Intervention Area

Today, MSS’s work covers the tribal dominated, drought prone belts of the Dungarpur, Banswara and Udaipur districts in southern Rajasthan, India. The working area is characterized by hilly terrains, recurring droughts, small and fragmented land holdings, subsistence agricultural income, labor migration, a scarcity of potable water, and an ever existing scarcity of proper resources and planning. All of these factors, coupled with limited access to energy resources, and health care and transportation facilities, are responsible for the fragile growth of these tribal villages.
Socio economic profile of the area
Agriculture is the primary occupation for the families in the area where MSS works. Farming practices are traditional and are dependent on weather conditions.  Average land holdings are 2.5 acres, and are frequently fragmented with limited irrigation facilities.
When the monsoon fails households face tough conditions because natural resources are not well managed. This often leads villagers to takeout unsecured loans at a high rate of interest. Additionally, many farmers migrate to the surrounding cities for employment for 6-8 months at a time, since their farms alone cannot provide a subsistence lifestyle.
Women and children tend to suffer the most as a result of this lifestyle. The villages themselves are plagued with high mortality rates and low rates of growth. Ultimately, children are the ones that bear the brunt of the negative effects because they are seen as financial assets and forced into hard labor.  Because parents feel that they cannot afford to send their children to school, the cycle of poverty is perpetuated on an intergenerational scale.