Livelihoods
With nowhere to go, new year brings no cheer to landless Adivasis in Madhya Pradesh
Hundreds of Adivasis of Shukrawasa village in Madhya Pradesh stare at an uncertain future, risking eviction from the land they toil on but do not own.
Youth revive traditional black pottery of Manipur
In Nungbi Khullen of Manipur youth spin their wheels to revive the famed black pottery, selling their products across India and improving their village’s economy.
Rural women farmers plough their way to financial freedom
With a good push from self-help groups and NGOs, women who had never stepped out of their house without a man, are now earning a decent living and a lot of respect from farming.
Money blooms in India’s ‘flower village’ of Nikamwadi in Maharashtra
Farmers have almost abandoned water-thirsty sugarcane for more colourful, and profitable, crops – marigold and chrysanthemum – which fetch them around Rs 10 lakh a year.
How pearl farms bring money to a parched village in Maharashtra
While growing a crop is extremely difficult in drought-affected Marathwada, pearl cultivation becomes an alternative and viable source of income to farmers.
Manipur’s decreasing bamboo supply hurts artisans
Urbanization is claiming another ancient industry -- bamboo artisans – as sprawling construction means not only less bamboo cover but competing demands for it from scaffolding makers.
Humble broom sweeps poverty from tribal hamlets in Odisha’s Koraput
Made mostly by tribal women, the humble household broom is a designated handicraft that is bringing income and empowering many families to become financially independent and protect their forests.
Kashmir’s cricket bats go global, give English willow a run for its money
Bat-maker Fawzul Kabeer helps bring Kashmiri willow bats the attention and market they deserve.
Porters at Attari-Wagah border bear the brunt of India-Pakistan trade curb
Penury and debt stare at porters working at Attari-Wagah border as bilateral trade is hit hard by rising tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pulwama terrorist attack.
J&K: Gujjar women’s embroidered skullcaps lose out to modern fashion
Colourfully embroidered skullcaps are the cultural identity of the Gujjar women of Kashmir. With the younger generation not keen on wearing the caps, the women fear losing their tradition.
Plastic cuts into pottery culture – but not in Manipur
The signature red pottery of Thongjao village is spun by women who have never faced any dip in demand because Manipur locals prefer clay earthenware to plastic and aluminium, especially in festivals and religious rituals.
India’s rural youth show high interest in entrepreneurship, finds survey
While nine out of 10 rural businesses in India are first-generation enterprises, an increasing number of young men and women in rural India want to own businesses, finds a survey.
How Manipur’s rural women are weaving wonders from Kauna weed
Organic baskets, mats and other decorative handicrafts made of kauna grass grown in the marshes of the Imphal valley are providing a sustainable livelihood to women and their families.
Want bumper paddy harvest? Breed fish, say Bihar farmers
Digging ponds to breed fish as a livelihood brings multiple benefits to Patna farmers - fish pond water for irrigation, reduced use of chemicals and reverse migration to name a few.
How rural Rajasthani women break social shackles to earn freedom, respect from Africa tours
Rajasthani women - who barely went outside their state - earn respect after travelling to Mali in west Africa to teach women there how to form self-help groups, never mind make rotis and wear saris.
Jharkhand’s tribal women make natural cups and bowls but find no takers
Hundreds of women sell eco-friendly, sal-leaf cups and teeth-cleaning datoon twigs, but barely make Rs 70 a day. Still they persist with a grin that never betrays their hard life.
‘Super Figs’: Why figs from Western Ghats hills in Pune are high in demand
Figs, guavas, custard apples – fresh or preserved into jam – from the Purandar orchards on the rolling hills of Pune find ready customers in big cities and abroad, leveraging the income of farmers.
Manipur’s uncommon ‘salt of the earth’ and the threat to its legacy
Thumpak, the traditional salt cakes of Manipur, are still used for rituals, but their demand for everyday use has dwindled with the proliferation of commercial packaged salt.
With no vaccine in sight, Kerala pig farmers feel the heat of African swine flu
While Kerala’s state government follows stringent measures to stop the spread of the swine flu, pig farmers in the state struggle with losses, despite government compensation.
Cost-effective jalkunds help Manipur’s farmers tide over water woes
With climate-induced erratic rainfall affecting agriculture, the farmers of Manipur turn to jalkunds – low-cost water harvesting structures that go beyond irrigation needs and double their income.