Gémar project:

My Rajesthan desert: MARU DESH

Gémar Interview

 "In my desert land Rajasthan called MARU DESH (Land of death). since September 2001, I am working as a specialised desert village tour guide for those tourist interested in visiting the desert, meeting people, experience native culture, food and adventure, camel-back safari , horse (new tour), desert walks to discover flora and fauna or simply stays in huts to test hospitality of Rajputs (warrior people in desert). While working as guide (face to face, small group), I have learnt much more than I did in school......different culture, life in other countries, family, various government, political and educational systems for example. I know many places in world map and Indian map now and furthermore, many positive opinion and ideas from people all over the world ( Europe, Australia, new-Zealand, Canada, USA ,Israel, Japan, Korea, Brazil, Bolivia ...), from all these guests-friends-travellers. I have learned a lot from the tourists in helping my tours in desert 'To Give Back’. The life in Thar Desert is very harsh and the life of communities (Bishnoi, jat or Choudhry, Raika {only people in desert who breeds camels, Bhil, Meghwal and of course Rajputs) depends on farming (only monsoon rain) and animals (goats, sheep, some buffalow, cows and of course Camels {dear of desert people}

The average rain in Thar Desert is 3 years drought out of 5 years, but in the last 4 years there are not enough rain and in most places rain is inexistent. Many people migrate every year in search of water and food for animals toward the north of India, and get back right after monsoon. During migration they camp every night under open sky and struggle with lack of grazing land for animals in area (most land is cultivated with irrigation water systems). The children’ education is very poor and so the health system. People are very religious and respect the ancient traditions and family values. To give you an example, when a girl from the village is getting married, families must offer lot of jewellery in gold, food and lot of gifts. The families who are very poor can’t afford such expenses and they often prefer to leave and sell their house, their lands or take a loan from a rich neighbour who will cheat them by asking bigger interests.

In the desert, there are not a lot of foreigners. I am living every day in this area and feel like the desert needs help and changes. In respect of responsible tourism 'To Give Back' to host communities, I have made contacts with guest house owners in cities (like Jodhpur, the nearest city from the desert), some village peoples-friends and with some of active NGOs volunteers whom I knew from my village where I was born (near the border of Pakistan in desert villages). Lost of people seem to be interested and exciting by this idea. I already have the help from local people like our farmer guest (now very good friend who have travelled to this area two times with us). I have brought a piece of land among these desert village habitants and have already made 2 huts (one for store/ living and other to cook) and a small court-yard in between.

I am going to tell you about my target of project: I would like to make this place as a centre for ecological tourism and provide self employment to host communities (for long terms) through growing tourism industry in Rajasthan. For that, we needs to make at least 5 more huts and toilet, one bath- room to accommodate our guests, a open hut (to watch the moonlight, to be used as a play school for primary students in which they learn the hygiene rules, the environment, the nature and the history…), an solar energy provided with 4 solar panels ( to provide light - we have enough sun during all year!) a water tank (very important) for centre to provide drinking water, water for guest and tourist and also for wild animals and birds in summer days ( future project ), an entry path to access the centre land (the land is located on a relatively high dune making it difficult for supply of building material  food and water  etc. each time and it cost more to transport up hill once again and takes time too, we have count this on making former 2 huts building work.)

Tourist and guest can stay here day or few days and can observe the life and culture of local folks as well as enjoy surrounding nature life (antelopes, blue bull, desert fox, peacocks, green bee eater and many other birds’ life). In respect 'To Give Back', I would like to work with local people, handicrafts for example. Guests and Tourists can give also work as a volunteer and give ideas to help and develop this centre (life is very pour in the desert)

For the moment, we are involved in: - eco tourism ' home stay' in village families -long term project for local families. (an experience to live like desert people and exchange ideas). We also proposed to rent camels-carts-jeeps form locals for transportations so called Camel Safaris. For our Desert walks, we rent carts to transport food, water tents etc. For guest supply, we are using local market of nearest town called Osyan for buying food and fruits (we also visit temples of Osyan while going on tour from Jodhpur) We are using local transportation - public buses and locally owned jeeps and we work with local musicians to entertain small group (maximum 11 guest / tourist) and encourage local craft men, to continue traditional craft practices (A corporative craft sale at centre (future project after finishing centre’s building work). All above works we actually have great supports of locals (Thar desert village people) and we hope to have contributions from some of our friends- guests- tourists who have visited or want to visit first time/ 2nd/ 3rd time, either direct or indirect doing something for desert host communities who is living with lacks of development in some of necessity fields - primary education, health care, hygiene, awareness of environment and water.

For helping our 'To Give Back' eco tourism project as a guest or tourist, you can give clothes, toys, food, health products, medicines and money. We are not a big charity organisation or foundation at this stage of starting 'To Give Back'. But we are planning to do some advertisement. Talk to people around you is enough and all your efforts will appreciate to help in building the ecological centre.

Here below the financial detail of the project:

100+100+100+100+100 +100 = 600 euro for ONE HUT with door.
100+100+100+100+100 =500 euro for TOILET-bath room for one hut.
100+100+100+100+100 = 500 euro for a WATER TANK (very important) which can hold 15,000 litres of water.
100+100+100+100+100+100 = 600 euro for making OPEN HUT,
350 euro to put SOLAR energy for 1 solar panel.

100+100+100+100+100+100+100+100= 800 euro to complete ENTRY PATH.

To do all building construction works, we ensure to use local workers from the beginning to the end. We also make sure that all materials (stones, cement, woods and other supply) are also brought from local village with fair prices. Wood and other materials: keeping in mind about environment support policy.  We use a kind of wood from a plant as a crops every year in some of irrigation farms in area. We use trunk of it to cover roof of huts, shade alike bamboo and also use for cooking some times.  To make wall plaster and ground, we use mud and cows dugs which keeps an ideal relatively cooling inside huts with combination of wooden thatched roof (even in hottest months 'May n June' when temperature reach 47°C). The cow dug is collected from local farmers’ houses who keeps cows (only for milk and breeding) and mud is dug out from a water reservoir near-by centre. Digging mud in this place provides more space to hold water in it in time of monsoon rain (July - Sept.)

A home full of birds and it looks like an Oasis! (Note: there is no oasis in the famous Indian Thar desert).

At last, I want to say many many thanks to you for reading my words, this is a valuable time for me and time is money too J. Your ideas and suggestions would be always welcome for our newly starting ecological tourism project ’To Give Back' for a sustainable development. I am always ready to give you any information related to this project and I thank you in advance for your interest.

Just to give you an idea of the location of the project, you can find it on a map of north of India (western Rajasthan) or map of Rajasthan on train-route Jodhpur-Jaisalmer , near town called Osiyan ( 1000 years old Temples' Hindu and Jain' ) and our centre is only 21km from Osyan toward north west, a very close village by the train – by road  From BHIKAMKORE : only 4 km away from centre
Jodhpur to Osian: 65km;
Osian to Bhikamkore : 17km

Bhikamkore to centre: only 4km

Thanks again to All of you,

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes and kind Regards

Gemar Singh (Project Planer, Leader & Tour Guide)