Our field-staff, Kannan, from Aracode sent us this refreshing image of Thinai (Foxtail Millet) a few days ago. What’s even delighting is, the fact that despite several hindrances posed by the lockdown since early March, we managed to procure seeds and distribute them to the farmers, just in time for the sowing season.
While this might seem like a small thing to rejoice over for those of us not directly connected to this process or the APPI Livelihood project. However, it’s an extremely crucial point for us because one of our primary goals is to ensure nutritional and food-security for vulnerable tribal communities, besides providing for income security.
One thing we found quite intriguing was that right after the lockdown was announced and it’s direct effect on livelihoods had just begun to trickle down, more and more people from the areas we work in asked to be enrolled in the project. They saw more promise in the very agricultural activity that they had drifted away from over the years.
So, was COVID-19 a necessary evil? We wouldn’t know! But as long as it helps people to move towards self-reliance, we’d be glad to be instrumental in making the transition…
By Abhirami Murthy
