A child worker in Bangalore.

Anisha was started in 1998 by Mrs. Valli Rajan with the aim of improving the lives of people living in appalling conditions in the market area of central Bangalore. Since then the project has grown into an urban and a rural program.

Anisha Urban

The actual and planned activities of Anisha Urban in Bangalore are:

• Pre-Primary Classes: (Running of classes, teacher training, food)
• Supplementary Education (Support for educational needs of child   labourers, educational tours, supplementary education, summer   camp)
• Sponsorship Program (to help children from the pre-primary classes   who have been admitted to formal schools)
• Women Empowerment (savings, trainings, meetings, microcredit,   women’s day)
• Health (Medical Support)
• Housing Project (Project to build 9 houses in Vandimode)
• Administration (Auditing, Local travel, Rent, Office Expenses,   Computer)

Anisha Rural

Anisha Rural - farmers are trained in organic agriculture

Since 2006 Anisha has been working to improve the livelihood conditions of small and marginalised farmers in a very poor region about 150 kms south of Bangalore. The project area, Grampanchayat Martahalli, consists of 20 villages with a population of about 13,000. Martahalli was chosen for the following reasons:

• high use of chemicals
• farmers willing to listen
• 60 to 70% of the farmers own land
• the region is well known to Anisha
• the importance of Martahalli for spreading ideas

Activities in the rural program include training and information in organic farming, kitchen gardens and seed banks.

In 2007 a pilot project, financed by Susila Dharma, has been carried out in a limited cluster of 5 villages in order to gain experience with a number of interlinked interventions before continuing in the larger surrounding area.

Contact
Valli Krishnaswarmy
No.498, Errappa Line, N.R.Colony, Murugesh Palya, Vimanapura Post,
Bangalore – 560 075, India.
E-mail: anisha.india@gmail.com

Read about Anisha's Seed Bank in Sandanapalya “…the present hybrid variety of sowing seeds are not trustworthy…Native maize sowing-seed bears three to four ears, but the hybrid maize plant bears only one ear. Native seed banks…will encourage women to get involve in agriculture and provide employment opportunity.”