Tribal Development

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.

The district wise number of Villages and Chenchu Population is as follows:

S.NO District No. of Mandals No. of Villages pop(2001)

1. Mahabub Nagar 10 111 10406

2 Prakasham 07 72 13321

3. Kurnool 12 33 7915

4. Guntur 03 46 6376

5. Nalgonda 05 17 1069

6 Ranga Reddy 07 33 2700

Out of the 312 Chenchu habitations, 124 are found in the wild life sanctuary. These habitations are in the districts of Mahabub Nagar, Prakasham, Kurnool and Guntur. Out of these 124 habitations, 24 are in the core area

Settlement Pattern:

The houses of Chenchus are very simple, scattered and either conical or rectangular in shape. Most of these families keep their goats and sheep in their houses or very close to them, where they cook, sleep and preserve their small quantity of grain.

Most of the Chenchu Habitations are relocated from the forest areas and pucca houses are constructed with inferior materials. The houses constructed in the nineties and later are already in dilapidated condition.

All these houses are with single room, measuring 14 feet in length and 9 feet in width. Some of these houses are constructed in continuous blocks of 6 to 11 houses without providing space on all sides.

These houses are more congested than the houses constructed in urban slums. The contractors are constructing these houses in continuous rows to reduce cost of construction by avoiding fourth wall in all the inside houses in a row.

Ceilings are weak and cracks have developed in some houses. Basements are not completed in many houses. Doors, windows and toilet rooms are not provided in almost all the houses.

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

Empowering the Tirbal Community Through Education

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 with alphabets and numbers.

Residential Schools: (Ashram, Guru Kula and Mini Guru Kula patashalas): There are 46 residential schools functioning under ITDA Srisailam.

As per the ITDA records, the strength was 8162 (during the academic year 2006-07). Grant is given at the rate of Rs 475 per month for each student up to 8 classes and at Rs 575 to high school students towards food and miscellaneous expenditure.

Schools, Hostels, Staff quarters and Community halls are constructed in the road side as well as interior habitations and staff is recruited for all the schools and hostels.

Names of the children to the sanctioned capacity are entered in the attendance registers, irrespective of the presence of the children.

100 percent attendance is marked to all the children(whose names are on the rolls) and the money for the provisions is drawn to all children as per the strength in the registers but food is not served as per the menu, even to the few children who are present in the classes.

Only 20 to 40 percent of the children attend the classes in the residential schools located in the Chenchu habitations and 40-50 percent of the children attend the residential schools located in the villages.

Attendance is high in the Residential schools located in the villages is because of, children from other communities are also admitted in these residential schools.

A few upper primary schools have been upgraded into high schools even through there are no Chenchu children in those schools. Play material, cosmetics, boxes and plates are rarely given to the children.

These Malpractices were reported in the local press in the year 2004 itself. No body is bothered to look into these aspects because, TWD, ITDA Officials get their (hafta) share (30%) from the Head Masters regularly.

Education in tribal

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 the houses in Chenchu habitations.

Drinking water sources like wells, tanks and streams get contaminated due to mixing of human excreta from open defecation. Animals that are tied in the houses also contribute to the cause of certain diseases.

Common diseases that are afflicting the Chenchus are respiratory tract diseases, gastric disorders, Scabies, Malaria, Viral fevers, eye infections. Epidemics due to Gastro Enteritis and Malaria are regular feature.

MMR, IMR and Mortality among the Chenchu community: Infant mortality (IMR) is due to measles, diarrhea and diseases associated with malnutrition. . The major cause of MMR is mal nutrition, low literacy levels among Chenchu women, child marriages. Deep roots of orthodox thinking, lack of care for women’s health, medical facilities, immunization services and inadequacy of interval between two children.

As per the Tribal Cultural Research and Training Institute the IMR and MMR among the Chenchus is 215 and -700 ( 7for 1000 live births) respectively. Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) processed 250 death claims of Chenchus during 2005-2006.

Health status of chenchu

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 hospitals round the clock for institutional deliveries.

It is observed that due to several reasons including remoteness of the place, lack of transport facilities, fear of wild animals, varying periodicity of each case as well as the ignorance and apathy of the Chenchu Community, the expected periodic coordinated immunization is delivered tardily.

There is tendency to tamper with expected periodicity, club more than one or two patients as well, as vaccines and injections are administered in one visit. The reliability of the record sheets is doubtful.

Sources of income

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 not being reaped by the Chenchu Community.

The trainings have benefited ITDA staff and the organizers of the training programmes. Chenchu youth who have been trained in different trades are still idle or continuing in the old activity

Agriculture: plough bullocks, seeds and land development activities are supposed to be taken up regularly under the agriculture programme.

Every year, a fair amount of budget is provided to buy more than150 pairs of plough bullocks, but the Officials have a different practice.

Tribal community

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 recognized as Primitive Tribal Groups (P T Gs) by Government of India, basing on criteria like pre Agricultural Economy, low Literacy and stagnant or declining Population.

The Chenchu was the first tribe to be declared as P T G in the year 1975. The other P T Gs are Kollam, Konda Reddy, Konda Savara, Gadaba, Ghond, Porja and Thoti.

The Chenchus of Andhra Pradesh: The Chenchus are found in Nallamallai Forest areas of Mahaboob Nagar, Prakasham, Kurnool, Guntur, Nalgonda Districts and plain areas of Ranga Reddy District of Andhra Pradesh.

Following Immigration of the relatively advanced Tribes and non Tribals, relocation of the Chenchu habitations and the implementation of a certain forest laws, their habitat has under gone a sea change, bringing in its wake not only adverse economic conditions but also psychological and cultural effects.

Chenchus enmass shift from one place to another and therefore the number of habitations varies from time to time.

Most of the Chenchu families are of nuclear type and the average size is 4.38, which is considered to be very small and it can be attributed to under utilization/non availability of Medical services and high incidence of Morbidity and Mortality.

With regard to occupation basically the Chenchus are food gatherers, hunters. Recently a few Chenchu families have taken to Agriculture here and there and also started working as labourers and also migrating to far off places like Meghalaya.

Food habits of chenchu

The 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 through Public Distribution system.

The most common chutney/curry of chenchus is karam or thokku prepared with chillies. Chillies are grounded into a paste by adding onions, salt and tamarind. The common chutney i.e. karam or thokku is mixed with rice and then eaten

Apiculture Livelihoods for the Tirbal People

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 growth of fruits, vegetables, and other crops. Beekeepers can rent out their hives to farmers to improve crop yields.
Hobby: Beekeeping can be a fascinating and rewarding hobby. It allows people to connect with nature and learn about the complex social behavior of bees.

Facilities for beekeeping don't require a ton of elaborate equipment. Here are the main things beekeepers use:

Beehives: These are artificial homes for the bees, providing them with a safe and controlled environment to live and work.
Protective gear: Beekeepers wear protective suits, veils, and gloves to minimize the risk of getting stung.
Smoker: This is a tool that puffs smoke into the hive, which calms the bees and makes them less likely to sting.
Hive tools: These are specialized tools used to open and inspect hives, harvest honey, and manipulate hive components.

Key Elements for a Successful Tribal Development Project

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 resources: Assemble a skilled team with expertise in tribal development.

Infrastructure: Access to transportation, communication, and other essential facilities.

Partnerships: Collaborate with government agencies, NGOs, and other stakeholders.

Implementation and Monitoring

Effective management: Implement the project efficiently and transparently.
Monitoring and evaluation: Track progress, measure outcomes, and make necessary adjustments.
Documentation: Maintain detailed records of project activities and achievements.
Capacity building: Continuously strengthen the capacity of the community to manage the project.

Specific Project Areas

Consider focusing on areas with high potential for impact:

Education: Improve access to quality education, including vocational training.

Healthcare: Enhance healthcare services and infrastructure.

Livelihoods: Promote sustainable economic activities like agriculture, forestry, and handicrafts.

Infrastructure: Develop roads, bridges, and other essential infrastructure.

Empowerment: Strengthen the role of women and youth in decision-making.

Cultural preservation: Support the preservation of tribal languages, customs, and traditions.

Additional Considerations

Legal and policy framework: Understand relevant laws and policies affecting tribal communities.

Environmental sustainability: Minimize the project's impact on the environment.

Conflict resolution: Address potential conflicts within the community or with external stakeholders.

By carefully considering these factors and working closely with the tribal community, it is possible to develop effective and sustainable projects that improve the lives of tribal people.

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