Tribal development project

Livelihoods:  The primary occupation of most of the Chenchus is collection and sale of Non Timber Forest Produce (N T F P).Very few families depend on Agriculture cultivated in the forest enclosures given by the Forest Officials during the British rule. Relocated families are still depending on the collection of NTFP from the original habitations.   Problem identification and analysis: Chenchu Community lives in the Nallamallai areas of Mahaboob Nagar, Nalgonda, Kurnool, Prakasham, Guntur, and plain areas of Ranga Reddy Districts of Andhra Pradesh. All the Chenchu habitations are far away from district head quarters and lie in the rain shadow region of the state. Major portion of the area lies in the Rajeev Gandhi Tiger sanctuary and special laws are applicable in this area.

Population: A 2011 census reported roughly 4,519 Chenchus residing in 18 settlements across 6 mandals of Prakasam district [a study on problems of chenchu tribe in prakasam district of andhra pradesh

  Population: A 2011 census reported roughly 4,519 Chenchus residing in 18 settlements across 6 mandals of Prakasam district [a study on problems of chenchu tribe in prakasam district of andhra pradesh

Integrated Tribal Development Agency Officials took keen interest in the construction of school buildings, staff quarters, compound walls and community halls, but least bothered in improving the quality of education of the Chenchu children. Infrastructure created by spending millions of rupees is underutilized. Neither the staff occupied quarters nor the ITDA Officials insisted the staff to occupy the quarters and stay within the premises in order to monitor the progress of the children.   Government Girijan Primary Schools:  There are around 117 schools under ITDA Srisailam and as per the ITDA records, 2161 children are studying in these primary schools.  These schools are located in the small habitations and the teachers who stay in mandals head quarters rarely come to these schools.  There is no mechanism to monitor the functioning of these schools. Neither the parents nor the teachers have concern for the children and their education. Children of 4-6 th  class are not even familiar

Right from the Director, Tribal Welfare Department Government of Andhra Pradesh to an attender in the Residential School  Early Childhood Education: Learning environment which is conducive for promotion of social, emotional and esthetic Development of child is totally absent in the Angan Wadi Centers located in the Chenchu habitations. Preschool activities like children coming to a common place, singing songs and playing games is not found in the habitations. On the other hand children come to a common place at a particular time and collect the N. Supplement and leave the premises immediately.  Pre school material like story cards, charts, indoor and outdoor play material puzzles, school readiness kits are not supplied to all the Angam Wadi and Mini Angan Wadi Centers in the area. Angan Wadi Workers are not recruited to the entire mini Angan Wadi Centres. Health status of Chenchu Community: Diseases are caused due to unhygienic and insanitary conditions prevailing in and around

Under immunization strengthening project the care of the pregnant mothers and new born infants is expected to be taken care of by ensuring a coordinated effort jointly by Health and Angan Wadi Workers.  A printed record sheet for each pregnant lady and new born infant marking the periodicity of each variety of immunization and vaccines and tablets like iron and Nutrition supplement is maintained. The government of Andhra Pradesh has recognized the high rate of maternal and infant deaths ands has initiated a targeted programme - Reproductive Child Health (phase two) progamme to end preventable maternal and infant deaths. The objectives of RCH are 1.To reduce IMR from 59 to 25, MMR 349 to 80 and Institutional deliveries 63% to 100%. The target is to be achieved not only among the general population but also Schedule Castes and Tribes.  The programmes introduced under RCH are 1- Voluntary Health workers Scheme. 2- Emergency Health Transport and 3- Provision of Specialist Services in 108 h

Decreased and Depletion of livelihood sources: The primary occupation of most of the Chenchus is collection and sale of Non Timber Forest produce (NTFP) and some of them depend on agriculture in the forest lands and assigned lands given by ITDA after relocation into the plain areas. Due to relocation, Chenchus of many habitations have been alienated from the lands in the forest enclosures and this loss is not fully compensated by the ITDA through land purchase and development programme.  Forest department is taking up tree planting operations in the lands left behind by the chenchus. The relocation didn’t result in creating new livelihoods and on the other hand it has imposed burden of travelling more distance to collect forest produce. Trainings : ITDA has initiated training Programmes in Bee keeping, Fashion Tech’logy, Motor winding, Tailoring, Driving, etc.  Lack of interest from the community and proper monitoring and follow up action by the ITDA team, the anticipated benefits are

Chenchu society consists of clans (extended family units), local groups, and families. They are exogamous, which means that they do not allow marriage within the same clan.  They are also patrilineal, tracing the line of descent through the males. There are four main groups on the upper plateau, and villages usually have a mixture of various clans.  The nuclear family (husband, wife, and unmarried children) is the basic unit of Chenchu society. One distinguishing factor of their tribe is the clear division of labor.  The men hunt, gather honey, and make baskets, while the women prepare the food. The husband and wife are considered partners with equal rights; even their property is jointly owned. Within the tribe, there are a number of differences between the older and younger generations. The older people remain rather scantily dressed, while the younger boys like to wear shirts and pants.  Girls still wear the traditional sarees (colorful wrap-around dresses) or skirts and blouses, a

Project tribal development The Chenchu Community in all the habitations has been pressing us from time to time not to leave interaction with them midway.  They have been requesting us to remain in the area for few more years to guide and instruct them so that they can continue on their own, the activities like vegetable cultivation, accessing of health services,extraction of gum, honey and making of leaf plates. Project title: Advocacy and capacity building for Health, Education and Development of the Primitive Tribal Group i.e. Chenchu living in the Nallamallai areas of Andhra Pradesh. Programme area: Nallamallai Forest areas of Prakasham district of Andhra Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh is the traditional home for 33 Tribal Groups mostly living on the hills, in valleys and forests except a few tribes like Yanadi and Yerukala who are exclusively confined to the plain areas. Lambdas are found both in the plains and the hilly areas. 8 tribes of the 33 scheduled tribes of A.P have been recogniz

T he Chenchus collect Non Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) items like gum, Tamarind, honey and myrobalms and sell them at the Girijan Cooperative Corporation (GCC)   depots and purchase essential commodities like rice, pulses, chillies, oils, salt etc from G.C.C. depots.  During lean season they collect roots, tubers and leaves from the forest and subsist on them. The culinary habits of Chenchus were simple. Chenchus eat Ambali (gruel) sankati, roti and cooked rice called Annam. Ambali is prepared with jowar, ragi or bajra.  The grains are pounded to remove outer layer, washed in water and again re pounded. The repounded grain is cooked in water and consumed after adding salt to it.   Sankati is also prepared with pounded cereals like ragi, jowar and bajra. The pounded cereals are poured into boiling water and stirred with wooden spoon till it becomes semi solid.  Sankati is then eaten with chutney or other curry.  Recently Ambali and sankati is replaced by rice, which is supplied by G.C.C

In case of Honey the trainings were successfully conducted for more than 1500 Chenchu Youth and the Chenchus are extracting honey by applying improved techniques.  The protective equipment and other implements procured by BDS are kept at the ideal locations and the Chenchus are borrowing the protective equipment for extraction of honey and returning them to the person in charge after their use. Around 200 Chenchus are continuously benefiting from this equipment. What is beeping ? Beekeeping, also called apiculture, is the practice of raising and caring for honey bees. People keep bees for a variety of reasons, including: Honey production: This is probably the most well-known product of beekeeping. Beekeepers harvest honey, a delicious and nutritious food, from the hives. Other bee products: Beeswax, propolis, pollen, and royal jelly are other valuable products that can be collected from hives. Pollination: Bees play a vital role in pollinating plants, which helps to ensure the gro

A comprehensive approach that addresses the unique needs and aspirations of the tribal community. Understanding the Community Deep understanding of the tribe: Knowledge of their culture, traditions, social structure, and economic activities is crucial. Needs assessment: Identify the specific challenges and priorities of the community. Community participation: Involve tribal members in project planning and implementation to ensure ownership and sustainability. Project Design and Planning Clear objectives: Define measurable goals for the project. Sustainable approach: Ensure that the project benefits the community in the long term. Integration with existing programs: Coordinate with other development initiatives to avoid duplication and maximize impact. Capacity building: Build the skills and knowledge of tribal people to manage and sustain the project. Resources and Funding Financial resources: Secure adequate funding from government agencies, NGOs, or other donors. Human resour

 Recent new discovery Discovery has been made deep within the Nallamala forest of Telangana. Members of the Chenchu tribe, who are intimately familiar with the region, stumbled upon a fossilized footprint embedded in sandstone, believed to be approximately 35 million years old.  This remarkable find is suspected to be that of a feline, a type of animal previously undocumented in the area's fossil record. Archaeologists are thrilled by the potential insights this fossil could offer. A detailed examination of the footprint may shed light on the prehistoric wildlife that once roamed this part of India, providing valuable clues about the region's ancient ecosystem. Arun Vasireddy , an archaeologist from Hyderabad, sai . . Read more A Paleontological Breakthrough in the Nallamala Forest A fossilized footprint, tentatively attributed to a feline species, has been unearthed in the Nallamala forest by members of the Chenchu tribe. Embedded in sandstone estimated to be 35 million years