Rationale
SUDHA is the embodiment of people who have dedicated themselves to build the capacity of rural people so that they have an opportunity to a better livelihood and quality of life, while at the same time ensuring that their means are ecologically sustainable and promote environment conservation.

Region Nurtured
SUDHA is at present active in the rural areas of District Almora of Uttarakhand, India.

Vision
Every human is born equal and has the right to partake in moulding the surrounding natural, social and economic environment. In view of this, ‘SUDHA’ strives to build a cadre at the grassroots level for acquiring and propagating knowledge to foster equality and generate ecologically sustainable livelihood opportunities.

Mission

• Empower the rural masses through capacity building for sustainable livelihood.
• Elevate the status of living of the rural masses through promotion of income generating activities.
• Promote equality among women and other underprivileged sections of the society through their active involvement in the mainstream activities.
• Augment the existing knowledgebase through training and research development activities.
• Contribute towards environment and biodiversity conservation through proactive involvement of the masses.
• Advocate the needs of the people and coordinate closely with government for bringing about policy changes.

The 9 Key Areas

1. Knowledge Enrichment
   “Knowledge is power” and SUDHA aims to spread the light of knowledge to the masses by its various extension programmes. Knowledge about environment, health and sanitation, water conservation and other need-based areas of interest has been spread by the organisation from time to time.
   SUDHA fosters documentation and dissemination of Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK) and promotion of artisans and traditional crafts of the region by providing technical support to the craftsmen for building up the regional knowledge through resource dynamics.
   SUDHA sieves through the wealth of information to develop need-based literature in an easy-to-understand format for dissemination to the rural masses.
   The organisation also envisages to set-up “Village Information Kiosks” (VIKs) using modern technologies such as Internet to disseminate information on market trends and prices, developments in the fields of agriculture, horticulture, etc.
   
2. Capacity Building
   The region is known for its high literacy rate, thus it is a necessity that the capacities of the people, especially women who are a major workforce, be developed and groomed into self-confident individuals to undertake entrepreneurial ventures both as individuals and as groups. To achieve this end, SUDHA has a dedicated team of trainers and master trainers who organise capacity building, training and awareness programmes in the region from time to time, with a view to reduce out-migration of the people and consequent abandonment of the fields.
   SUDHA is persistently making efforts towards developing a cadre of Para-Technicians who will facilitate in improving the capacities of the hill-people in order to advance their social and economic status by proper management, utilisation and conservation of available resources.
   
3. Venues for Sustainable Livelihood
   While livelihood is an overshadowing issue, environment too has a great significance in our daily lives. Thus, the livelihood activities in the rural areas need to be ecologically sustainable too to make them viable on a long-term basis especially in view of the limited agricultural land. SUDHA is encouraging the processing of the local produce so that more income is generated from the same quantity by value addition to it. For example, grading and packing improves the market value of pulses. The organisation by supporting the use of modern technologies, such as polyhouses, is providing opportunities to the people for off-season vegetables cultivation that fetch a good price from the market. The organisation is also promoting eco-friendly income generating activities medicinal plants farming, apiculture, floriculture, mushroom cultivation, etc. The organisation contemplates to promote an alternative marketing and distribution system that would ensure better returns to the farmers.
   
4. Transfer of Contemporary Technologies
   No invention or innovation has a meaning unless it is put to good use. Almora is among the driest hill districts and SUDHA is striving to irrigate the fields by transferring available water management technologies to the field, such as, low-cost rainwater harvesting tanks, polythene storage tanks, distribution tanks, drip irrigation, etc. The organisation thus, attempts to bring the relevant technologies to the field and link the farmers to the research institutions of the region so that they can benefit from their experiences.
   Uttarakhand government has declared Uttarakhand as an “Organic State”, and the organisation is playing its part in transferring latest organic preparation technologies to farmers like bio-fertilizer production, bio-formulations, bio-crop management, organic farming and post-harvest management etc.
   
5. Women and Children Development
   Women are the major workforce in the hills and their contribution to the economy and household often goes unnoticed and unrecognised. The organisation focuses on socio-economic upliftment and development of women by seeking their participation in development process. The organisation is contributing to group dynamics since its inception, and in the formation and management of Women Self Help Groups in the district. The organisation also recognises the health and nutrition needs of women and children of the region and endeavours to improve it.
   
6. Gender and Social Equity
   SUDHA firmly believes in equality of all human beings and is actively involved in promoting the same by strengthening the women and other weaker sections of the society. The organisation sensitises the community towards issues such as female foeticide.
   
7. Strengthening of Community Based Institutions
   SUDHA believes that the existing village based institutions that have contributed much in empowering the rural masses, such as Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), Van Panchayats (VPs), Mahila Mangal Dals (MMDs), Yuvak Magal Dals (YMDs), etc., should be strengthened and streamlined with the needs of the times. The organisation is also actively involved in formation of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Interest Groups (FIGs), Women Self Help Groups (WSHGs) and Farmer Federations (FFs), and their capacity building and skill upgradation. The organisation also aids these groups in getting financial assistance under various government scheme, financial institutions and NABARD.
   
8. Planning and Management of Natural Resources and Conservation
   SUDHA moves to optimise the utilisation of natural resources by the use of resource planning and management mechanisms. The organisation recognises the importance of conservation of environment and biodiversity, and ensures that all its programmes are eco-friendly. The organisation further undertakes plantation activities, restoration of natural water sources and awareness generation programmes to ensure the active involvement of rural masses and inculcate in them eco-friendly attitudes.
   
9. Socio-economic Research and Policy Advocacy
   SUDHA covets to better understand the needs of the people by conducting socio-economic researches, and develop plans and strategies to address specific and general issues of the region. The organisation provides a channel of communicating the needs of the region to the policy-making bodies at local, regional state and central levels to beget necessary changes in the government’s perspective towards the region.

OUR ENDEAVOURS
Awareness Programmes

• SUDHA has generated awareness about the needs and benefits of group formation and is engaged in organising village communities, especially women, into Self Help Groups to promote regular savings and inter-loaning.
• SUDHA has consistently worked towards women empowerment by making women independent and self-reliant through organising programmes about awareness of their fundamental rights and legal relief available to them.
• SUDHA, by its various extension activities has generated concern among the masses about the health of environment and biodiversity on the region. ‘Paryavaran Mahotsava 2003’ organised by SUDHA is a major achievement in this direction.
• SUDHA has recognised children as the future warriors for environment conservation and is still actively involved in sensitising and making them aware about their surroundings and environment. ‘Reinforcing Our Future’, a state level workshop for children was organised by SUDHA under the banner of Mountain Children’s Forum (Parvatiya Bal Manch (PABAM)) that focussed on environment protection.
• Exposure to the rich cultural heritage of our great nation has also been a part of the awareness programmes organised by SUDHA.
• Several farmers have been sensitised about various technological options for improving yields by SUDHA by various awareness programmes, such as, on bio-composting techniques, use of good quality seeds, water conservation and harvesting, etc.
• During the Diversity Agricultural Support Project (DASP-UA), Almora, SUDHA conducted an awareness exercise on ‘Biology and Control of White Grub’ in view of the increasing menace of the white grub in agriculture.
• Many health problems are caused by unhygienic living conditions and polluted drinking water; so SUDHA has taken the initiative and conducted awareness programmes to give beneficial information on sanitation and safe drinking water including for purifying water for drinking purpose.
• A series of workshops on watershed management, water harvesting and management, biocomposting, sensitisation of local communities on various need-based issues, soil testing, agricultural diversification, etc.
• Training on Watershed Management
• Training and Capacity Building Programmes
  SUDHA has organised a number of community-oriented skill up gradation, capacity building and strengthening training programmes on:
• Self Help Group (SHG) Formation and Leadership Development
• SHG Record Maintenance and Bookkeeping
• Income Generation Programmes for SHGs
• Bank Linkages and Micro-financing
• Steps of IGP for Empowered SHGs
• Formation and Development Steps of Federations
• Conflict Resolution among SHGs
• Training Programme on Pre and Post Harvest Management for SHGs under Horticulture Component
• Women Empowerment Training Programme in Horticulture for 10 WSHGs of District Bageshwar under Horticulture Technology Mission Programme in Uttarakhand

Publications:

• SUDHA has also developed and published Swayam Sahayata Samooh Sandarshika, a Training Package for SHGs which includes manuals on group management and leadership development, conflict resolution, SHG record management and bookkeeping, income generating activities for empowered SHGs and bank linkage and micro-financing.
• Periodical – Sudha Udgam a bimonthly newsletter.
• Paryavaran Sandarshika – a compilation of environmental issues of District Almora.
• Panchayati Raaj – a training manual.
• Electronic media – CDROM on Paryavaran Mahotsava 2003 and on Kurmula Niyantran - Ek Samitik Prayaas.
• Kurmula Niyantran - Ek Samitik Prayaas - a set of five leaf-lets on White Grub (an insect), comprising topics viz. introduction, life cycle, control measures, light trap and Bio composting techniques.
• Contributed towards Poster Publication – Aakhir Aur Kitne Kadam on the Occasion of International Year of Fresh Water 2003.
• Poster Publication on Life cycle of White Grub (Kurmula).

Corporeal Contributions

• Considerable plantations of broadleaved and fodder trees with the help of the local people have been executed by SUDHA.
• Construction of low-cost and regular polyhouses for the farmers.
• Distributed 50 light traps to the farmers for controlling insects, especially the moths of the white grub.
• Constructed a number of LDPE storage tanks, low-cost water harvesting and distribution tanks.
• Established Van Aushdhivan, an herbal hub featuring about 300 varieties of valuable medicinal plants including ashwagandha, kuth, reetha, and cheura.
• Repaired and renovated naulas, the traditional sources, including administering a cleansing programme for the same.
• SUDHA runs a number of non-formal schools in various villages of Uttarakhand that provide elementary education to children.

Other Interventions

SUDHA is engaged in voluntary services for community health such as conducting immunization campaigns for children and has organized several camps to generate awareness of activities for exploring the rich heritage of Uttarakhand Himalaya. SUDHA has also organised many soil-testing campaigns to test soil fertility in villages of the region. Critical information regarding the adverse effects of the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers imparted in these campaigns motivated the farmers to go the “organic way.”

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