GoodNewsIndia :: The Sieve
Good news filtered from media streams
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Jul 17, 2006 : Business ranis
Members of women’s Self Help Groups [SHG] in Warangal, AP are climbing the agri-business value chain. According to a feature article in the Deccan Chronicle today, they began gathering neem seeds lying to waste and supplying them to corporation like ITC. This year the district collected almost a third of the state’s total of 760 tonnes, earning a net profit of Rs 14.5 lakhs out of a turnover of Rs 65 lakhs.But they haven’t stopped there. They now want to add value to the seeds and then sell them directly to local farmers as bio-fertilisers and -pesticides. They smelt another opportunity while doing business with farmers. The state is encouraging production of maize which requires less water than paddy. Finding farmers reluctant because of a lack of an assured market, these SHG have stepped in and guaranteed a floor price to growers. Farmers can now deal without middlemen and also have the produce picked up at their doorstep by the SHGs.
These women are now plotting to extend agricultural credit to farmers on a wide scale.
Jul 17, 2006 : Bamboo boom
UNI reports today that the recently built bamboo cottages at Assam’s Kaziranga National Park have been a runaway hit with visitors, sparking a new interest in bamboo as a building material. Several more bamboo structures are coming up for public use in the North East [NE]. These are based on traditional building techniques popular throughout the NE, where bamboo is central to people’s lives. It gives them homes, food, artifacts and craft items for sale.The Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre [CBTC] has been actively reviving an esteem for bamboo among urban folks in the NE who are turning to steel and concrete houses. CBTC has also been developing countrywide and worldwide markets for bamboo products from NE. Visit this link and scroll down that page for news on the bamboo initiative.
Jul 03, 2006 : Women hosteler’s school
The Outlook magazine has run a heart-warming piece on the evening school run by 207 residents of the Lady Brabourne College Hostel in Calcutta. Keeping up a 36 year old tradition, these girls welcome close to 40 young children every evening from poor homes nearby. Between 5 and 6.30 PM they use innovative methods to teach and help the children with their class work. The College stands behind in silent support but it’s the hostelers’ show and funds too are pooled by them.After fun-filled lessons, children get fruits and snacks before they head home. Hostelers also raise money for books and stationary for needy children. Of course they’d welcome your contributions: Phone- 033-22448120
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