Sector:FoodandNutrition

Proposal
CreationoftheSocietyforWomenAndRuralAgriculturalJubilation
(SWARAJ)whichshallserveasaparentbodyforestablishmentof
CooperativeUnitsengagedinemployingwomenforthepurposeofproviding
dailyfoodandnutritioninprimaryandsecondaryschools.

Swarajismybirthright,andIshallhaveit!
LokmanyaBalGangadharTilak

Swarajmeansonesrighttobegovernedbyoneself.Itisthepillaruponwhich
ourcountrywasestablished.Itemphasizesindependence,sacredtoevery
humanbeing.In2004,theGovernmentofIndiaambitiouslyimplementedthe
MiddayMealScheme.Thepurposeoftheschemewastoattractchildrento
schoolsbyprovidingthemnutritiousfoodpreparedbylocalselfhelpgroups
calledAnganwadis.Sadly,thewordsnutritiousandlocalselfhelpgroups
havebeenrepressedand,instead,privatecontractors(notAnganwadis)have
beendelegatedtheresponsibilitytoproduce(unhealthy)food.SWARAJaims
toshiftthefocusfromthisfactorystyleeatablesproductiontothepreparation
ofnutritiousfoodbyempoweredselfhelpgroupsleadbyequallyempowered
women.
48%ofIndiaspopulationcompriseswomen.However,ameager25%1ofall
womenofworkingageareactivelyemployed.Manyaredependentontheir
spouseforbasicneedssuchasfood,shelterandclothing.Thisdespondent
statisticdemonstrateshowover36%ofIndiaspotentialworkforceislost.Lost,
notduetolackofskill,butbecauseoftheinabilityofsocietytoharnessthe
capabilitiesandskillsthatwomenpossess.

Synopsis
ThevisionofSWARAJistosetupfullyfunctioningselfhelpgroupsin
villagesacrossIndiatopreparethefoodrequired.Tofulfillourvision,wewill
needtoestablishCooperativeUnitsforRuralEducation(CURE).EachCURE
willbeconstitutedbywomenbelongingtothelocalvillageandthereforeit

1(Ministry of Women and Child Development, India, 2007) [approx. 25%]

shallopenanarrayofopportunitiesforwomentoearnalivelihoodandleadan
independentandselfsustainedlife.

Thebasicrequirementofeachsuchunitshallbeasmallstructureintheformofa
buildingcomposedofakitchen,aroomattachedandawashroom.Sucha
buildingwouldoccupyroughly500squarefeet,furthermore,weneedto
incorporateshelteredcourtyardswherethewomeninthevillagescangatherand
discusseducationrelatedandgeneralproblemstofindviablesolutionsthrough
collectiveaction.Utensilsforfoodpreparationshallbeprocuredfromthelocal
market.Grainsandvegetablesrequiredshallbeobtainedthroughdocumented
wholesalersattheleastpossiblecost.Inordertodevelopaselfsustainingmodel,
itisimportanttomakesurethateveryarticleprovidedisproperlymaintainedand
thereisregularsupplyofrawmaterials.

TrainingprovidedbytheSocietyforWomenAndAgricultureJubilation
(SWARAJ)shallbetwofold:

Firstly,SWARAJvolunteersshalltrainthelocalwomenwithcosteffective
methodsofcookingnutritiousfood.Thistrainingshallbeamonthlongprocess.
Theyshallbetaughtaboutbasichealthandhygieneoverthecourseofthe
training.Theobjectivesofthistrainingshallbeasfollows:
i.Toteachthemembersmeansofprocuringgrainsandvegetablesatreasonable
ratesfromthelocalmarketsandtomanagesuchinventorypurchasedefficiently
ensuringthattheconsumablesarestoredinasuitablefashionanddonotperish
duetomismanagement
ii.ToenlightenthemembersoftheCUREwithhygieniccookingtechniquesso
astoensurethatthefoodisfreeofharmfulanddiseasecausingsubstances
iii.Toeducatethememberswithfoodpreparationmethodssothatwholesome
foodiscookedefficiently.Theyshallbeeducatedaboutthenutritionalqualities
ofvariousfoodsubstancesforminganessentialpartofachild'sdiet
iv.Toexplainmethodsofconvertingwatertopotableformensuringeverychild
receivessafedrinkingwater

Secondly,SWARAJshalltrainthewomenmemberswithbasicknowledgeabout
theeducationreceivedbytheirchildrenandgeneralpracticalknowledgeas
follows:
i.Theimportanceofwashingfruits/vegetablesbeforedirectconsumptionhasto
bestressedupon
ii.ConsumingfoodwithunwashedhandsgivesrisetoH1N1virusandmyriad
otherlifethreateninggermsthathavebeenknowntocripplemankind.Awareness
ofincorporatinguseofsoapandsanitizershastobeinstilledinwomen,in
generalandchildren,inparticular.
iii.Tomakewomenawareofvariousvaccinesthathavetobeadministeredto
babiesinordertocombatdeadlydiseasesandviruses.
iv.Tocreateawarenessaboutsupplementarynutritionthathastobeprovidedto
childrenintheagegroupof6monthsto6yearsandtopregnant/lactating
mothers.
v.Toteachmodernagriculturaltechniquessoastoincreasecropyield.This
includeseducatingwomenaboutmethodsofapiculture(beekeeping),vermi
compostingandothermeansoforganicfarming

Our2foldprogramalignswithourPrimeMinistersvisionandcommitmentto
providingqualityeducationforchildrenandskilldevelopmentforwomen,inthe
entirecountrywithaprimemissionstatementthat,

Educatedchildrenandempoweredwomenwilleradicatepovertyand
malnutrition,andmakeaprosperousnation

FeasibilityoftheProject
ThispartofthereportservesasthefeasibilitystudyofSWARAJ.Itspurposeis
to act as yardstick for the decision to launch this venture, its financing
requirements in order to initiate the activities, and as touchstone in the
developmentofourcooperativeunits(CURE).Thedocumentissupportedby
itsannexures,whichcontaintheresearch,informationandplansonwhichthis
documentisbased.
ProjectDescriptionandObjectives:
SWARAJSocietyforWomenandRuralAgriculturalJubilation,isprimarilya
parentbodyforsettingupCooperativeUnitsofRuralEducation(CURE)in
ruralareas.Themodelisbuiltaroundtwomaincontructivesi.e.,Womenand
Children.WeatSWARAJwilltrainWomentopreparehygienicandnourished
foodforchildrenasapartofthemiddaymealscheme,onwhichprimary
educationthrivestoday.Women,forthebettermentofchildrenatourunits,
willalsotakeupmyriaddevelopmentandsustenanceactivities.

StakeHolders:
Ourprojectisbasicallyatwofoldmodel.Firstly,wewanttoprovidechildren
withhygienicandnutritiousfood,whichwillmandatorilybemadewithgood
qualityrawmaterials.Secondly,weplantoropeinruralunemployedwomento
producethisfoodindigenouslyandcreateprivateentrepreneursfromtheforay.
Hence,womenandchildrenwillbeourprimestakeholders.
Government,Localselfhelpgroups,ruralpublicandsocialactivistswillalso
beindirectlyaffectedbyouractivitiesandconstitutethesecondary
stakeholders.

FundingRequirements:
Fundingisanotherimportantpointofkeenconsideration.Wearenotaprofit
makinginstitution;wemajorlyrelyonactivists,governmentfunding,NGOsor
publicprivateparticipationtocarryoutouractivities.Asitisaselfsustaining
model,itllnotbepossibletodetermineexactfundingrequirements,butafair
estimatehasbeengiveninTable2,whichhasbeenenclosedwiththis
document.Majorfundingwillbeusedforthefollowing:

Table 1
Particular BriefDescription
Rooms Preparefood/ConductClasses
Toilets/Washrooms Refreshmentpurposes
Courtyard Discussionpurposes
Utensils Cookingfood
Fruits/vegetables Rawmaterials

RefertoTable2forfairestimates.
Table 2

EstimatedCostpermonth

Particulars Rs. Rs.

FixedCosts

Rent[600squarefeet] 3000

DepreciationonAssets10%[Table3] 24500 27000

VariableCosts
6000Mealsfor25daysofSchoolpermonth 26940

TrainingCost(Rs.10000pertrainer) 20000
LabourchargespaidtoWomenvolunteers(20%ofvariable
expenses) 11735 58675

TotalExpensespermonth 85675

AssetsRequired
Table 3

AssetsRequired

Particulars Rs.

Building 200000

Utensils 20000

Stationery 10000

Furniture 15000

Total 245000

Costperchildperschoolday

Table 4
RevisedCookingcostperchildperschoolday
w.e.f.1.07.2014

Stage TotalCost

Primary 3.59
UpperPrimary 5.38

Average 4.49

Source:http://mdm.nic.in/Meal%20Provision.html

SWARAJStrategy
TheoryofChange:Weaimtocultivateandincorporatetheidealsofhygiene
andnutritionamongchildrenandwomen,whichwouldultimatelyleadtoan
enhancementofchildrensacademicandintellectualprowess.Wewilldothat
byarticulatingintermediateandultimateresults.

SustainabilityStrategy:CUREisbuiltonamodel,whichechoesself
sustenance.Itrevolvesaroundwomenandtheircapacitytoworkforthe
bettermentoftheirchildren.Wehavenotyetplannedastipulatedurationof
maturity,butitllbeabletosustainitselfwithoutdigressingfromitscore
principalsinthenearfuture.

ResourceStrategy:

1. Land:Landwillbeboughtatsubsidizedratesfromthegovernmentoras
donationfromprivateentrepreneurs.
2. Labour:Womenwillberesponsibleforcookingthefoodandmanagingraw
materials.
3. Capital:Governmentgrants,NGOparticipationandSocialactivismwillbe
ourprimarysourceoffunding.
4. Leader:WeatSWARAJ,willbethepivotaroundwhichthismodelwill
function.OurCUREunitswillbringland,labourandcapitalunderoneroof.

OperationaltradeoffsandRisksinvolved:Convincinglocalwomentotake
upinitiativesandbreakingtheageoldstereotypeofwomenunemploymentwill
bedifficulttoconquer.Wehowever,areoptimisticthatwithchangingtimes
andpropercounselingwewillbeabletoovercomethisbarrier.
SWOTAnalysis
1. Strengths:WomenEmpowermentorientedmodel,determinationof
volunteers,abilitytoadaptandsetupCooperativeUnitsthatsuittheneeds
ofeachvillage,ambitiontoprovidebetterqualityfood,shiftingfocusfrom
factorystyleeatablesproductiontopreparationofnutritiousfood
2. Weaknesses:Difficultyinmassproduction,difficultyassociatedwith
formationoflocalselfhelpgroups
3. Opportunities:638000villagesexistinIndiaandover80%ofthemlack
thesystemoflocalselfhelpgroups,governmentgrantstoorganizations
engagedindistributionofmiddaymeals,desireforimprovementin
nutritionalconditionsacrossthenation
4. Threats:Resistancefromlocalcommunities,nonparticipationbylocal
governmentofficials,preferenceofprivatecontractors,corruptionatthe
grassrootlevel

Conclusion
SWARAJaimstopropagatetheconceptofsustainabledevelopmentthrough
creationofCooperativeUnits.Itaimstoprovideemploymentand
empowermenttowomen,andatthesametimeensurethefutureofthis
countryintheformofchildreniswellnourished.Weareoptimisticthatthe
modelwillbewellacceptedbythelocalcommunitiesandeachvillagewillbe
transformedintoanidealvillageorasShriNarendraModiputsit
AdarshGram.