Boost Women's Livelihood Collectives for Equality

Our project aimed in enabling towards livelihood to marginalised women farmers of the Indo-Bhutan Border, in the Baska district of Assam through Mushroom Cultivation. The women of the 6 villages of the district through the intervention and extensive handholding of Foundation for Social Transformation (FST) has capacitated themselves towards economic development through cultivation of mushroom and selling them in the local market. During the last cultivation season, they cultivated and sold 700 kilos of mushrooms even after facing challenges due to weather condition. During the beginning phase, FST provided the spawns to them in 14 SHG’s and 4 village level collectives were formed.

In the meantime, Mushroom cultivation has gained popularity as a livelihood opportunity among the women in the villages. Women showed utmost interest in taking up the activity and contributing to the family’s income.

During the last two month, members of FST visited the villages and interacted with the women. The women were enthusiastic and positive towards their economic enhancement through this livelihood opportunity. During the discussion, it was seen that other women were also very much keen in learning the activity. Also, the last year’s damage due to weather and their lack of knowledge in few aspects was a reason they needed an exposure trip to a commercial mushroom cultivation farm.  Accordingly FST organised training cum exposure trip to a full-fledged farm in another district. The women had a very deep learning exchange and their skill on the process was enhanced. Post the exposure they were highly motivated and organised. 20 more women came forward to join this activity and 1 more collective of women has been formed from two villages. They ordered spawns for the current cultivation season. FST contributed half of the amount for the ordered spawns. The enthusiasm and preparation for the cultivation season is very high. Some of the women ordered for spawns separately along with the collective’s requirement. The cultivation process will start from the next month.

Links:

• All about this project

• Global_Giving__SEPTOCT.docx (DOCX)

Boost Women’s Livelihood Collectives for Equality

The project began with the plan of assisting 200 mushroom growers from six villages of Baksa district. Post-production and selling of the mushroom produced till the month of May 2019 in namely Kalipur, Matangapar, Natun Howly, Auzurguri, and Amlaiguri villages; the women over these past three months have been engaged in forming their community organization at the village level. As they plan for the next cycle of mushroom cultivation, taking into consideration the challenges, they have come together to form collectives beyond Self-Help Groups. Believing and facilitating in FST’s approach of community philanthropy, the women from these villages have formed five community organizations namely:

-       Kalipur Mahila Samiti at Kalipur village with a total number of 40 members.

-       Trinayan Mahila Samiti at Natun Haoli with a total number of 62 members.

-       Milan Jyoti Mahila Samiti at Motangapar with a total number of 41 members, and

-       Udangsri Mahila Samiti merging the Ahuzarguri and Amlaiguri villages with a total number of 40 members.

Thus, for enhancing discussion on their livelihood opportunities, market linkages as well as networking with the other stakeholders of the village such as the Village Council Development Committee, that works as the village level state institution; these women collectives have come forward to plan and have a dialogue both within themselves and with the external environment. They have focussed in their community organization meetings on increasing the number of women into mushroom cultivation, planning on market linkages beyond the immediate village vicinity, exploring ways to develop in this livelihood activity by exposure visits to established entities on mushroom cultivation. Moreover, the women collective is also engaged in efforts and actions towards their village development in terms of taking up infrastructural issues on roads and connectivity, access to rights of the people from the community and so on.

Major work is done in the last quarter:

• 4 women collectives formed encompassing 5 villages of Tamulpur and Nagrijuli blocks of Baksa district
• Regularizing meeting within these collectives on further plans of mushroom cultivation and beyond – expansion of production and markets, village concerns, etc.
• Kalipur Mahila Samiti has set the benchmark for the collectives by partnering with local institutions in campaigns of cleanliness, raised their concerns to local authorities of community issues as well as expanded in numbers of women mushroom growers in their village.