Overview
The Khadia & Mankadia are nomadic food gatherers and hunters, found in the hilly areas of similipal hill ranges in Panchpir sub-division particularly in Jashipur block areas. The Mankidia tribes mainly live in groups & nomads and collect Siali tree bark for rope making and sell them in the weekly market. Such tribes also continue killing the monkeys for food at this modern age. With them literacy rate is less than 8%. They are generally found leading semi-nomadic life. The stigma of criminality has so much deep rooted on this community that they are cut off from rest of the community of the society. Till today, they are regarded as degenerated human group requiring economic, social, morel and educational rehabilitation. They rarely communicate & understand regional language of Odisha – Odia, more over each tribal community has its own language.
In order, to improve the lifestyle and to develop the skills of the Mankedia tribes, so that they no more indulge themselves in the killing activities, the Govt. of Odisha, decided to impart some skill up-gradation training programmes. They have selected Sikhya-O-Sikhya,Bhubaneswar to impart Skill development training to the Mankedia tribes. The beneficiaries were selected for the Incense stick and Candle making training programme at Jashipur.
Sikhya-O-Sikhya is also providing a working lunch to the beneficiaries during the training programme. They prefer non-vegetarian food as the Lodha community & the Mankidia tribes are dependent on the animals of the forest for their food. So, they do not get more options for the vegetarian food items. During the training programme our organization tried to intricate some cultural and religious values to these tribes, so they are now preferring to have vegetarian food. Our team of Sikhya-O-Sikhya has also conducted various Life Enrichment Education programmes such as Child Nutrition, Mother & Child Hygiene and Drinking Water etc. They have participated in the Adivasi Mela at Bhubaneswar and they have sold their products in the Adivasi Mela organized by Govt. of Odisha at Bhubaneswar. They have formed one Self Help Group (SHG) at Khejuri and decided to produce various types of Incense Stick, Candle & Design Candle and market it at Baripada as well as in the ORMAS mela organized by Govt. of Odisha at different districts of Odisha time to time. Sikhya-O-Sikhya has formed linkage the Self Help Group (SHG).
