• MYWA would like to thank the Guernsey Overseas Aid Committee for funding the above program. The cheque was received in January 2003 and the funds credited to the project account in mid-March.                                                                                                                                                                                               

• The solar fencing work for 75 acres of land was completed by the Government of Tamil Nadu (Forest department) in May.

       Land preparation - levelling, tilling, bunding - began in February, and 22 acres were planted with fod crops including ragi,               chilly, beans and horse gram (a type of lentil) for their own consumption during March, April, May. Seed purchased from the             Government of Karnataka agricultural cooperative society.

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•  The remaining land will be planted with crash crops at the beginning of the rainy season in the month of July, following completion and testing of bore-wells by the Forest Department.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

•  Implementing an adivasi agricultural program has been a long held ambition for MYWA, and is an important step towards the ultimate goal of enabling the adivasis to become self-supporting.                                                                                                                                                                                                            

•  This is the first time the Forest Department has cooperated in implementing such a program in this area. Historically the relationship between adivasis and the Forest Department has been extremely poor. The collaboration between the Forest Department and MYWA, supported by Guernsey OAC, is therefore a breakthrough and will be a great benefit to both the local community and the forest environment.

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