Malnutrition is not only a problem for growth it also severely prevents individuals and families from being able to work. The report says

“The economic losses due to undernutrition are also pervasive – experimental evidence suggests that tackling malnutrition in early life can lead to as much as a 46% increase in earnings as an adult. Productivity loss due to foregone waged employment was estimated to be US$2.3 billion a year in India”

Save the Children – A life Free from Hunger Feb 2012

At SCAD we work tirelessly to make sure that the communities in the Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Kanyakumari districts of Tamil Nadu do not suffer from severe malnutrition and therefore stress on their earning capacity. Global food prices are increasing, UNFAO says that a basket of food is nearly 37% higher now than it was in June 2010 and this is an added pressure to poor, remote rural communities.

What are SCAD doing?

SCAD are

- helping over 2,500 women to plant kitchen gardens and grow nutritious food for themselves saving up to RS 2,000 per month

- planting between 80,000 – 100,000 indigenous trees per year – many with nutritional qualities

- teaching children about growing food in their schools and training in nutritional supplements

- ensuring mothers and babies get the nutrients that they need to support healthy growth

To see more about the amazing work our women’s self help groups are doing with kitchen gardens please watch this video

Murray & Janet Frankland, founders of Salt of the Earth, visit the ‘model village’ Sevalkulam, in the Ottapidaram block to view the new fish culture initiative at the village ooranie (rainwater harvest tank). SCAD have been working with this village for around 20 years and have successfully established: Women’s Self Help Groups, supplementary education, energy management, sports youth groups, vetinary camps, income generating initiatives, health education, micro insurance, nutritional demonstrations, tree plantation, organic kitchen gardens, bio-char trial plots – as a result village life has changed dramatically for these 120 families.

The fish culture initiative alone brings in a significant annual income that is managed by the Village Water Committee (a voluntary group of dedicated village members). This income provides 1% interest loans for families for income generating purposes as well as ensuring the sustainability of the project through ooranie maintenance. The fish are also extremely important in supplementing the village diet. Tree saplings have been planted around the ooranie which will provide vital shade and will reduce water evaporation rates. With these successful trials SCAD aims to roll out the fish culture initiative in 25 more villages with access to ooranies in 2012.

“It was an outstanding trip, very well organised and led. The individual SCAD projects were very good , and the caring and sensitive approach to disability just what one would hope for. What impressed me most though, was the wide scope of SCAD and the ambition to uplift the whole region, with many hundreds of women’s groups and now, some 250 women elected onto local councils. This is rural development with real oomph, and makes our little contributions go an incredibly long way. The holiday section was wonderful, the houseboat trip was pure bliss “

Jonathan Seagrave

“Really, what can I say!! It was a truly amazing trip, I can’t call it a “holiday”, it was analmost overwhelming experience! The organization and planning was very thorough, with very little left to chance, and one must always be prepared to cope with the vagaries of India and “life”!! The itinerary was very good and very interesting and I felt I had really “been to India”! Thursday I think of as my “Michael Pallin” day, meeting our maharaja … and then the train … all good stuff. There was always a feeling of being cared for, and no need to feel anxious as help would always be at hand. Our experience with the children and around the villages is almost beyond words.”

Caroline

The first Salt of the Earth Supporters two week visit to India went very well ably led by Eddie and Anne Walker. A week seeing the great work that SCAD does with our money was followed by a tour around Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Participants all enthusiastic and we already have 15 interested people for next years tour. Book now to avoid disappointment!

It has been great to visit some of the projects we support and meet with the managers and staff. It brings all the administration work in the UK to life when you can see for yourself what is being achieved with our support. It was good to meet with the Head Teacher of the school for children with learning and physical difficulties. Guythri had only just joined when we met her last year so it was grand to hear how many new developments she had brought in like parent teacher meetings and dancing for the children. It is so good too to spend time with these special children. With them language does not matter at all and it is great fun for all concerned just to hang out with them. The boys particularly like to “high five” and can’t get enough of it.

It was also special to open a large rain water harvesting tank at a school in a fishing village and to plant some trees. The teachers, children and some parents were all so pleased to see us and it was a joy to interact with them. It was certainly worth the four hour round trip on poor roads dodging thousands of on foot pilgrims flocking to the Hindu temple in Trichendur. They mostly walk barefooted and think nothing of travelling over 150 kilometres in this way. Their devotion is very moving and it certainly makes you wonder.

Finally we have had a bit if fun in the last few days doing some filming. It is Salt of the Earth’s 25 th anniversary next year so we thought one of the ways to celebrate would be to make a short film. It won’t make the Oscars but I hope it will entertain and please our thousand plus supporters.

Written by Murray Frankland

My name is Kate Hartley, I am 24 years old and I live in the South East of England. At the age of 18 I went travelling on my gap year to India, New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand and Laos. Following this I completed my Music degree at Southampton University in 2009. Whilst continuing with my performing and teaching the harp I started a new job for a Community Interest Company which made films promoting environmental and sustainable education to Primary Schools. In 2010 I embarked on a new more challenging role as the PA and Office Manager for the internationally celebrated artist Alexander Creswell.

In December 2011 I finally took the plunge and gave up everything that I had built up to pursue an itch that I had had since 2006 when I fell in love with India. I had done a variety of fundraising and volunteering in the UK but I wanted to sink my teeth into a real challenge. I chose SCAD for that very reason and decided to volunteer for between 3 – 5 months in 2012. I was particularly interested in SCAD’s focus on women’s empowerment through the women’s self-help groups and the sustainable approach throughout. As a rural NGO based in Tamil Nadu, I knew that SCAD would give me a real insight into local, low caste village life, as well as an opportunity to experience a completely different world. I chose SCAD because unlike a number of other charities they put the needs of the project and the local people above the needs of the volunteer. It is not a money making exercise tailored to suit the needs of the western visitor, but an opportunity to be welcomed into the community which values the extra help whilst offering an insight into how a visionary organisation operates.

For me this will be a life changing venture through which I hope I can help in some small way. I will also gain an experience which will benefit not only my career, but the rest of my life.

At SCAD we are concerned with any initiative which will help us to protect the environment locally. One of the best projects that we have is the Soil Fertility Project. This is an ingenious initiative which provides SCAD farmers with two different organic products to use on the land to increase fertility.

The first product that we use in the soil is called Biochar. Biochar is a very nutrient rich type of charcoal. The charcoal is made through a specific process called pyrolysis which entails burning organic materials such as straw, rice husks and wood at very high temperatures so that they keep all their good minerals.

The biochar that is created is then mixed with the soil when saplings are planted. Biochar has a very large surface area in which good minerals and nutrients can live and feed the roots of the plant thereby promoting healthy growth.

The second product that we use is an organic fertiliser which is produced by our SCAD bio-digester. This bio-digester takes organic waste including the left overs from the student mess halls and local foliage and processes it into fertiliser. An additional benefit from this process is that it releases methane which is then captured and used to run all of the street lighting on the SCAD campus.

Watch this video about the work we do to protect the environment

If you want to support us you can donate online. Thank you

The Tirunelveli District Level Sports Day for mentally disabled children conducted by the District Sports Authority of Tirunelveli was held this year on the 19th November, 2011, at the Anna Stadium, Palayamkottai. 243 Mentally challenged children from 17 special schools in the District participated in the sports day with great enthusiasm. Five children per school were permitted to participate in the sports events and three boys and two girls representing SCAD Anbu Illam, Chereanmahadevi, were taken to the Anna Stadium, to participate in different events

SCAD has encouraged and motivated the mentally challenged by giving them the needed coaching in sports activities, due to which they were able to win three prizes. Esakkimuthu, aged 11, took part in the Cricket ball throw and won the 1st prize. Pandi, aged 13, took part in the jump competition, in the 13 to 17 category, and won the 2nd prize. Jefferson, aged 15, took part in shot put and won the 2nd prize.

Mr. Nainar Nagendran, was the Chief Guest, and distributed the prizes and certificates. He said, “ Only when sports days are held exclusively for mentally challenged children can the benefits and assistance reach them 100%. I have helped several sections of people, but I’d very much like to involve my time and resource to such mentally challenged children.”

The children enjoyed the day very much. The Sports’ Coordinator, Mr. Mallikaraj, who had trained the students of Anbu Illam by giving them practice twice a week, and guiding them properly, said, “We were able to identify and tap the potentiality of our students when they competed with the students of the other schools in the District. This was very good exposure for the students and the students enjoyed themselves.”

This quarter the features include the big news that we have passed the £3 million pound donation mark. Murray Frankland earlier this year appeared on local radio to announce our wonderful achievement. It is down to the dedication of our generous supporters over the years that this has been possible. The second feature is the role of the village level volunteers who work at SCAD and keep the organisation reaching out to people. There is an update on our projects that we support out there and a write up by Kim Roberts and her daughter about their visit this summer. The breaking news at SCAD this summer has been their venture into biodigestion at the main SCAD campus. Tons and tons of waste is now being regenerated into biofuel and biofertiliser.

To download a copy of the saltseller please click here and to see more information on the website please click here

Social Change & Development (SCAD), a not-for-profit education provider in Southern India, is offering UK teachers opportunities for employment or sabbatical as it establishes a new international school in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

SCAD World School will open in May 2012 with preparations beginning Dec 2011. It is seeking experienced teachers from the UK to help prepare for the internationally recognised English medium Cambridge Syllabus. SCAD is looking for head teachers and staff for primary and secondary schools, overseeing examinations at IGCSE, AS and A levels. There are also places for subject teachers and administrative staff.

The offer includes one return flight to India and all accommodation, food and local travel plus a salary package based on position and experience.

Speaking during his recent UK visit, SCAD Founder Dr Cletus Babu said, “Our intention is to bring the high standards and quality of UK education to the young people of Tamil Nadu. We invite teachers in the UK to join us for this exciting adventure and in the process enjoy an extraordinary personal experience with us in India.

SCAD is a not-for-profit organisation that currently runs 11 schools, colleges and technical institutions educating over 10,000 students. The proceeds from these institutions are reinvested in local education initiatives. These benefit very poor people in rural villages creating opportunities for further education and a better life. Some 500,000 people currently benefit directly from SCAD rural development projects.

For more information and job descriptions please contact Katie Allen on 07900 214608 or at development@salt-of-the-earth.org.uk

At SCAD we have been trailing effective micro-organisms for the last year on the soils and crops. Effective microbes are a new regenerative technology that harnesses nature to replace essential vitamins and minerals in soils to help plants grow. Microbes, beneficial and harmful, occur naturally and are fundamental to life on earth. The combination of three particular microbial strains in a balanced population effectively restores the microbial health of almost any physical environment in such a way that beneficial or regenerative microorganisms become dominant and pathogenic or harmful microorganisms are reduced.

EM formulations create and maintain a healthy microbial balance in almost any natural system and significantly improve the health and vitality of soil, water, plants, animals and humans. The combination of certain microbial species, including lactic acid bacteria, photosynthetic bacteria and yeasts, and their application to the environment in a specific way produces beneficial effects. I like to think of them like  a Yakult for soil!

Mr.Vaithiyanathan has been using the effective micro-organisms for the past three months and he has seen a marked improvement in his crops. In the treated crops the

• leaves are noticably greener and thicker.
• number of seeds has increased with the control producing 163 per tiller and the EMA treated crop is producing 190 per tiller.
• seeds look healthier, riper and uniformly bigger.
• pests and diseases are dramatically reduced.

We are really excited about the progress of using the micro-organisms in India, especially as they can be produced locally and offer a real alternative to herbicides and pesticides which have damaged the land.

At SCAD and Salt of the Earth we are passionate about agriculture and we recognise the vital importance of producing food sustainably. SCAD support over 1,500 kitchen gardens in Tamil Nadu (you can read more about kitchen gardens on a post on Emma Cooper’s blog written by me here). Imagine how these microbes could help women grow their kitchen gardens and protect their families health, make additional income and bring back life to the land.

If you have had any experience with effective micro-organisms then we would like to hear about it…drop us a line.