Stories of Change Archives -

Flowering a Ray of Hope

Forest land that was lying idle in the past is being put to good use by tribals of ‘Boricha Mal’ village. Today they supplement the growth of paddy with vegetables under the horticulture project implemented by Sakav in partnership with Aid for change, for a region that is home for marginalized adivasis from the Thakar tribe.

In the midst of the legal battles to claim rightful ownership of land under the Forest Rights Act these green patches growing near river banks and foothills are contributing towards food security and income for the adivasis. One such initiative … Continued

Courage of her Convictions

She could take this step because of the counselling and support given by the staff of Savitribai Phule Mahila Mandal, a partner of Aid for Change working in Beed district. Recalling her past, Hausabai shares that despite being a class … Continued

From Farmer to Facilitator

As a newly-wed it was an uphill task for Reshma Dondu Rao at Village Varap working at the paddy fields all day. During the harvest a hefty share was taken away by the village landlord leaving behind very little for this family to survive on. Like many others in the village this family was caught in the vicious cycle of money lending and a debt trap that kept increasing its tenacious grip at every harvest.

With the intervention of Aid for change’s partner organization Sakav the village Self Help Group began to take root and soon the middleman was done away with. Villagers could now access easy loans on a minimum interest and a new … Continued

Bhaji Mala :A step towards improved nutrition and income

Today the scenario is different as hamlets and mud shanties have given way to proper brick houses. Villagers work collectively to help build houses putting to practice the adage ‘many hands make light work.’ Where liquor was once brewed … Continued

Self-help group as an instrument of empowerment

According to the traditional system, the sugar cane contractor gives an advance of 50,000 to a lakh of rupees to every couple and extracts their service for 6 to 7 months in the year. Most of the time husbands used … Continued

Water Water Everywhere …. Not a Drop to Draw

After the monsoon season, the receding waters provide nearly 167 families like him with a farming option but as the water line recedes their efforts to water the fields turns into frustration. At the peak of summer, he spends an … Continued

Embracing the New with the Old

Since the economics to develop land for Padkai where the gradient was steep was not feasible for locals, a limited amount of land was been utilized under this traditional practice and provided rice that would last a household for a … Continued

From Suffering to a Sarpanch

Till two years ago, Vidya Mahamuni was expected to be a quiet and obedient punching bag. Her in-laws would not tolerate her saying ‘no’ to anything they demanded and the husband would look for an excuse to beat her at … Continued

From Trespassers to Managers

Villagers of Pondi tied the rakhi to 10,000 trees and embraced them as members of their family when the forest officials came to cut down 400 earmarked trees. As time came to a standstill with this confrontation, the officials were left … Continued

Self Governance Model secured the community right of villagers on ancestral forest in Mendha Lekha

In 2011, Mendha Lekha in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district became the first village in India to exercise its community right to harvest bamboo and sell under the Forest Rights Act (FRA). Mendha lekha, a village in Gadchiroli district where villagers were … Continued

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