Anti-elephant solar fence turns tool for women empowerment in remote
Meghalaya village
NE India Broadcast
June 15, 2024
See link
https://neindiabroadcast.com/2024/06/15/anti-elephant-solar-fence-turns-tool-for-women-empowerment-in-remote-meghalaya-village/
for photo.
A small group of women, mostly housewives in a tiny tribal hamlet in West
Garo Hills area of Meghalaya bordering Assam’s Goalpara district,
habitually keeps a watchful eye on a single-strand solar-energised fence
that shields their village and homes from imminent invasion by wild
elephants after the dusk.
These village women often help their menfolk in keeping the solar-powered
fence intact and well maintained as per the training provided by a team
from Aaranyak (www.aaranyak.org) during the installation.
“We know, the fence is fragile and must be kept well-guarded so that wild
elephants can’t cause harm to it and nothing falls on it rendering it
ineffective. Though it is not a permanent solution to the problem of
conflict with wild elephants, as on date it is the only means to keep our
village protected from wild elephants which used to make our life full of
panic and fear before the fence was installed,” said Ayan Debi Rabha,
vice-president of Solar Fence Management Committee in tiny Borogobal
Village having 24 households.
The solar fence management committee has two more women from the village –
Saima Rabha (general secretary) and Jayanti Rabha (treasurer). A group of
women in the village were trained on managing and operating the solar-fence
so that they can shoulder the responsibility in absence of the village men
in the time of need and emergency situation.
In fact, a timely action by one of these empowered women in switching on
the power source of the fence led to saving the life of a villager from
threatening wild elephants on a recent occasion as gathered during an
interaction with these women.
A 1.2 km single-strand solar-powered fence was installed in Borogobal
village in in November last year (2023) by Aaranyak- British Asian Trust
with support from Darwin Initiative to protect the village in the wake of
frequent invasions by wild elephants that threw normal life out of gear and
created an atmosphere on panic and terror after every dusk.
“All we villagers used to take shelter together in one house in the village
every night before the solar-fence was installed to keep the wild elephants
away from the village. We can now work at home, take care of children and
other family members at peace after dusk. The life and general health of
villagers have improved a lot as uninterrupted sleep is possible for all of
us at night as on date,” said Jayanti Rabha.
Today one hardly comes across anyone on the gravel road on a summer
afternoon while travelling to this remote and sleepy tribal village. The
village women are seen conversing leisurely in the courtyards of their
homes while children are enjoying their time playing around. The menfolk
are apparently taking rest after a hard day’s work on the paddy field since
early morning.
Solar fence management committee general secretary Saima Rabha who
regularly goes to attend her duty at Anganwadi Centre said, “ The villagers
have resumed their social and cultural life at night without any fear
because of the fence.”
The solar-fence besides protecting the villages, has also contributed
towards empowerment and confidence building of these women in respect of
shouldering social responsibility.
The treasurer of the committee Saima Rabha has been very efficiently
collecting fence maintenance funds of Rs 50 per household every month and
some of the women have even become capable of carrying out minor repairs of
the fence when the need arises.
https://neindiabroadcast.com/2024/06/15/anti-elephant-solar-fence-turns-tool-for-women-empowerment-in-remote-meghalaya-village/
Anti-elephant solar fence turns tool for women empowerment in remote
Meghalaya village
NE India Broadcast
June 15, 2024
See link
<https://neindiabroadcast.com/2024/06/15/anti-elephant-solar-fence-turns-tool-for-women-empowerment-in-remote-meghalaya-village/>
for photo.
A small group of women, mostly housewives in a tiny tribal hamlet in West
Garo Hills area of Meghalaya bordering Assam’s Goalpara district,
habitually keeps a watchful eye on a single-strand solar-energised fence
that shields their village and homes from imminent invasion by wild
elephants after the dusk.
These village women often help their menfolk in keeping the solar-powered
fence intact and well maintained as per the training provided by a team
from Aaranyak (www.aaranyak.org) during the installation.
“We know, the fence is fragile and must be kept well-guarded so that wild
elephants can’t cause harm to it and nothing falls on it rendering it
ineffective. Though it is not a permanent solution to the problem of
conflict with wild elephants, as on date it is the only means to keep our
village protected from wild elephants which used to make our life full of
panic and fear before the fence was installed,” said Ayan Debi Rabha,
vice-president of Solar Fence Management Committee in tiny Borogobal
Village having 24 households.
The solar fence management committee has two more women from the village –
Saima Rabha (general secretary) and Jayanti Rabha (treasurer). A group of
women in the village were trained on managing and operating the solar-fence
so that they can shoulder the responsibility in absence of the village men
in the time of need and emergency situation.
In fact, a timely action by one of these empowered women in switching on
the power source of the fence led to saving the life of a villager from
threatening wild elephants on a recent occasion as gathered during an
interaction with these women.
A 1.2 km single-strand solar-powered fence was installed in Borogobal
village in in November last year (2023) by Aaranyak- British Asian Trust
with support from Darwin Initiative to protect the village in the wake of
frequent invasions by wild elephants that threw normal life out of gear and
created an atmosphere on panic and terror after every dusk.
“All we villagers used to take shelter together in one house in the village
every night before the solar-fence was installed to keep the wild elephants
away from the village. We can now work at home, take care of children and
other family members at peace after dusk. The life and general health of
villagers have improved a lot as uninterrupted sleep is possible for all of
us at night as on date,” said Jayanti Rabha.
Today one hardly comes across anyone on the gravel road on a summer
afternoon while travelling to this remote and sleepy tribal village. The
village women are seen conversing leisurely in the courtyards of their
homes while children are enjoying their time playing around. The menfolk
are apparently taking rest after a hard day’s work on the paddy field since
early morning.
Solar fence management committee general secretary Saima Rabha who
regularly goes to attend her duty at Anganwadi Centre said, “ The villagers
have resumed their social and cultural life at night without any fear
because of the fence.”
The solar-fence besides protecting the villages, has also contributed
towards empowerment and confidence building of these women in respect of
shouldering social responsibility.
The treasurer of the committee Saima Rabha has been very efficiently
collecting fence maintenance funds of Rs 50 per household every month and
some of the women have even become capable of carrying out minor repairs of
the fence when the need arises.
https://neindiabroadcast.com/2024/06/15/anti-elephant-solar-fence-turns-tool-for-women-empowerment-in-remote-meghalaya-village/