Goats and poultry help tribal women turnaround impoverished lives

Tribal women in Birbhum have found an alternative source of earning by rearing goats. (Photo by Tagore Society for Rural Development)

Poverty-stricken women in the semi-arid regions of West Bengal and Jharkhand, used to subsisting on meager incomes, have defied huge odds and transformed their lives by rearing goats and poultry

Dharmapuri has forgotten the many names for rain

Women farmers of Dharmapuri are cultivating millets to protect themselves from the vagaries of erratic rainfall. (Photo by Karthikeyan Hemalatha)

Rising temperatures and erratic rainfall in the drought-prone dry land farms of Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu is making rain-fed agriculture non-viable but some women farmers are adapting by growing millets

Saran women banish poverty by cultivating vegetables

Women are becoming frontline farmers in Saran, fighting financial and food security by growing vegetables. (Photo by Mohd Imran Khan)

Switching from traditional rain-fed crops such as rice and wheat to growing vegetables through the year, women farmers of Saran district in Bihar have ensured financial and food security without any external assistance

Women feel the heat of climate change in rural Manipur

Hmouki, a farmer in Manipur, is worried about feeding her family during the dry season. (Photo by Ninglun Hanghal)

Women farmers in Manipur, who play a significant role in the state’s agriculture, are struggling to grow crops in an increasingly hostile natural environment of north-east India

Future looks up for palmyra tree climbers of Tamil Nadu

Palm climber Shanmugam slices the tip of the palm's inflorescence to tap palm nectar (Photo by Balasubramaniam N.)

Increasing awareness on the goodness of palm products and sustainable living associated with it has brought hope to Tamil Nadu’s palm climbers, despite dwindling numbers of the state tree

Strengthening grassroots in Gaya for self-sustenance

To enhance yield through root intensification, PRAN has introduced sustainable agricultural practices that farmers can implement easily. (Photo by PRAN)

By popularizing the system of root intensification and introducing sustainable agricultural practices, Anil Verma has brought a positive change in the lives of marginalized farmers in Gaya

Declining catch forces Chilika fishers to become migrant laborers

Mangalajodi fishermen find it difficult to sustain their families with the meager income they get from fishing in Chilika. (Photo by Rakhi Ghosh)

A significant fall in fish stock due to environmental and human made reasons, combined with stringent laws aimed at restoration of the Chilika Lake, has forced local fishermen to migrate seasonally in search of work

Boatwrights of Balagarh hope that the tide will turn

Number of boat makers in Balagarh has come down with decline in demand for wooden boats. (Photo by Gurvinder Singh)

A move to replace 15,000 mechanized boats in West Bengal’s waterways and a floating market in Kolkata have brought hope to the wooden boat makers of Hooghly, who have been languishing for want of steady demand

Digital technology remains elusive for Rajasthan villagers

Left behind in the digital revolution, women of Rawatpura village hope their children would catch up with the fast-paced development. (Photo by Shubham Sharma)

Residents of Rawatpura village in Udaipur have been left behind in the digital technology revolution of the country, but they hope that their children are able to catch up with the fast-paced development

Toymakers of Chitrakoot struggle with declining demand

Chitrakoot’s traditional wooden toys slowly lose sheen due to lack of market demand. (Photo by Jigyasa Mishra)

Cultural changes and urbanization have led to a shrinking market for Chitrakoot’s wooden toys and a decline in the number of traditional toymakers, yet a few carry on, hoping for the best about the craft’s future

Kamrup women lead Eri silk revival for improved livelihoods

Streamlining Eri silk weaving has helped women weavers earn a livelihood using their traditional skills. (Photo by Grameen Sahara)

Linking markets with traditional Eri silk weavers in many parts of Assam, non-profit organization Grameen Sahara has enabled thousands of village women to boost their household incomes

Why farmers in this Kerala village pray for peace with Pakistan

Betel leaf farmer Krishnan of Tirur continues to cultivate it in spite of falling exports. (Photo by K. Rajendran)

Having seen fluctuations in the export of betel leaf to Pakistan over the years, Malappuram betel farmers in northern Kerala remain hopeful of overcoming the present impasse and resuming a profitable trade

Adivasis in Odisha suffer the most due to malnutrition

Children and their teacher at a daycare center that has none of the facilities mandated by ICDS. (Photo by Abhijit Mohanty)

Malnourished tribal communities in Odisha have not benefitted from decades-old government schemes aimed at improving health outcomes, mainly due to patchy and apathetic implementation

How to develop divisible technology for the rural poor

The use of harvester-cum-thresher machines has led to stubble burning in farms, which has worsened the problem of air pollution in India. (Photo by Vivian Fernandes)

There is a need to develop easily divisible technologies that do not need heavy investment, after taking into consideration social customs and cultural practices of rural users

Digital push boosts incomes for Sundarbans’ organic farmers

Women organic farmers promoting their produce through a lunch, an innovative marketing approach. (Photo by Dhruba Das Gupta)

A digital platform has helped women farmers living in the northern fringes of Sundarbans in West Bengal to sell organically grown indigenous rice and other produce directly to customers, helping them to book higher profits

Social entrepreneur sets Naga tribes on path of progress

Naga tribes in Jalukie Valley have shifted from jhum cultivation to wadi plantations of pineapple, mango, etc. (Photo by Rongmei Baptist Association)

In an underdeveloped part of Jalukie Valley in Nagaland, the church-based Rongmei Baptist Association has gone beyond call of faith to help tribal communities uplift themselves through development interventions