Accion Fraterna Trust

AF implemented a community-based approach for establishing biogas plants in selected villages. Approximately 20 end-user women were organized into functional groups in each village, with biogas as the focal point. From among them, one volunteer was selected to maintain daily usage records (required by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC for carbon calculations) and handle minor repairs such as stove knob replacement or clearing gas pipe blockages. For major repairs, they contacted their respective Case Worker to ensure prompt resolution.
The project aimed to build 3,500 biogas plants and provide assistance to 3,500 rural women, benefiting 3,500 families across 184 villages in 15 mandals. Currently, 3,356 biogas plants have been successfully constructed, benefiting 3,356 rural women in 173 villages across these 15 mandals.

Accion Fraterna acted as Project Facilitating Agency (PFA) and successfully implemented six watershed development projects (Battuvanipalli, Dasampalli, Garudapuram, Gubanapalli, Mallipalli, Papampalli).
The watershed development is takenup in two phases
Capacity Building Phase (CBP): In the Community-Based Program (CBP), the residents of the watershed village are equipped to engage in a watershed development program through a "learning by doing" approach.
Full Implementation Phase (FIP): The FIP initiates with the signing of a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) involving the Village Watershed Development Committee, PFA, and NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development). Subsequently, a participatory needs assessment is conducted to formulate a four-year Detailed Project Report (DPR).
Description of Activities:
1. Farm Bunding
2. FarmBunding with stone revetment
3. Farm Pond
4. Dry Land Horticulture
5. Percolation Tank

Annually, the AF Youth Centre trains over 600 young individuals and assists them in finding employment.
The AF Youth Centre operates three well-equipped driving schools that provide comprehensive training in theory and practice, adhering to the curriculum recommended by the transport department. These schools produce professional drivers under the guidance of experienced and qualified instructors. Training includes various vehicles like jeeps, cars, TATA Sumo, and lorries for heavy motor vehicle (HMV) practice.
In addition to driving, the organisation offers various vocational training programs such as Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES), Customer Relation and Sales (CRS), Hospitality Services (HSPT), Multi Skilled Worker (MSW), Electrician cum Motor Rewinding, Light Motor Vehicle (LMV) Driving, Auto Driving (for Women), and Garment Making. These programs empower individuals with a range of skills and employment opportunities beyond agriculture.

The goal is to enhance the income of 6,000 dryland farmers by implementing improved agricultural technologies, fostering value addition, and facilitating access to nutritious food.
Objectives
1. Augment farm-based livelihood income by introducing advanced agricultural technologies and promoting value addition.
2. Increase market profits for farmers by establishing social business enterprises dedicated to processing, value addition, and marketing.
3. Enhance the nutritional well-being of rural households by raising awareness about nutrition and providing affordable access to nutritious food.
Anantapuramu district offers significant potential for the improvement of current agricultural practices, particularly concerning key crops such as groundnut, millets, and legumes. Farmers in the region are eager to embrace new cultivation techniques and cropping technologies. However, solely increasing crop yields may not effectively address income-related issues unless farmers also receive fair pr

Accion Fraterna (AF) serves as the primary resource organization for the Community Natural Farming (CNF) Program in Ananthapuramu District. The program's overarching goal is to revolutionize the agricultural landscape by promoting low-cost, climate-resilient, chemical-free, eco-regenerative, and profitable farming practices for local farmers.
Objectives:
1. Promotion of Community Natural Farming: The aim is to transition 80% of the 10,000 farmers in 35 villages across 3 mandals to embrace natural farming practices.
2. Development of Agro-ecological Landscape Models via Rainfed Farmer Cooperatives: AF strives to facilitate the adoption of agro-ecological farming among 150 small and marginal farmers, encompassing 600 acres of contiguous land.
3. Processing and Marketing of Natural Farm Produce through an Organic Farmers FPO: AF aims to establish a system for processing and marketing natural farm produce through a Farmers Producer Organization (FPO) dedicated to organic farming practice

This project builds upon previous initiatives supported by Bread for the World, incorporating valuable lessons and experiences. The Sustainable Agriculture and Livelihoods (SADL) project promotes the following natural farming protocols and practices:
1. Avoid the use of genetically modified seeds, chemical pesticides, and fertilizers.
2. Apply farmyard manure, sheep penning, or green manure before cultivation.
3. Treat seeds with Beejamrutum or Beejaraksha before sowing.
4. Implement border crops and trap crops as recommended in crop models.
5. Practice mixed cropping or intercropping with pulses, millets, and vegetables.
6. Apply Jeevamrutham, Ghanajeevamrutam, or type 2 JVM as per the schedule.
7. Utilize mechanical pest control methods such as bird perches, white and yellow boards, pheromone traps, delta traps, light traps, etc.
8. Employ biological pest control methods like Neem oil spray and herbal pest repellents.
9. Develop necessary biomass on the bunds for fodder