During the reporting period 400 new SHGs were formed in the districts of Sundergarh,Keonjhor, Kendrapara, Dhenkanal and Khurda districts. The accounts of the respective SHGs were opened in the local banks. It is envisaged to engage them in economic activities by mobilizing resources from the Govt. and non-Govt agencies.

Five orientation training programmes were organized for the newly formed SHGs. They were oriented on creating regular saving habits, keeping the records of the SHGs such as meeting book, resolution book, accounts etc.

20 SHGs in Bolagarh block of Khurda district started Agarbati making while 10 SHGs started collective marketing of groundnut in Dhenkanal district. The field functionaries of MRF coordinated the forward and backward linkages of the SHGs.

Maa Ramachandi Foundation did commendable work in the districts of Balangir, Nabarangpur, Deogarh, Kalahandi and Koraput where it has worked in the areas of natural resource management, particularly forest and land, given viable livelihood options to communities in the shape of NTFP based livelihoods and sustainable agriculture, mobilized government schemes and programmes to benefit the target populations, and also guided people on matters of self governance, natural resource management and village development plans and bio-resource governance. It has also helped communities affected by floods by providing them relief and rehabilitation.

MRF has taken up on a pilot basis an initiative for ecosystem conservation and livelihood development. The programme intends for ecosystem conservation and livelihood development in five GPs of Rayagada, Gajapati, Balangir, Nabarangpur, and Mayurbhanj.

In the districts of Balasore, Nayagarh, and Balangir Maa Ramachandi Foundation is going ahead with it water programme to provide access to and awareness about drinking water that is safe and free from salinity, fluoride poisioning and also working on sanitation facilities. It is taking steps to restore depleting ground water levels, and provide water for agriculture activities, keeping in view the flood prone and draught prone nature of the intervention areas. The focus has also been on building the capacity of the people, improving governance and replicating successful models. In the district of Puri MRF has worked to capacitate the community to face water availability and salinity problems in this coastal area that is prone to floods and saline water ingress and also build community resilience against natural disasters.

MRF distributed 3000 pieces of blankets among aged people in the district of Kandhamal, Sundergarh, Keonjhor, Mayurbhanja where the needy aged people required such help.

It is said Old is Gold. The aged people are like gold for us. They have immense experience of life to teach the new generation people on how to sustain a good living. In this regard 05 such camps were organized in Khurda, Kendrapara and Dhenkanal district.

200 hapless aged people who have no one to take care were referred to Old Age Homes in Keonjhor, Khurda and Jajpur district. MRF coordinated with the old age homes in such districts and facilitated the stay of identified hapless people in such homes.

MRF always focuses on preserving the cultural forms of our society. It identified DANDA Nacha, Ghoda Nacha, Chaunacha, Gotipua Nacha which are popular performing art forms of society. Through these programmes educative messages passes to people to make them aware. In this regard MRF in collaboration with local level NGOs in the districts of Puri, Angul, Mayurbhnja organized cultural events in which more than 10000 people participated. Blended with entertainment, the important messages on health and sanitation, child care, aged care, women empowerment etc. were passed on to people. This evoked good response from people as they could receive both education and entertainment from these programmes. MRF considered this programme as a measure to preserve and promote the traditional cultural forms of Odisha.

Road Safety and its relentless propagation by the Government and Non-Government agencies has already entered into repeated efforts and practices for sake of these modern living style people . It has been experienced in our daily life that, there is no impact of reflection of such awareness to follow road safety during plying with vehicle/vehicles through streets, roads and lanes. We find series of horrible incidents covered in the media and terrible demise messages delivered to their family members. In this connection he Trust decided to organize the different School Students for raising their voice against such unruly people who ply carelessly on the roads and meet un-natural deaths causing serious hurt news for their families. The MRF has organized Rallis and Campaigns in different district Head Quarters involving the respective School children to insist massive awareness. During this year of 2017-18 , there are 5 Rallis conducted in the district of Cuttack, Khurda, Baleswar and Jajpur for the purpose.

HIV/AIDS is the mass killer disease across the globe. Millions of people are dying every year due to this killer disease. In Odisha its prevalence is increasing day by day. There are millions of people of Odisha who go for migration every year. Due to sexual contamination they bring home the dreaded disease and the family is affected. Ganjam district is highest in AIDS prevalence. MRF took steps in this regard to sensitize people on the ill effects of this dreaded disease. In this regard 08 nos of sensitization camps were organized in the districts of Sundergarh, Ganjam, Kendrapara, Jagatsingpur (02 each in every district) taking the help of the local level CBOs. The discussion covered the aspects of causes of the disease, how to prevent it and social taboos associated with it. About 4000 people participated in the sensitization camps out of which majority were the migrant workers. AIDS related awareness literature was distributed among the participants.

The large scale un-employment in Rural Sectors particularly viewed seriously and it has been decided to bring those un-employed groups under Self employment Schemes through different Vocational Trainings and to encourage them for their self employment. While the modern Society has changed its traditional outlook and diverted its attention towards technical and developed process of living followed with well equipped thoughts and activities thereon, the existing skill and capacity of the youth mass is to be increased following the rapid development and growth of the Society. There is no such proper facility and scopes either in concerned localities or any effort is being delivered for such deserving youths. In this background, it was decided to launch programs like trainings, orientations and Vocational Educations encouraging them for self-employment. Thus, during this year a total of 10 nos of Vocational Trainings were conducted in the district of Khurda, Puri, Naygarh, Keonjhor and Jajpur to accommodate the un-employed youths of the concerned districts. The Vocational Trainings included Mobile Repairing, Tailoring ,Stitching & Embroidery, Food Processing, Carpentry, Pickle making, Candle making, Computer Training etc, The selection of candidates were made giving priorities for the Women, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Minority, and Other backward Communities including Socio-economic backward classes of the project area. During this year under report a total of 500 youths ( 300 male and 200 female) were successfully participated in the training Camps. The subject matter specialists conducted the training following a syllabus. Effort was made by MRF to negotiate with different employers for possible employment of the trained youths.

The baseline survey conducted by MRF revealed that the traditional Artisans working in rural areas are leading distressed life since their traditional production techniques of their respective handicrafts do not keep pace with this modern society. Their traditional products are being treated as slow moving items and the customers are discouraged after going through the said products. Following the above mentioned negative and persistent affairs of the Rural Artisans, the MRF decided to conduct regular Awareness Campaigns & Training camps in the district of Khurda, Keonjhor, Cuttack, Nabarangpur and Sundergarh with an objective of providing update information about modern technology & process of new methods of production and simultaneously marketing. There are a total of 10 nos of Awareness Camps and workshops held in such districts for the purpose. In this regard, the Trust has already organized Self help Groups with involvement of traditional Artisan Groups and selected deserving Artisans for training purpose. The persons having expertise in the field of Arts & Crafts were engaged for trainings. The artisans from local villages sponsored for the training are 460 out of which 310 are women and 150 men members are men from different SHGs. The selected Crafts included stone carving, Bamboo, Coir Crafts, lacquer craft, Cane & Bamboo, , Appliqué and Textile.

In Khurda and Jajpur districts two design development programmes were organized in stone caring craft and Golden Grass Craft. One product designer was engaged for a month to work with the selected artisans to create new design products. As many as 60 new type products considering the contemporary market demand were produced. MRF took initiative for the market testing of new products and their commercial production by the artisans.

“ EDUCATION” is the knowledge tank of the human being possessing all the characters of participation in the different fields of Society being essential for progress and meeting the prime features for development. It is such branch of knowledge which the complete man exploit its means of survival in the manner keeping in pace with the development of the modern society. . Therefore, in this context, the Constitution makers of this Society raised strong voice for ensuring Education & Trainings & Orientations so as to encourage and enhance the existing Socio-economic status of the People in general. Thus, it was resolved to organize and aware the people for encouraging their Children to the chapter of education and urged the identified target people for participation in trainings, and orientations. The Organization has already identified the most vulnerable People. Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes, Other backward communities, Minorities got priority in the district of Cuttack,Khurda,Balasore and jajpur and Kandhamal. In this regard 10 nos of Awareness Campaigns and 8 Nos of Trainings were organized wherein 1000 target people i.e2500 male and 500 female beneficiaries participated in the programs.

MRF took initiative to run 04 residential primary schools in the district of Kandhamal, Koraput and Nuapada where 200 children belonging to the disadvantaged SC communities were given opportunity to stay and continue their studies. Experienced teachers were engaged to take care of them and send them to regular schools for study. Free books, dress etc. were provided to the enrolled children