The UWC Adriatic team that secured a Go Make a Difference grant this year is formed by second-year students Nayantara (India), Giulia (Italy/Sweden) and Josie (UK), who will be using it in the Warli tribal village of Ganjad in Maharashtra, India. «When we first heard about the Go Make a Difference grant» says Giulia,
Their plan is to install drip irrigation systems – a 90% water-efficient irrigation method – on two local farms, as well as to promote the use of organic fertilisers to improve harvest yields and implement sustainable farming practices.
says Nayantara, who also explains that farmers in that area currently use flood irrigation (50% water efficient), and inorganic fertilisers that affect the local ecosystem and people’s health.
The Indian region of Palhgar, home to the Warli tribes, is severely drought-prone and farmers are often struggling financially because of excessively high production costs. Many are aware of the need to shift to drip-irrigation systems but simply cannot meet upfront the material and labour costs required to make this change. In recent times, lack of support for the agricultural sector, the marginalisation of the Warli communities and farmer suicides in the area have been on the increase, compounded by the effects of climate change.
Nayantara has participated in a “Sustainable Cities Summer Camp” where she met an experienced local farmer – Ravi Pereira – and learned from him how to install drip irrigation systems. The team is also planning to liaise with a respected member of the community – the Panchayat, or head of the village – to ensure that the innovation they will bring to the local area will be understood and welcomed. «Collaborating with the local people will be crucial: we will do our best to listen, understand and adapt our plans to a community with unique needs and valuable traditional knowledge», says Josie.
One of the main challenges the three students will face will be dealing with the language barrier. Their plan is to rely on the assistance of the nuns of the Gnananjyoti Community College who speak Marathi and have also offered the team accommodation and transport. However, Hindi is also spoken by many in the area, so Nayantara trusts she will be able to communicate effectively most of the time. They expect to arrive in the area early in June and are extremely eager to begin this project as it will allow the three of them to combine their passions for the environment and social work.
says Giulia. The team will also be crowdfunding for additional funds in an effort to further increase the scale of the project.
