Features
Kitchen gardens improve nutritional diversity of Kondhs
Overcoming taboos and becoming more knowledgeable about abundant local foods, malnourished Kondh people in Odisha are bringing diversity to their food baskets through backyard kitchen gardens
Coastal farmers harvest riches with hardy vetiver
Farmers in India’s east coast, which is vulnerable to cyclones and floods, have found commercial success by growing vetiver, a perennial grass also known as khus that has a variety of uses
Healthcare of elderly suffers with youth migration
With little livelihood opportunities in villages, the youth in rural Maharashtra migrate to cities, leading to delayed healthcare of elderly dependents and increased medical expenses
Accessible education for deprived rural students
Established in rural areas lacking in development, state-run model schools in Rajasthan are offering quality education for free to students from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds
Kuruba shepherds struggle to retain traditional lifestyle
As demand for sheep wool blankets decline, Kuruba shepherds of Karnataka have started rearing their sheep for meat and milk. They have also taken to farming to boost incomes
Tharuvaikulam boatwrights adapt to changing trends
With the demand for fiber-reinforced plastic boats increasing after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, wooden boat builders of Tharuvaikulam in Tamil Nadu adapt to growing needs of the marine fishing sector
Local livelihoods curb exploitative labor trafficking
To stop poor villagers from becoming bonded migrant labor, the Odisha government needs to strengthen latest steps to cut out middlemen and boost the rural jobs guarantee program with higher wages
Child panchayats spur village leaders to improve services
Knowing their rights to life and social protection, school students in child panchayats have compelled rural administrators to provide basic amenities necessary for the development of their villages
Cattle trade dwindles at Sonepur Mela
Enforcement of laws related to cattle trade has affected the famed Sonepur cattle fair, with cattle numbers decreasing steadily at the fair and sale dwindling by the year
Himachal’s organic farmers turn market-savvy
Collective representation helps smallholder organic farmers in Himachal’s Mandi district sell their produce directly to consumers in Delhi at a premium price, increasing their earnings
Custard apple thrives in Maharashtra’s dryland farms
Switching from traditional crops, farmers in rain-shadow areas of Maharashtra have found that growing custard apple suited for varied soil and climatic conditions is highly remunerative
Bamboo eliminates poverty among Wayanad villagers
Impoverished villages in Kerala’s Wayanad have found green gold in bamboo handicrafts and utility products, which have helped eliminate poverty and given them a regular source of income
Diversified organic farming can transform Marathwada
Smallholder women farmers in the climate-threatened Marathwada region of Maharashtra are ensuring nutritional security and additional income for their families through diversified organic agriculture
Stigmatized Lodha tribe starts new life trajectory
Education and sports have helped the Lodhas, a particularly vulnerable tribal community that was forced to lead an excluded life because they were stigmatized as thieves, to increasingly join the mainstream
Families along Brahmaputra lose land to river erosion
Having lost homesteads and farmlands to river erosion, Assam’s farmers living in makeshift camps seek government intervention, even as state administration tries to rework a rehabilitation scheme announced in 2015
Bengal fishermen face livelihood quandary
Bottom trawling in banned near-shore areas has been destroying marine ecosystems, affecting traditional fishermen, and forcing some to work in those very trawlers to earn a living
Rural women place Sujini embroidery on global map
Craftswomen of Bihar have tailored Sujini, a traditional embroidery once practiced for internal use, to suit modern needs, lending it an international appeal
Farmers repurpose bore wells for rainwater harvesting
With abandoned bore wells turning hazardous for children, farmers in Tamil Nadu are on a voluntary drive to convert them into rainwater harvesting structures
Gond children learn to conserve forests
With their forests degrading for a variety of reasons, Gond elders are rekindling interest about forest biodiversity among the younger generation, and are inspiring villagers to protect the forests