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Executive Summary
“ Progress begins when we Empower Communities” holds completely true for a HDFC Bank’s Parivartan initiative cluster of 11 villages in Satana Block of Nasik District through the COVID-19 Pandemic response lens. The COVID-19 Pandemic has made its entry in India in the beginning of the year 2020 has completely paralyzed normal life almost in every corner of the country. Initially it affected the cities and later quietly intruded into the rural areas despite of all efforts. The communities in these 11 villages are leading the battle with the COVID-19 Pandemic and the much needed and timely support was provided by the HDFC Bank’s Parivartan initiative (HRDP) through SIED’s project team. Response to COVID-19 Pandemic by these project communities stands out clearly when the same is compared with the others in the nearby villages. The battle with the COVID-19 Pandemic is being fought by project communities with confidence and ease. These village communities were and are in much better position, and are well equipped to take on the COVID-19 Pandemic. The only major difference in these and the other villages is the HDFC Bank’s Parivartan Initiative HRDP Project which is there in these villages being implemented by SIED with the complete support and guidance from the HDFC Bank’s CSR team.
The key factors are – reconfigurable network of stakeholders, regenerated natural resources, communities with built capacities, enthusiastic farming groups and lead role playing CBOs, developing agriculture more adaptive to the local and market needs, networking with the agriculture marketing companies are and the most important is villages are progressing very fast towards becoming self-reliant.
It’s not that the COVID-19 Pandemic is over completely for these villages, but the point to note here is that these communities are likely to succeed in dealing with it more effectively as compared to other villages. Any similar eventuality, if comes in future, these communities will surely in a better position to deal with it with the experiences, regenerated natural resource base, project assets, and learning they have. This success story has been elaborated in the following section of this brief report
BACKGROUND
A cluster of 11 villages which has many common issues differentiating it from other adjoining villages were identified to help them to get out of this long prevailing situation. These prevailing key issues are water scarcity-drought conditions; dependency on rain for irrigation, low agricultural productivity, low income, unemployment, daily and seasonal migration for work and poor quality of life.
HDFC BANK’s Parivartan initiative “Holistic Rural Development Programme (HRDP)” which has integrated approach has the full potential to help these villages to get out of the prevailing condition. The beauty of the HRDP is that it covers all sectors of the rural life which includes- Rural Development, Skill Development and Livelihood Enhancement, Promotion of Education, Healthcare and Hygiene, and Financial Literacy. With the HDFC Bank’s support SIED started empowerment of the community since April, 2017 with the confidence that community empowerment is the first step towards the overall sustainable progress.
The project, as of now, has delivered on its plan significantly by way of regeneration of natural resources like water as major basic resource forming the base of the agrarian rural economy in project villages. The built capacity of the project community in general and that of CBOs, women, farmers, children, SHGs, entrepreneurs, in particular has placed these project village communities in a much advantageous position as compared to other adjoining non project villages. This has been clearly noticed during the COVID-19 situation & the subsequent lockdown period.
In a way all these project stakeholders/beneficiaries together has quickly reconfigured in a response to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic locally. The project team initially led the effort which acted as a catalytic effect and this effort was later is taken over by the respective village communities and grampanchyats.
The following part of the report states how the project and the project outputs have helped in a significant way to the project community in the battle with the COVID-19 Pandemic project period, then and even now
COMMUNITIES ARE EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH EVENTUALITIES
One of the important components of the project is the community mobilization, capacity building leading to community empowerment for the cause of rural development. The mutual trust and bonding of the community and project team is very strong.
During the COVID-19 Pandemic and lockdown, project team continued engagement with the project community. As precautionary measures, HRDP Satana Team accelerated efforts to enhance the level of awareness with regard to the COVID-19. We passed on the basic information on restricting corona transmission, social distancing, use of mask, frequent hand washing and maintain the immunity. Community is advised to stay at home during nationwide lockdown, go out only when it’s absolutely necessary, wash hands every time they come back from outside for a minimum of 20 seconds with hand wash or any soap, strictly maintain social distancing, when symptoms are seen, approach doctors immediately, take care of the old persons in the village etc. Volunteers have helped the community and grampanchaya to spread the awareness about COVID-19. These mobilization efforts have had very positive results. Community members have and are following all the instructions by team, by the relevant authorities and are strictly observing the social distancing. As a result project villages have not seen any local Corona positive case. Such a dedicated efforts by team was available only for the HRDP villages.
School children have played an important role in explaining to the parent the way to wash hands with the hand wash. During the normal days, WASH programme was organized in schools and school student were given practical sessions and inputs on hygiene and cleanliness. In this the use of hand wash and washing hands daily twice/thrice was covered. This has helped a lot during COVID-19 pandemic situation not only to the student but through them to their families also. School children were showing the practical of how to wash hands to their parents and all the family members. School students were very happy that they are applying what they have learnt. This way they also used time they had due to lockdown. Women were given inputs during SHG meetings about health, hygiene and sanitation. Specific inputs were also given to women during this COVID-19 Pandemic period. So, children and women were leading in the efforts at the family front during this period along with other community members.
Achieved Food & Fodder Security
The project has sought food and fodder security through agriculture development, making irrigation water available, crop diversification, poly house cultivation of vegetables, trellis Vegetable cultivation and demonstrating maize fodder varieties. The water harvesting, storage, recharging, measures implemented under the project have been highly successful in making the water available in the surface, subsurface and ground water form. The inputs and demonstrations on the cropping patterns, seed treatments, organic farming, irrigation water management, Trellis vegetable cultivation, poly house cultivation has helped in a lot. The farmers have cultivated capsicum, ridge gourd, bottle gourd, sponge gourd, cluster bean, French beans, papadi beans, water melons, cucumbers etc. The families in the villages have grain and vegetable production enough for their annual use and as such are having the food security. The fodder is also available in the villages which can fulfill their needs. Those who are in need have got and can get easily in the village itself. 
“With the support from HDFC Bank’s Project, I started cultivation of Capsicum in poly house. We normally sell it at Satana, a Blcok place for us. During lockdown, we have sold it in our women village at lower price for our own community members. They got vegetable at cheap price and I got income and have also solved problem of our village.
Surekha Gansing Jadhva, Farmer, Karhe, Tal-Satana, Dist-Nasik”
The vegetable production is enough for local consumption. During the COVID-19 Pandemic related lockdown there was no stress among the village communities about the food security. Grain storage and local vegetable production was sufficient to take care of the local consumption needs. Even the fodder production is also sufficient to take care of the needs of the cattle. The fodder production is mainly available as a crop residue during the grain production process. Sorghum and pearl millet crop residue have the major contribution. Maize has been the major source of the fresh and dry fodder also. This has also provided the grain production which is again used for the cattle during the period of the need.
Assured Water Availability
In general and based on the previous data of the pre project period, families had to struggle to deal with the water scarcity from January onwards almost every year with rare exception. Since last two years, quite a remarkable work has been done by the project in terms of making water available. Construction of new check dams, repair of defunct check dams has been taken up as per the need of each of the villages. The newly completed structures which include 13 new Check dams and 11 structures have been repaired. These structures have played a crucial and expected role in arresting, stopping and conserving the rain water throughout the rainy season. Although last year rainfall was less than average but whatever received, has been completely conserved. Nearby wells got recharged and had the enough water for drinking. Crops are protected during prolonged dry spells. The current scene, drinking water, domestic use water and water for protective irrigation is available in all the villages.
So what is more important is that during the COVID-19 Pandemic lock down period, the community was not needed to go out in search of the water for the domestic use as usual. This was a great relief during such a period where going out was not advised. Water was sufficiently available in the village itself. Even with the normal average annual rainfall, the water is available for the irrigation for the normal cropping pattern, for domestic use, for wild life and for the cattle drinking. We can easily say that these villages have the enough water availability to take care of the domestic needs as well as the need of the protective irrigation. Water has not been the reason for the worry for these communities during COVID-19 lockdown period. The project community is self-reliant in this regards.
Project Livelihood Initiatives – Catered Basic necessities During Lockdown
With the support of the HDFC Bank’s CSR initiative Parivartan, livelihood interventions are undertaken based on the local needs and the scope. All of them have been proved to be playing key roles and serving the needs of the community. This is even more important when there was a complete lockdown and the mobility was completely restricted. The lockdown restrictions have completely stopped the mobility, transportation and closed all the shops in nearby town Satana. Cutlery shop, grocery shop, welding shop, sewing machines, puncture shop and all other served the community and were catering the needs of the community during and after the lockdown period. It is observed that thee livelihood interventions are running very well. The sewing machines were fulfilling the urgent stitching needs which otherwise needed a travel at block place in pre project situation. Goat rearing livelihood interventions served in terms meat needs.
“As per the need and demand of villagers, I have stitched face masks for village community which has good demand in village in the COVID-19 pandemic situation. I have made Available good quality masks at affordable price in my village. This has helped to control transmission of covid-19 pandemic in my Village. I served my community during difficult time when they needed my skilled help”— Nitin Suryawanshi, Nave Nirpur, Block-Satana, Dist-Nasik
“I have started my small shop of motor Cycle puncture and related sell in my own village. I fulfilled all the needs of my community during the difficult time. There was no need for them to go out” – Abhiman Ringnath Gavali, Kotbel, Block-Satana, Dist-Nasik
During lockdown I have stitched and sold 1850 masks as per the demand of Grampanchayat with good quality and reasonably low cost. For face mask GP provided me cloths and for stitching I got Rs.4/mask . In two weeks, I earned an additional income of Rs. 7400 apart from my regular work. I helped my community to protect themselves from Corona Virus. — Mrs. Kavita Khairnar ,Kotbel , Block-Satana, District, Nasik
Earlier during normal days, farmers had a choice to get their welding work done from the shops in Satana also. However during lockdown restrictions, they approached me for their urgent works and I provided them the services. This was in addition to my regular work. While I served my farming community, I also got the additional income. — Ravindra Madhukar Jadhav, Khamtane, Tal-Satana, Dist-Nasik
During the lockdown period, everthing was closed in Satana. No vehicle, people cant go out and theye were in very urgent need of the grocery. I have made available the basic grocery items from my shop at a very reasonable price. I was aware that I am serving my own community during a very hard time. I have started this grocery shop with the help of HDFC Bank’s parivartna project. -Mansaram Mohite, Nave Nirpur, Block, Satana, Dist.Nasik
Precautionary measures adopted Ensuring safety from covid-19 Pandemic
Awareness about Hand washing and Social Distancing through Videos and Apps:
SIED got the basic corona information boards printed and displayed at the public place in project villages which helped in enhancing the basic awareness about the COVID-19 and how to protect ourselves. Second thing project team did was it circulated the authentic audio-visual material about COVID-19 in WHATSAPP group in the project villages. This was circulated among youths, farmers, men and women. Our village volunteers also helped the community in maintaining the social distancing while doing anything in the villages including purchasing things from the shops, from ration shops, fetching water etc. We also asked to the community members to use face mask and eye goggle as and when you are going out. 
The village volunteers also helped the respective Grampanchyats to disinfect the villages. Total 17750 Face masks were distributed in all 11 villages and its benefits to prevent COVID-19 infestation is highlighted to community. In HRDP villages from Satana block with the support of gram panchayat and
VDC, project villages are sanitized by the spaying of disinfectants to minimize the transmission of virus and keep village safe for this interventions village volunteers participated to sanitize public places of needy villages. In 11 project villages till date total 95 times spaying is carried out.
In the five project villages where migrant workers intensity of return to village is higher in that villages sanitary gate and 24/7 check post is installed to control infestation in villages. Peoples who came from the outside have been quarantine at quarantine center or in home quarantine strictly with the support GP, VDC and Gram Sevak.
The SIED project staffs was there in the respective project offices to help the project communities in whatever way they could by following instructions by the government.
Community members followed and are all the instructions given to them by Government authorities, local administration and SIED team. They followed social distancing, use of face mask, goggle, and hand washing, not touching eyes and ears strictly. Villages are kept clean and hygienic. As a result there is no single local case of COVID-19. The villages are safe from the COVID-19 pandemic so far.
TABLE-: Information on COVID-19 Support to HRDP villages Through Grampanchayat and VDC
COVID-19 SUPPORT PROVIDED TO HRDP VILLAGES THROUGH VDC AND GRAMPANCHYAT
HRDP Project Team- Played A Catalytic Role
Having seen the work that was being done by the project team even during the period of corona risk, the grampanchyat and the local community leaders also swung into action and started working for the village joining hands. The local village staff helped the grampanchyat in village disinfection process. They also helped the government official in awareness, information transfer etc. Awareness and social distancing emphasized by the staff has been instrumental at village level. The block level administrative officials praised the work done by the project team in these 11 project villages. This was a proud moment for us.
Concluding Words
Project communities in these 11 project villages are presently positioned in an advantageous position when compared with other adjoining non project villages. This realized very clearly during COVID-19 Pandemic spread and subsequent lockdown. The major factor leading to this difference is the HRDP project being implemented and the Project team placed there. The outputs delivered by the project both in soft and in hard in these villages have made the difference. During this COVID-19 period, the reconfigurable network of the project stakeholders has been in a position to deal with COVID-19. Regenerated natural resources, developing agriculture towards more adaptive to the need of the community, communities with built capacities, networking with the agriculture marketing companies, enthusiastic farming groups and leading role playing CBOs are the building blocks of these reshaping project communities. It’s not that the COVID-19 Pandemic is over for these villages, but the point to note here is that these communities are likely to succeed in dealing with it more effectively as compared to other villages. Any similar eventuality, if comes in future, these communities will surely in a better position to deal with it with the experiences, regenerated natural resource base, project assets, and learning they have.