According to World Bank data, the global poverty rate has fallen steadily over the last 25 years. However, India is still grappling with the critical challenges of rural poverty that impact millions of Indians. Rural livelihood development has been a key engagement area for the trusts for a number of decades, with programs spread across the country.
Socio-economic situation is very poor in the entire Sundarban zone. The majority of the population are living below the poverty line. After the Aila, Bulbul and recent Amphan disaster cyclone food security has become a major concern in these zones, even many households sometimes fail to have two meals on their own. People generally depend on Agriculture and fishery. But due to frequent disaster, bursting river embankments, causing salt water to flood agriculture land reducing gross agriculture production. As a result many families migrate to nearby towns for search of alternative livelihood.
Digambarpur Angikar, aims to create robust livelihood opportunities to enable poor households to earn more and lead healthier lives. Our focus of Intervention on rural livelihood development: Improve rural incomes through modern bio farming practices, soil conservation, livestock and animal husbandry development with sustainable market linkages.
Socio-Economic Empowerment of Tribal People
Bharat Rural Livelihood Foundation, New Delhi, has sponsored five years project with an aim to ensure sustainable livelihoods of 11,000 nos tribal and scheduled caste people with dignity at Sandeshkhali-I blocks in North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal. As a part of this 4th-year project, Angikar has conducted series of livelihood development training followed by financial loan linkages with the marginalized tribal women on Paddy cultivation through SRI, Kitchen gardening, Vermicompost, Goat, BYP & Pig rearing. Poor HHs are also being linked with existing Govt. flagship welfare schemes. Recently an initiative has been taken to form BYP Co-Operative with 2000 beneficiaries to create a model on BYP production and establish a sustainable marketing channel.
Improved Livelihood of Tribal Women
In partnership with Tzedek, UK, Angikar is implementing an innovative livelihood development project with 200 poor tribal HHs at Sandeshkhali-I Block, North 24 Parganas. Beneficiaries are here sensitizing on various government welfare schemes followed by linkages. Side by side tribal women are equipped with skills in goatery, Poultry and piggery. After the training a small group formed among the trainees and linked them with financial loans to start their own /group business followed by proper marketing linkages.
Empowerment of marginalized tiger widow women through livelihood Development
Poor SC/ST/OBC/Minority and fisherfolk tiger widows and other vulnerable women of Sundarban region about 2715 families supported by Tiger Widows Organization, Ireland since the last one decade. The project has been empowered with capacity and skills for livelihood development. 270 SHGs have been covered under bank linkage for availing of microcredit opportunities. Leadership, accounts and bookkeeping training and orientation programs on various government schemes like NREGA, PDS, JSY, AAY, ICDS, Mid-day meal and RTI have been conducted. Training on disaster management, poultry and duck rearing, goatary and piggery, nutritional gardening and support for developing home-based nutritional gardens has been completed. At present each poor beneficiary has been earning on an average of Rs. 2500 to 2500/- per month. This additional income has helped to improve their food security, reduce migration and improve the basic quality of life. Tiger Widows Organization also extended relief support for 275 poor families of Sundarban immediately after the Amphan cyclone disaster and Covid-19 lockdown phase.
Ambedkar Hastasilpa Vikash Yojana Programme
To provide skill training on zari, embroidery and jute handicrafts for sustainable livelihood development of women artisans. 600 artisans from Patharpratima, Kakdwip and Mathurapur I blocks in South 24 pgs.
Vocational training for CNCP home girls:
In partnership with Nascom Foundation one tailoring training unit is running inside the shelter home with 30 nos of victim girl inmates, aged between 14 to 17 years old. Girls are here being trained and later linkages them with livelihood opportunities after their restoration to their own family.