and quality of the land, and economic activities that are geared towards a people oriented market rather than a profit driven market. In an indirect way, the women's efforts help preserve the biodiversity and traditional varieties of seeds.

Defying Goliath

These women are taking on the giant of the dominant paradigm of Neo-liberal economic policies. Like David in the biblical story of David, who killed Goliath with his sling and stone, they manage with little resources and reconstruct their lives out of a garbage heap, to make it into something beautiful for God and His world.

Expanding the program

Eventually, the program will be extended to all Chethana groups in the four states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. It is hoped that by 2010 all these groups will be linked through an alternative market chain, where they can exchange their products and support each other. In that way, they will effectively take on the globalization agenda which marginalizes large sections of the most vulnerable in Indian society.

Links:

Profile JH partner  network Chetana

Website Chethana network

Website JH Sacramento

Profile JH Companionship Facilitator  Thomas John