Wealth Creation by Natural Farming

Natural farming brings sustainability to agriculture-based livelihood and reduces the costs of cultivation, thereby increasing the net incomes of the small and marginal farmers. The campaign’s objective is to educate and empower farmers for crop productivity with cost-effective natural inputs.

SUMMARY

Bhavyata Foundation, under its initiative, Sowing the Seeds is promoting the ‘Samriddhi’ campaign to educate and empower farmers for crop productivity with cost-effective natural inputs. Experts say, natural farming brings sustainability to agriculture-based livelihood and reduces the costs of cultivation, thereby increasing the net incomes of the small and marginal farmers.

In collaboration with Bansi Gir Gaushala, National Kamdhenu Award Winner, 2017, the Foundation is dedicated to enhancing livelihoods and sustainable support to marginal farmers with smaller landholdings to make their returns viable. Also, a concerted effort to improve soil fertility and to improve groundwater capacities through tested techniques of natural farming is introduced by way of free training and professional consultation.

BENEFICIARIES

Currently, small and neglected farmers representing 85 per cent of farming households in India face rising input costs, debt stagnation, climate change impacts and low returns. Our beneficiaries include farmers from the tribal district of Palghar, Thane, Gadchiroll, Raigad and many districts in Odisha. These are dependent upon high input fertilizers and pesticides for crop productivity and successful harvest. We support them with free inputs of fertilizers, which are bacterial fertilizers, chemical-free, perpetually made available and locally developed. Popularly known as “Gau Krupa”, the bacterial culture is developed by Bansi Gir Gaushala from panchgavya products and completely natural & Ayurvedic herbs. It is a result of our extensive research and experimentation. This culture has over 40 different strains of friendly bacteria which boost plant growth and immunity.

Enriching Indigenous Dairy Breeds

Livestock plays a vital role in the Indian economy. About 20.5 million people depend upon livestock for their livelihood. Livestock contributed 16% to the income of small farm households as against an average of 14% for all rural households. Today, no one knows the names of India’s fast-vanishing indigenous cattle breeds anymore and hardly anyone cares. Traditional cowshed management practices are dead and forgotten. 

Bhavyata Foundation has initiated a rural project for creating a sustainable environment for the preservation of the Dangi breeds in the neighbouring villages of Murbad Taluka of Thane district, along with the rural architecture of water, fodder availability and storage facilities for a perishable commodity like milk. Total Dangi cattle population in this belt numbers up to 3500, which are already sheltered amongst individual residents of villages in their own homes as one of their family members.

Bhavyata Foundation supports the farmers and locals by support for market linkages while strengthening rural infrastructure and conserving natural resources to generate sustained livelihoods by agriculture and dairy farming.

Partnering Communities with Ecology

Ecology becomes empowering when preservation of nature coupled with the prosperity of communities. Here, in this campaign, we facilitate the procurement of commercially viable plantations for organizations, who shall also play the role of caretakers of nature.

1. Identifying Stakeholders- The primary stimuli is to identify Stakeholders in terms of understanding the local situation. This will ensure that stakeholders are educated about the benefits of the trees and then are trained accordingly to map and assess their trees.

2. Identifying Locations- The plantations follow the science of identifying the tree species in their respective agro-climatic zones. The caretakers, who shall benefit from the commercial viability of the product from fully grown trees, are motivated in the mutual interest of nature and the economy.

3. Procurement of Local Resources- Local Nurseries are identified for the tree plantation initiative.

4. Involvement of Volunteers and Coordination of Local people along with Local nurseries- Bhavyata Foundation involves Volunteers who are willing to devote their time in helping with the campaign.

5. Monitoring for proper survival- Along with plantation, it is significant to ensure that a tree survives the first growing season. With the help of volunteers, we take adequate care assistance for new trees.

Bhavyata Foundation collaborates with Green Schools Programme, an initiative of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) to promote environmental education in an experiential format in Mumbai. Green Schools Programme moves beyond theories and textbooks and concentrates solely on ‘doing’. It is an environmental education programme directed to subtly sensitising students to the environment through hands-on and thought provoking activities. It is also an environment management system that audits, through students, the consumption of natural resources within school campuses and helps schools become good environmental managers by deploying pragmatic solutions to reduce wastage of precious resources.

A large number of schools across India are already a part of the GSP network, and are familiar with the environmental audit process. We as Bhavyata Foundation wish to encourage more number of schools to participate in Teachers Orientation workshop on Green School Programmes (GSP) Audit.

The objective of the workshops is to build the capacity of teachers or master trainers to conduct the environmental audit through their students. During the workshop, participants will be taken through the Green Schools Programme Manual and the process of collecting information for the Audit. The following issues will be the focus during the orientation:

1. Awareness on pollution
2. Water crisis and the solutions: minimising water demand by harvesting rain water and waste water reuse/recycling
3. Solid Waste Management
4. Rating, Analytics and online reporting
5. Use of GSP Audit (in fields of Air, Energy, Food, Land, Water & Waste) in the teaching-learning at classroom level

Promoting wellness by Yog techniques

SUMMARY

Krida Yog is a holistic wellness program for students to aid physical and cognitive development in the formative years (6-15 years). India has the largest population of adolescents (10-19 years) in the world – 253 million – and every fifth adolescent in the world is an Indian. Adolescents represent a vast opportunity that can transform the social and economic fortunes of the country. Many of the adult health outcomes are based on what you do in adolescence.

Yog provides training of mind and body to bring emotional balance. It is claimed that yog leads to alignment and harmony. A recent thesis suggests that yog is a tool to listen to your heart. Thus, yog may contribute to healthy development and good mental health; health promotion for children needs to include improvement of their attention, self-esteem, empowerment, and self-regulation. Krida Yog is a well-researched and planned program that combines the art of wellness, joy of recreation and the potential of learning. Replete with scientific research into these time tested ancient wisdom on child health and well-being, we have devised a curriculum in recreational play and exercise program involving yogic asanas, exercises, breathing techniques, recreational games and many value building conversations for the age group 6-15 years.

Early Childhood Care & Education

The Foundation of life begins with an early and robust education in preschools.

BMC Balwadis (Preschools) run by Bhavyata Foundation with the convergence of nutrition, curiosity-driven learning and experiential tools for toddlers from age 3-6 years.

Bhavyata Foundation, with its expert team of educators and panel of experts in child education, is dedicated to nurturing healthy and empowering childhood to the neediest and unprivileged children in urban Mumbai.

At Bhavyata Foundation, we plan to tackle this concern at three levels:

1. 1. 1. Experiential Education with an emphasis on learning by interaction with teaching aids.
   2. 2. Pedagogy is student-centric, inspiring curiosity and responsibility to learn.
   3. 3. Quality Teacher training Models to create Efficient Teaching Models.

Our intervention in the education of preschool children in underprivileged sections of society covers the following subjects and topics for communication for all-round development of the children. Effective teaching through language and literacy, speech and information, print activity, picture and object visualization, social skills, non-conflicting communication, respecting children emotions, arts and crafts, acting and role play, dance and music, family and society support and creative skills help to tackle the concerns productively.

A daily routine is necessary to bring radical change in body, mind, and consciousness. Under its initiative Lessons for Life, Bhavyata Foundation conducts workshops on Ayurvedic Dincharya with the assistance of certified Ayurvedic practitioners and teachers of authentic Yog traditions. Dincharya (दिनचर्या) as Ayurvedic daily routine recommendations, yogic principles to build much-needed immunity and practises to live a healthier, happier and longer life free from anxiety and diseases.

Platforms in the domain of the Lifestyle & Wellness Model relate to all rounds of holistic and balanced nurturing.

Ayurvedic Dincharya for Daily Wellness

We all know that prevention is better than cure. Unleashing Ayurved secrets with sublime practises helping each one of us achieve much-wanted energy, harmony and balance of physical, emotional and mental levels.  Dincharya is the Sanskrit term for daily Ayurvedic rituals practised with ease which, when practised consistently, help achieve a life of detoxification and nourishment. Enhancing the body’s natural defence system (immunity) plays a vital role in maintaining optimum health. Ayurved extensive knowledge base on preventive care derives from the concepts of “Dincharya” – daily regimes and “Ritucharya” – seasonal regimes to maintain a healthy life.

Revamping India’s Education Scenario

Shiksha Abhiyan is an Educational Model for teachers, educators, parents and students, which aims to revive the efficient methods and systems of knowledge, based on the ideals of self-esteem, self-sustainability, and collective prosperity. The themes of this model vastly relate to overall personal development integrated with collective welfare and nation-building, facilitated by experts in the field of psychology, research, education, sciences, skills and pedagogy.