Stop deforestation and restore community lands

In the project village Bera, there are 40 women of Gujjar pastoralist community, which formed a Mahila Mandal (women group) for taking up their oran (community forest) conservation work. These pastoralists’ women depend on the oran for fuel wood, animal fodder as well as for traditional medicine and various non timber forest produce (NTFP). The women group meets once a month and Rs15 is collected for each member. Apart from the project assistance, the group as a whole has taken bank loans three times of   INR 20,000, 40,000 and 50,000. The loan and the money are usually spent on livelihood activities e.g. used to buy each member one buffalo, other livestock and fodder. The interest paid on the bank loans is 9%. Though all the women in the village are illiterate, but managing their group so efficiently. Members of the group have worked on the check dam construction, tree plantation and the johad (water harvesting structure), under the project “Restore 10 oran in 10 villages of Rajasthan” of the GG program.