He said that SAMUDRAM who has brought laurels for the state and its women folk. CM felicitated B.Chittama, President
Samudram along with Mangaraj Panda, secretary, UAA and promoter of Samudram in a simple ceremony here recently. organised by UNDP INDIA. Samudram under the leadership of B.Chittama and through its 2000 strong members across coastal areas has been confered with UN EQUATOR AWARD for its outstanding contribution of protecting OLIVE RIDLEY TURTLES and conserving biodiversity, thus ensuring livelihood of hundreds of fishing families.
CM said that the success of Samudram and B.Chittama reminded the exemplary leadership and commitment of Odisha women. Samudram was given the honor in the presence of State Forest & Environmnet Minister Debi Prasad Mishra, Commissioner-cum-Secretary Arabindo Behera, UNDP Country Director Caitlin Wiesen,Asst. Country Director Srinivasan Iyer and State Representative Ambika Nanda.
The SAMUDRAM Women’s Federation in OdIsha is a recipient of the prestigious Equator Prize for 2010. The UNDP Equator initiative has recognized twenty-five local and indigenous community organizations for outstanding efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of Biodiversity. Representatives of winning communities attended the high –level event in New York entitled Biodiversity. Ecosystems and Climate Change: Scaling Up local solutions to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
SAMUDRAM
Samudram is a state level federation of women fish workers’ organisation working in the state of Odisha for the development of marine fisher women and their families living on the coast of Bay of Bengal. The organisation started functioning in the year 1993 from Sana Nolianuagaon(Ganjam) as a federation of women organizations of coastal villages in Ganjam district and got itself registered in the year 1995-96.Presently headquartered at Katur village in Ganjam.
The area of the operation of the oraganisation are-traditional marine habitations of 21 coastal blocks in Ganjam, Puri,Jagatasinghpur,Kendrapara.Bhadrak and Balesore districts. The basic thrust of the organisation are to organising women fishworkers,health,education,water&sanitation,micro-finance,market penetration, eliminating middlemen, lobbying & advocacy and disaster preparedness etc.