A Brief Report on the Relief work at Jajpur, Odisha
6th December 2013
CONDITION OF FARMERS AFTER FLOOD
The flood after the cyclone Phailin in October 2013 devastated 5 district of Odisha where people had to leave their houses and run to high places. The plights of the farmers were worst as they lost their crops which were ready for harvest. These farmers solely depend on the agriculture for their survival and seeing their fields where the flood water not only destroyed the crops but the sand carried by the flood water spoiled the quality of the soil. More can be known from the link below –
http://www.orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=45109
Though the water receded and life became normal but the hopes of these share-farmers who are very poor and do not own any land but take loans from the land lords to do plantation on the fields of rich farmers. They buy the seeds by taking loan and return back the product with interest to the land lords after the harvest. This is one of the reason for which the farmers commit suicide and in extreme cases they kill their whole family and commit suicide because they do not want their families to suffer under the load of interest bearing loans.
GOD’S LOVE REACHES BOUNDARIES
God loves people irrespective of caste, color, creeds and that was proved when National Fellowship felt the need to reach these people with the love of Jesus. The Church of God, Anderson felt the needs and came forward to help the flood victims in Odisha. It was a timely help and National Fellowship with the help of YMCA, Odisha reached to the Jajpur District which was badly affected. The farmers were in great distress and pleaded with those who went to do the survey saying we do not need food or medicine, but at this point we need your help by which our families would survive and we do not have to take extreme decision of ending our lives.
Prayers were offered to ask God for guidance and at the same time it was necessary to find out the real needy people and help them by providing groundnut pods and fertilizers by which the farmers would not be dependent on the loan from the land lords but start cultivating. It is because taking a loan with interest will be risky as they lost their crop at the point of harvest which means they have not cleared the interest bearing loan taken few months back.
HOW WAS IT ACCOMPLISHED?
Few volunteers of the village along with National Fellowship leader in Odisha Rev. Pramod Roul and the leader of YMCA Mr. Satyaratan started a survey to find out the real needy farmers. Forms were given to them to fill up their names and other details. Finally it was decided that the farmers from the few selected villages of Jajpur who are the real needy farmers would come and collect the Ground Nut pods and fertilizers from a Center point in jajpur Dist. and the date selected was 6th December 2013.
The farmers reached the place on the scheduled day with hope in their eyes. NF leaders Rev. Sudipta Nanda, Rev. Pramod Roul and the General Secretary of YMCA Mr. Satyaratan were present in the place. The farmers sat there and we could share with them about the love of God. Prayer was offered before the distribution and all the farmers heard the name Jesus and of course they felt the love of Jesus in their heart. Their joy was evident on their faces as they collected the Groundnut pod sack and loaded their hired vehicles to take it to their respective villages. The local Press reporters were there to take photographs to be published in the news paper. They exclaimed that what Christians do nobody else does. The matters were published in the next day local news paper along with pictures. See the following links –
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/relief-for-farmers/speednewsbytopic/keyid-495736.cms
http://www.odishasamaya.com/epaper/20131207/9.php
More than 100 farmers were helped and each were given Ground nut pods & fertilizers worth Rs.5000/ per farmer. The farmers were also given tips on how to sustain their product and the farmers agreed to start saving money so that they do not have to depend on the land lords.
MATTER OF CONCERN
The right time for cultivating ground nut pod is mid November, but by the time we distributed the materials it was 15 – 20 days delayed. However, we assured them that we ask God to bless their fields so that all would reap a grand harvest. Is anything impossible for the Creator? So please pray!
OPEN DOOR FOR THE GOOD NEWS
[caption id="attachment_1085" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Plant which was planted[/caption]
We visited the village on 3rd Jan 2014 and received warm welcome by the farmers. I took along with me an Agronomist who explained about sustainability and many different ways to reap a better harvest. This is the village where no one knew Jesus and history says one person had accepted the Lord in 1980s and was thrown out of the village who used to be a close acquaintance of mine when I was in Bhubaneswar. When he came to know that we visited his village, he could not stop thanking God because he said, ‘you are the first Christians, who went to my village, and I am so much thankful to God for this venture, and I know God has a plan for my village’.
Praise God!
Pray for the villages – Kuninda , Bhagatpur, Kalasdiha, Bhubaneswarpur of Jajpur District of Odisha so that the seed of the Gospel would germinate and we would have a great harvest.
Sudipta Nanda
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