Featured Story
COVID-19 assistance helps villagers find a footing
Odisha Livelihood Mission’s financial support has enabled many vulnerable rural families, especially women entrepreneurs, to recover from the economic shock of the pandemic-induced lockdown
Gond youth keep their cultural traditions alive
Songs to mark celebrations and appeal to gods, accompanied by rhythmic drum beats and dancing, are part of Adivasi culture. Cultural melas help the youth continue their tradition
Can farmers farm for prosperity?
Those who intervene for farmers’ welfare seem to prefer maintaining the poor-farmer image than ensuring financial success. The first of a four-part series explores this aspect
Farmer runs people’s academy to share knowledge
A Pawara tribe farmer, who transformed his unproductive land and started conservation of landraces, serves as a resource person at field trainings despite lacking formal education
Alcohol addiction gives way to organic farming
Appalled by the lakhs they spent on alcohol, residents of a village vow to never touch liquor again. They turn their village into a successful organic model
Community restores grasslands, makes village drought-resilient
Grasslands conservation, initiated to ensure water availability has increased the water table, resulting in reverse migration and cultivation of crops, and prevention of soil erosion
Trained tribal youth educate community about coronavirus
To prevent pandemic alienation of tribes, select local tribal youth were equipped with accurate information, so that they could demystify coronavirus myths among their community
Community ensures forest protection and sustainable management
Van panchayats, which are local forest management institutions with elected representatives, ensure protection of forests by reviving and conserving water sources and by adopting fire prevention measures
Where are the women in water governance?
Women contribute equally to livelihood activities involving water. Yet they are absent in the decision-making processes, since only domestic water management is seen as their responsibility
Self-help groups effect social change in villages
Freeing themselves from the restraints of veils, rural women have become empowered to make financial contributions to the household and raise their voice for village needs
Marital blessing helps women understand reproductive system
The traditional phulo-phalo blessing that every newly married couple receives seems a materialistic blessing. With a deeper meaning about fertility, it helps women understand reproductive health
Community prevents pollution, keeps lake clean
By taking all possible preventive measures, community ensures Tsogmo Lake, a popular tourist destination in Sikkim with rich biodiversity, remains tidy and pollution free
Tribal women reap benefits of collective farming
Switching to modern agricultural practices and coming together as producer groups have helped women farmers have the bargaining power about their produce and earn more
Transitional houses help villagers rebuild life after cyclone
Villagers have rebuilt their life after Cyclone Fani, by building transitional shelters with local material. Building by themselves has given them dignity, besides a safe space
Bihar farmers grow makhana to tackle weather uncertainties
Climate-induced extreme weather events damaging their traditionally grown maize and paddy crops, farmers have switched to growing resilient foxtrot, known for its nutritional value
Young farmer scientist conserves landraces
A traditional farmer, after undergoing training under agricultural scientists, has been conserving various landraces and sharing his knowledge, besides establishing a community seed bank
Lockdown cash crunch effects organic farming
With the men away, women farmers had no money to buy chemical inputs during the lockdown and shifted to organic farming. They are already reaping the benefits
Farmers go green by growing organic cotton
Switching to organic farming practices has resulted in improved soil health. It has reduced cost of cultivation for farmers, despite organic cotton fetching the same market price
Administrators hope to appease relocated tribes of Simlipal
With International Forest Day, observed on 21 March, and news of forest fires in Simlipal, the biosphere's administrators hope to change mindset of relocated forest dwellers with education and employment
Community involvement improves waste management
With awareness lacking in rural areas, waste management is an issue, especially in tourist attractions. A multi-stakeholder model, with the community at the helm shows the way