Home | Forms | Tenders | RTI | Careers  
Get it on Google Play
 
 
Their Smiles say it all…
26.12.2014
   

“When my husband Satharaju was alive, he would go out to the sea and bring in the fish and I would go the market twice a week to sell them. Since he passed away I buy fish from my neighbours and travel to the market about 40 kms away on Wednesday and Saturday,” says Kasallama, showing us the small dry Kadi fish in her hand. Life is tough in this small village of Baluspetta in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.

It is possibly the most vulnerable village off the Andhra coast and is two hours away from Kakinada by road and can be reached only by crossing a bridge. By boat at a meagre 10/- person, it is 15 minutes away from the village of Edurilanka. It is an island village, with the Godavari River on three sides and the sea on the fourth. As Kasalamma bows low to put the small fish in one of the trays to be stashed away in the smoking bin for drying, we shudder when we see and feel the risk that these communities face day in and day out to eke a livelihood for themselves.

Before the Tsunami, 10 years ago, very few had heard of this village, but the havoc that was caused left the population completely helpless and shot them into the reckoning of the world. Red Cross intervened and many supports were provided to help people regain their livelihood.

Under the Tsunami Short term recovery programme implemented by the Indian Red Cross Society in two phases supported by the Spanish Red Cross, , these fisherwomen were provided with smoking bins, Ice boxes and Fish curing tubs, as aids to their livelihood.

An evaluation study on livelihood of coastal fisherwomen was also carried out and later summated into a discussion paper, published as “Fishing Sustainable Livelihoods” authored by Dr S P Agarwal, Secretary General, Indian Red Cross Society, Dr A Lakshmana Rao, Hon Secretary, Andhra Pradesh Red Cross State Branch and Mr Hector Palacios Pujolar, Head of Delegation, Spanish Red Cross at that time.



The IRCS livelihood project had been implemented in two phases running up to March 2013 and till now 8141 fisherwomen have benefitted from this project in East Godavari, Nellore, Sreekakulam and Prakasam districts of Andhra Pradesh.

“Ever since I started drying my fish in the smoking bins given by the Red Cross, the price at which I am able to sell them has significantly gone up. I can get up to 300/- for a kg whereas initially I used to get only 80 /-. I used to buy firewood for drying them which used to increase my cost. The Bins have made my fish more hygienic and therefore sought after “, says Kasallama. 15 bins were provided in this village alone by the Red Cross. Many women go together for the selling trip and it costs them 800/- per trip”.


Siralamma in the village of Kuduvanipetta in Sreekakulam district is even able to save up on the travel cost till the market, thanks to the auto rickshaw also provided by the Indian Red Cross supported by the Spanish Red Cross. The women of this village were supported with Ice-boxes, a storage centre and also an auto rickshaw.

“The Red Cross auto is very helpful. We are able to save up to Rs 2000/- a month on our travel to neighbouring villages and the town for selling our fish,” says Siralamma. The other women pitch in with thanks to the Red Cross, as they can now preserve their fish for even 3 days due to the Red Cross ice boxes which would earlier perish in 24 hrs.


Remembering the Tsunami, Siralamma says, “The sea came in 200 feet inland. We ran to save our children locking homes and leaving behind all our belongings.”It was the Red Cross studies that found the fisherwomen to be the most vulnerable amongst all people affected by the Tsunami, as also the last to be reached with help.

Red Cross assessed their needs and helped them with smoking bins(for drying fish), ice boxes(for storage), Curing Tubs(for separating fish), built drying platforms and auto rickshaws for help.

And has it all helped? Well, their smiles say it all!.

 
 
  All content copyright © Indian Red Cross Society. All rights reserved.
www.indianredcross.org is the official and only website of the National Headquarters of Indian Red Cross Society | Site Map | Web Privacy Policy