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Groetjes, Martine

The report for the period July to September 2007 is as follows:

1. I have planted about 10,000 seedlings in Thenimalai Hill Eastern Side and the success growth rate is 98%. Most of the Amla, Teak, Soundal and 35 other varieties are growing fast. I am planting some more seedlings also in the same area.
2. I have given 10 fruit seedlings (Mango, Coconut and Sappotta, Amla, lemon and others) each to 10 SHG Groups of 200 members. They have planted these seedlings around the villages of Thenimalai. I have also visited the areas and found the work to be satisfactory. This is an income generation activities. The people are expecting your visit to show their effort. Now due to very good rainfall, the seedlings are fast growing.
3. I have motivated the Villagers and also trained them to raise mother bed and nursery. They are also very eager to undertake the plantation job. These people are tribal people and they live by felling trees. Now in order to prevent them from destroying forests. They also told me that since RDAS and Trees for the Future gave fruit seedlings, they will not cut trees hereafter. This is also income generation activity for them.
4. Apart from above, RDAS has planned to give some loans to the tribal people. So if you can give me financial assistance, I can give them as loans and start micro credit system in villages.
5. RDAS wishes that RDAS and Tree for the Future can join hands and grow more trees in the entire State of Tamil Nadu. Your coordinator Mr. Gorav Seth is giving a lot of cooperation to RDAS and all the villagers appreciate his efforts. He has also given me a digital camera with the help of which I am taking photos and thus the developing cost of photos is reduced. RDAS also requests Trees for the Future to provide a computer, which is absolutely necessary for communication.
6. A lot of expense is incurred for sending reports on various NGOs and e-mail costs. Hence RDAS is requesting a computer for its own official use. RDAS is coordinating with the NGOs to whom seeds were given. They are very much thankful to Trees for the Future and expect more help from Trees for the Future. Mr. Gangu Chetty from Andhra Pradesh is daily talking to RDAS over phone to send seeds and also to visit his area. RDAS is short of seeds. Therefore if Trees for the Future gives seeds and some financial assistance, RDAS will be happy to visit the areas and encourage them to plant more trees. RDAS’s expenses are very high and it cannot spend money on area visits or other activities. Hence RDAS requests Trees for the Future to give financial assistance and to send seeds to RDAS.
7. If you send some more finance with the amount on 10th of this month, I can undertake visit and give NGOs like Mr. Gangu Chetty seeds and seedlings.
8. The seeds were earlier given to GOD, WEEDS, Animal Rights Forum India, CIDA and IDPWA. GOD, Animal Rights Forum have raised mother bed have shown 95% success rate. WEEDS has shown 90% success rate. CIDA and IDPWA have shown 50% success rate. The photos of the mother bed of GOD, Animal Rights Forum India is forwarded herewith. GOD, Animal Rights Forum India and WEEDS, IDA and IDPWA have planted the seedlings. They are also ready to raise 100,000 seedlings and to plant the same. Therefore they are also expecting financial assistance along with seeds from you. If you can support them, then it will give them encouragement.
9. RDAS has planted the seedlings and black soil and stone mulching and bunding is done for the seedlings. Because of these activities the seedlings has grown remarkably and the Government officials have appreciated the activities of RDAS. RDAS is getting financial assistance from you for the last two years. If Trees for the Future extends financial support for another two years, RDAS will plant more trees and will bring more NGOs in to its fold to save environment. RDAS aims to plant 100,000 seedlings per year in this part of India. RDAS is doing plantation job as well as free distribution of seeds to farmers and village women groups free of cost, thus preventing them from destroying trees.

Conclusion:

The Government officials and the Panchayat Presidents are visiting the project site (Thenimalai Hill eastern side) and around the Hill regularly to see for themselves. They are all very appreciative of the efforts of RDAS and the pains taken by RDAS in implementing the project. RDAS is working about 12 to 14 hours per day to protect the seedlings planted on the hill. The villagers are also grateful and express whole hearted thanks to RDAS and Trees for the Future for their efforts in protecting environment, agro-forestry and reforestation activities.

If we give some financial assistance to these poor villagers, they will be benefited to a large extent and the standards of living of these pathetic people will be improved. RDAS is expecting your grant on 10th of this month positively which will be of great help to us.

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,

P. Subramanian
Secretary – RDAS