Shivia’s top ten highlights 2021/22

Poultry Development Services: We delivered over 13,000 Poultry Toolkits, one of which included our one-millionth chick! PDS continues to create a lasting impact on people’s lives, particularly in this Covid era when lengthy lockdowns in India caused schools to close. Many mothers used their income from PDS to access online learning for their children, ensuring that they did not miss out on lessons or drop out of school altogether.

Phasing out Familia Location: we have achieved what we set out to do in this (our first) location and have serviced the very poor who now have life-long skills or sustainable enterprises which they can operate without our assistance. This is something we are very proud of.

Opening a new location for PDS: having achieved our mission at Familia we have now opened a new location for PDS at Chhatna, an area of extremely poor communities 230 Kms from Kolkata. Our new team, including our longest-serving employee and Field Supervisor, Nrushinga Jena, are already working with 100 below-poverty-line families to help them earn an income with dignity.

Agri-management Services: our magnificent AMS field team worked with over 3,400 poor and marginalised farmers this year. Of particular note was their work in helping farmers to claim compensation after the devastation caused by Cyclone Yaas.

Our first AMS replication: We established a partnership with VIEWS India, a well-respected NGO based in Odisha and in October launched our first AMS replication for 400 very poor, marginalised farmers. One of the highlights of the year was when our three new field staff and seven farmers visited Bengal for theoretical and practical training sessions with our Nirdhan team, as well as interact with our experienced farmers on how AMS has positively impacted and changed their lives.

Our first PDS replications: We established partnerships with two more NGOs in Odisha, DSS and NIRMAN, to replicate Poultry Development Services for the first time outside of West Bengal. Each will be working with 150-200 farmers. With all the due diligence complete, FCRA licences renewed to receive foreign funds and collaboration agreements signed, we are good to go!

Fundraising: Despite the difficult and uncertain fundraising landscape, we raised £340,271 to support our mission (including £53,293 of invaluable pro-bono support around our policies, collaboration agreements and re- branding).

Key appointments: We were delighted that Vin Murria OBE became our new Patron when Nick Jenkins stepped down after seven years in the role. Nick continues to be one of our valued Ambassadors. Dr Malav Shroff and Olly joined the Board of Directors of Shivia Livelihoods Foundation.

New ways of working: Many of our fundraising events and planned field trips were postponed or cancelled. We held online webinars to present our Annual Review for 2020/21 and hosted our second Virtual Field Trip to West Bengal and Odisha. This was undoubtedly a highlight of the year, enabling many friends of Shivia to actively engage with our field staff and farmers 5,000 miles away.

Awards: In West Bengal, our AMS farmers received a State TV award recognising their environmentally friendly and affordable farming techniques. This was a great moment for them and the whole team at Nirdhan. In the UK, we were shortlisted for the Third Sector Award, ‘Small Charity, Big Achiever’; even though we did not win, it was great to be on the list and at the ceremony in person.