Challenge

Campbell Bay Island, Great Nicobar is 30 hours by boat from mainland India. Soldiers from the Indian Army and their families were relocated to this remote outpost and provided with cultivatable land and housing. They were able to support their families until the Tsunami hit in December 2004. With their homes, possessions and crops washed away they have been living in temporary shelters relying on food relief.

Initially many aid organisations rushed to the Nicobar Islands post Tsunami providing relief and rehabilitation. The Indian Government continues to provide food subsidies but this is not sustainable and they plan to stop the subsidies once the communities are relocated to permanent housing. LEAD International is working with LEAD India and The Covenant Centre for Development (CCD) run by LEAD India Fellow Muthu Velayutham, to re-establish sustainable livelihoods and raise awareness on health issues. The project is generously funded by the Big Lottery Fund, UK.

Action

LEAD is working to deliver a combination of interventions to enhance the capacity of farmers on integrated farming systems and support other stakeholder to improve their livelihoods. The project is also promoting community enterprise activities to strengthen sustainable livelihoods. Communities are supported in better natural resource management and the use of simple, clean technologies to meet their needs and improve health. Training and capacity building activities are equipping communities with the skills to develop and implement appropriate, locally owned solutions.

The project is facilitating fuller participation and involvement of community representatives in local decision-making processes. LEAD's programme on Leadership and Governance will also help farmers to develop both their business and leadership skills.

Energy is a huge problem in Campbell Bay; the Government produced diesel generated power is insufficient for the needs of the community and also poses a threat to the environment. Therefore, LEAD's intention to introduce low cost energy is timely, as is its provision of basic awareness on natural resource management to school children and communities. These interventions, combined with a focus on developing kitchen gardens to produce medicinal plants and awareness on preventative health, is helping to improve the quality of life of these communities.

Impact

As a result of this project, 250 farmers are now able to implement an integrated farming system and have the knowledge and skills to be able to continue this approach when the project is over. The establishment of a Farmers' Federation has provided a platform for these communities to come together to discuss and resolve their social, economic and political issues.

Women's groups have more self confidence and have systems in place to meet regularly. They have developed a system of savings which will contribute to a reduction in long-term vulnerability. Some groups now have the skills necessary to implement enterprises. Recruiting volunteers for health and natural resource management from within the community has ensured that knowledge and information gained from the project is retained in these communities.

Development of other new enterprises like Arecanut plate making, virgin coconut oil production, and poultry farming is providing sustainable incomes. The use of smokeless stoves will help with environmental sustainability as well as reducing their dependence on government fuel subsidies, which are being withdrawn.