Cocoa Life Community Development Programme.

Project background 

The “Cocoa Life Community Development program” focuses on the integral development of the cocoa farmers in two districts comprising 7 villages covering 7 Gram Panchayats of Idukki district and 25 villages covering 22 Gram Panchayats of West Godavari District.

Objective of the Programme

The overall goal of the project is to empower Cocoa communities to lead their own developments. The specific objectives of the project are to:

• Develop and launch the community development programme.
• Improve labour standards through provision of basic facilities, safety, child development and prevention of workplace harassment.
• Raise awareness and capacitate farm workers on their rights and opportunities for growth.
• Improve community health and well-being
• Promoting water literacy among Cocoa community to understand water related risk and work towards improved water resource planning.
• Increasing women’s opportunities and capabilities to influence decisions in the community and in cocoa farming organizations, and increase families’ overall income both in and outside of cocoa farming.

Major Interventions

For achieving the overall goal of the project, six pillars were identified for the well being of Cocoa Community i.e. Child development, Women empowerment, Health, hygiene and sanitation, decent work practices, Different government schemes and Water literacy. Following are the major interventions under the project :

1. Cluster Finalization: In each of the identified villages, clusters within the respective villages were identified where cocoa farming was more prevalent.
2. Farmer Identification: Total 4018 farmers have been identified covering 2012 farmers in West Godavari and 2006 farmers in Idukki respectively.
3. Baseline survey: Detail household baseline survey is in progress both District.
4. Community Empowerment: Field trainers (FT) identified in each village were given orientation on project objectives. Further the FT’s were capacitated in the 6 themes identified under the project. Training module and IEC material has been prepared and the standard training module is used for training community in both locations.
5. Liaisoning with Government and other line departments : AFPRO is liasoining with various Govt. Department for linkages under the project.
6. Water Resource mapping: Water Resource Mapping has been completed in all 32 villages. In West Godavari, 2 drinking water schemes is under progress of establishing 2 RO plant is 2 village. In Idukki, 8 schemes have been identified for implementation and field level implementation has just stared.
7. Training to Community: Various trainings on Child Development, Girl Safety and adolescent girl issues, Farm women care takers and workers (WASH), Decent work practices, Formation and strengthening of Child Development, Training on Health, Hygiene and sanitation is going on at field level in both the districts.