Location: Gasuapara Block
Project Implementing Agency: A·chik Welfare Society (AWS)
Livelihood Strategy
The SHGs as well as individual households are now being collectively addressed the livelihood
activities of the communities in much more sustainable manner. The grants provided under Employment Guarantee Schemes through MREGS for various developmental works like inter-village road improvement, culverts constructions, soil and water conservations, orchard development, etc. drawn benefits for the social sector investment and the internal lending being offered by each SHGs to the members have given them wider menu of choices and scope for improved livelihood activities. Some of the livelihood activities being practice in the project
villages include:
· Jhum cultivation remains the main source of livelihood. However, the jhum cultivation has not been initiated the technical knowledge and skills for maintaining the land management resulting the protection of land degradation, soil erosion, deforestation, etc. The cultivation system still remains unchanged with few options for technical intervention and other soil and water conservation measures. This cultivation involves minimum tillage with no irrigation facilities. However, more rational analysis of input – output ratio between the crops grown in jhum and terrace needs to be undertaken to convince villagers about the benefits of optimizing jhum practices.
· Introduction of orchards and cash crop plantation (like cashew nut, areca nut, etc.) in some of the villages has greatly enhanced the annual income.
Other Income Generating Activities are also exist by promoting cattle rearing, piggery, apiculture, fishery, sericulture, poultry, etc. for widening menu of livelihoods improvement opportunities. Promotion of orchards has also yielded very positive and significant higher cash income for many households in most of the villages.
Women Empowerment After the onset of this project there has been better gender empowerment and development of women status in the society. Some of the activities progresses learned are stated below:
The women have become more aware of the health and sanitation and importance of education and preserving local resources. The community resource conservation has been initiated for women which could outsource easy access to fire wood, medicinal plants, wild edible plants, wild vegetables, plants needed for their domestic animals and of course, collection of wild edible plants (besides to sell) as in the case of the women of the villages in the present project intervention.
They have become more responsible towards the society, more confident in public speaking, informative and have developed better communication skills. Earlier their life revolved round the kitchen, family and jhum fields, but now they have become more open to changes in the society.
Many of them have received training in various fields like social mobilization, Accounts training, farming, etc and are able to utilize their knowledge in their day-to-day activities. After much perception with the trainings and exposure trips, there are some groups being organized social and literacy services voluntarily within the group members and for the people of this area.
The mobilization and organization of the women as SHGs have particularly given them a new vistas of experience in the society. Their ability to discuss freely among themselves about the women issues and their development has been altogether a new experience and lessons for them. They are also transferring their knowledge and experience to their daughters and daughter-in-laws as junior or second generation SHGs. They feel that each household is now a new transformed unit with better cleanliness, hygiene, childcare, etc.
Availability of internal lending and credit opportunity by each member have given them new lessons and responsibility in life, besides improving their livelihoods, income, savings, and above all the total family resource capital. Domestic violence is practically absent. Disparity between the women in terms of their income is also reducing as they are able to help each other through the SHGs.
Case Study 2: Women Empowerment
The need for enhancing economic participation of women in different sectoral activities is increasingly being organized by the policy makers and women themselves, and whatever they earned for the groups through savings and thrifts, village leaders or some male groups interfered in maintaining accounts and record registers, and there were some male groups or village leaders who interfered in any decision-making and policy designing in the women’s groups. However, the women’s group started to stand with their own understanding and belongings to strengthen their groups only after the trainings and exposure trips has organized by the projects. ‘The exposure trip given to some groups promoted by MASK, Balipara is unveiled the new way of livelihood for them which they took it as a challenging opportunity. Groups like Dangsila Kucholsan SHG after come back from trip brought into practiced that they started voluntary social and literacy service for the illiterate villagers and initiate others to do the same whenever the opportunities is available.’ The women’s groups of almost all the project villages are now maintaining the accounts and record registers themselves and taking full responsible in decision-making and policy designing without interference of male groups or village leaders.