Shivani S Gaonkar, member of the Brahmani Self Help Group, said 16 families from their village in Taldem-Sancordem were previously using water from the only well in the village.
“By April-May, water from this well would dry up. The MFG in collaboration with V M Salgaocar deepened the well for us and ensured that water reached every household. Now, every house gets adequate water,” she said.
Commenting on the decentralised water project in Taldem, MFG Programme Manager Parag Rangnekar said it is an excellent example of a partnership between an NGO, a corporate entity and most importantly, the community.
“The product is owned and operated by the local community, in this case, the women of Taldem. They have shown excellent leadership qualities, not only in terms of being beneficiaries but also in terms of billing each other and looking after the maintenance of the entire project,” said Rangnekar.
Shivani Gaonkar said the water project in Taldem was implemented in 2012.
“We are now running this project on our own since the past eight years. We charge Rs 30 as base charge. The actual unit charges are added to the bill. The monthly bill is not much. On average, it is around Rs 60-70. Around 50% of the total collection covers expenditure. The balance 50% is the group’s savings,” she said.
Rangnekar acknowledged that the community of Taldem, especially the women, have become like an extended family to the MFG.
“Through our association with them over the last decade or so, we have also realised the tourism potential in the area. It has excellent natural resources and it is also culturally rich.”
“The MFG had the experience of setting up a similar project at Verlem village in South Goa. The Aangan Village Stay, as it is called, is Goa’s first tourism cooperative and it is also the first village in Goa which successfully and commercially cultivated strawberries. With that experience, we set up Jungle Trails Home Stay in Taldem,” said Rangnekar.
He explained that need assessment is a key component in identifying and executing projects which are sustainable in the long run.
Providing details about the Jungle Trails Home Stay in Taldem, Divya Gaonkar, a member of a self-help group, said a house in dilapidated condition was renovated by the MFG.
“The MFG rebuilt three rooms, kitchen, common toilet and bathroom. They painted the house and brought in new furniture. After renovation, this house was handed over to our group to run this project.”
“Foreign and Indian tourists come here for birdwatching. They like to go to the waterfall, enjoy nature and calmness. They also interact with us. Tourists who visit us are often curious to know and learn the way we cook and they spend time with us in the kitchen.”
Stating that the project has completed two years, Divya Gaonkar said local women have acquired a lot of knowledge and benefits from the project.
