Overview
Agragamee (meaning 'pioneer' or 'marching forward') is an established NGO that has been engaged in people-centred, culturally sensitive and ecologically balanced sustainable development of remote tribal communities in Orissa for over two decades. It started work in the Kashipur block of Rayagada District in 1981. Agragamee now works directly in eight districts and indirectly in some more through a consortium of nine partner-NGOs called Sanjojana. It is among Orissa's most well known and respected NGOs. Agragamee has attempted to work with people in this backward region to empower them - tangibly and intangibly - with the awareness, means, rights, skills and opportunities necessary to check their exploitation and to sustainable manage their natural resource base. Agragamee has had a significant history in enabling them to regenerate and conserve it while also utilising it for creating agriculture-based livelihoods in innovative ways that both conserve cultural and biological diversity as well as create sustainable avenues for socio-economic emancipation.
Details
Min/Max # of Volunteers: 2
Length of project: minimum 1 year
If one is ready to give more time, then it is possible to extend the period. The decision is left to the Volunteer. Volunteers should arrive in September after the monsoon rains.
There are three major projects going on as follows:
- Natural Resource Management (NRM), Watersheds, Organic Farming (livelihood creation, socio-economic improvement, market development, natural resource conservation, biodiversity conservation etc.)
- Advocacy and Policy Research
- Tribal Education (non-formal, alternative and women literacy programmes suited to the tribal context)
The role of Volunteer will vary from project to project. For example, NRM, Watershed and Organic farming will demand field work, farmers training, field level documentation. Tribal Education will demand designing teaching learning materials, Improving the communication skills, working on folk media. Advocacy and Research will need Internet and website management, documentation, Action Research.
Location:
- NRM: Kashipur In Rayagada Dist. and Dasmanthpur in Koraput Dist. (rural)
- Advocacy : Bhubaneswar, state capital of Orissa (urban)
- Education : Kashipur in Rayagada Dist. (rural)
Room and board: Board and lodging facilities are available at Kashipur and Dasmanthpur and charges will be nominal. For those working in Bhubaneswar, accommodation will have to be arranged by renting a flat.
Financial requirements for volunteer: Agragamee has a financial crisis due to recent government cuts and volunteers should look after themselves. However, if any volunteer is in need of a Pocket money/subsistence allowance, it may be possible.
Specific requirements:
Volunteers must:
- have proficiency in Computer, Internet etc
- know English
If Hindi is known, it will be better. Any additional knowledge/skill to help the farmers would be definite strength.
Additional Information: Volunteers should be aware tensions between police/government and Agragamee run high in the Kashipur and Koraput district. Tribal empowerment poses a threat to the current plan to displace the tribals in this area in order to mine their hills for bauxite aluminum. 9 tribals have been shot in protests, and Agragamee officials have been assaulted in the past few years.
Website: www.agragamee.org
E-mail: agragamee@satyam.net.in /achyutdas@agragamee.org
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