GLIDE

Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: VIJAY BHARATIYA, Yuva Mitra

Picture this: Believing in the cumulative strength of Celebrate, Connect, and Catalyse, Mission Samriddhi has been empowering the rural and marginalised communities, to dream the change by enhancing their self-worth. Their interventions in health, education, child protection, organic farming, herbal medicines, leveraging Govt schemes, and strengthening Panchayats, has been commendable. Choosing farmer suicide region Vidharba in Maharastra, for direct intervention, they have been working with 54 Panchayats in Wardha District. But their real focus on mass livelihoods has started only recently.

This was the first GLIDE Workshop organised by Mission Samriddhi, for all their Panchayat Resource Persons and entire team in Wardha.
Farmers in Wardha District mostly grow Cotton as the main cash crop. Yields are high, but rising input costs, low selling prices, and increasing loans have been depleting all profits that the farmers make. Generational debt is forcing the farmers to either migrate or leave farming. Cattle rearing has picked up as an additional livelihood for many, but competition is killing returns. People have started exploring other opportunities like stitching, trading, etc. The participants came to understand, if there are any business opportunities left in rural areas, and if at all, how to make them profitable.

ACTION taken: All 64 Participants representing 49 Gram Panchayats, sat together to first identify what all are required to start a business. Among all the requirements, they felt that they lacked skills, raw material, money and market. But as they started searching for them, magic happened.

Together 64 participants found that they had 103 skills, out of which 77 skills can be used to earn a livelihood in villages, without migrating. And when they sat cluster wise, they could find 120 uncultivated and 111 cultivated = 231 resources around them, that can be used as raw material. Shyly attempting to find money, they discovered that their village of 300 households was spending a whopping Rs 7,20,00,000/- (Rs 7.20 crore) every year. And when they tried to find a market, they realised that they had themselves become a market for FMCG Companies, that sold 535 factory made and packaged goods. They never realised that while they were busy searching outside markets for their products, they had a market for 535 products worth Rs 7,20,00,000/- (Rs 7.20 crore), available within their own village.

The participants started seeing a different perspective, while learning the new livelihood approach in detail,. The 64 participants formed 14 groups, and for a start, identified 14 products that they knew how to make, for which they already had uncultivated resources available for free, and that could replace 14 already easy selling packaged goods, with a total market potential of Rs 1,05,84,000/- (Rs 1.06 crore). Following the GLIDE approach step by step, the groups ultimately created Business Plans and marketing strategies for their products. 

The GLIDE approach helped them redesign their livelihoods, in a financially sustainable, and environmentally friendly way, that will help them overcome ill health and malnutrition too. GLIDE helped them think, about how instead of migrating, they can together walk the path, towards financial independence.

Click here to see workshop photographs.

Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab

Picture this: Established in 1975 and registered in 1982 Prayog Samaj Sevi Sanstha is renowned for its strength in the rural leadership development. The organization works throughout India to build up grassroots activism, focusing mainly on Central India, and Chhattisgarh. It has developed a ‘Gandhian Activism School’ for the rural youth and women, focusing on those that come from the tribal and other marginalized communities. More than 2,500 activists have been trained in the grassroots activism and are now working all over India. The focus of PRAYOG’s work is to assist the local communities so that they gain access and control over the natural livelihood resources, especially land, water and forests (zamin, jal aur jungle). Prayog Samiti has started community livelihoods on Goat Rearing and Fish farming, with few adivasi communities. But their real focus on mass livelihoods based on land, water, forest has started only recently.

This was the third GLIDE Workshop organised by Prayog Seva Samiti, for their Villages in Dhamtari, Koriya and Jashpur Districts. The objective was A) To enhance the economic status of rural women through agriculture and forestry based livelihoods; B) To promote entrepreneurship and self confidence among women; and C) To develop microplans for setting up small scale industries, using local resources.
The Districts mostly have rain-fed farming, enabling farmers to grow only one crop in a year. Yields are not high, because of loose soil, with less water retention abilities. Migration happens mostly within the District, and people live on subsistence farming and some micro trading activities. The participants realised that these livelihoods may not continue for long, and therefore wanted to explore other opportunities.

ACTION taken: All 45 Participants representing 3 Districts, sat together to first identify their existing skills, the abundant uncultivated natural resources around them, and list down everything that is cultivated by them (either for selling or for consumption). They then evaluated the amount of money flowing out of their village through consumption of packaged goods, and listed the goods as well.
Learning the new livelihood approach in detail, step by step, the participants started seeing a different perspective, that exposed them to the huge opportunity by leveraging the abundant resources for livelihoods, catering to the needs of the village, and replacing the packaged goods. 45 Participants worked in groups, to design their own Group Livelihoods and ended up creating Business Plans and marketing strategies for the same. The GLIDE approach helped them redesign their livelihoods, in a financially sustainable, and environmentally friendly way, that will help them overcome ill health and malnutrition too. The best part was that the women stayed glued to the process, working together for 10 hours each day. GLIDE helped them think, about how they can together walk the path, towards financial independence.

Click here to see workshop photographs.

Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: VIJAY BHARATIYA, Yuva Mitra

Picture this: Can a beautiful rural landscape with green fields and ponds filled with water, with milch cattle in every household, and a mix of mud and brick houses, be called poor and deprived? Surprisingly they are, as they are heavily dependent on Government doles, rations, subsidies and support of CSOs. AATAPI Foundation supporting livelihoods in about 75 Gujarat villages, chose 3 active SHG Members (all women) each, from 6 Villages of Jambusar block of Bharuch district, for a GLIDE workshop. The Field Staff of Aatapi Seva Foundation from Jambusar, Ankleshwar and Dahej, also joined them, to understand the process and flow of the GLIDE workshop. For the Field staff, this was their second complete training on the GLIDE approach. 

An initial chat with the participants, helped in understanding their expectations, that was largely centred around having some home based livelihoods, for earning an extra penny to meet the growing expenses of the family. But the persisting mindset of deprivation and helplessness, and the fear of a huge investment (approx Rs 50,000/-) kept them away from it. They wanted support for skill training, raw material support, loans and marketing support from the CSO.

ACTION taken: As the participants started Gliding, they did not realise where they were going to land. When they were asked to list down every skill they had, 12 village women listed 85 skills, out of which they could earn from 73 skills, without moving out of their village. Pleasantly surprised by the finding, they went a step further to list 126 uncultivated (naturally available) materials, and 91 cultivated ones, as raw material. But the magic had just begun. As they worked in groups to understand the reason behind their poverty, they discovered that their village with 250 households, each having 5 members, and with an average land holding of 2 acres per family, spent a whopping Rs 6 crore each year on their regular family needs. And when they tried to find out where all the money went, they listed down 250 company made products that they regularly bought. For eg: a Potato Chips packet costing Rs 5/- which each family bought every day, totalled to about Rs 22,50,000/- p.a (5 packets per day per family x 250 households x 30 days x 12 months x Rs 5/-). Where else could they find such a market?

As the feeling of deprivation turned into abundance, the participants got excited to use this abundance to design their livelihoods. The workshop took them step by step, to help them design their own Group Livelihoods, and ended up creating Business Plans for the same. And the best part, the initial investment was at max Rs 5,000/-, for which they did not require any funds from anyone, nor any marketing support from anywhere. The GLIDE approach helped them redesign their livelihoods, in a financially sustainable, and environmentally friendly way, that will not only make the women financially independent, but also help them retain a huge component of Rs 6 crore within the village, and circulate it among the Groups ensuring their livelihoods forever, without ill health, malnutrition and migration.

Click here to see workshop photographs.

Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: VIJAY BHARATIYA, Yuva Mitra

Picture this: Two Villages with an average population of 250 households, where women have been primarily engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry, and agriculture labour, represented by their SHG women, along with the entire Field Staff of Aatapi Seva Foundation from Jambusar, Ankleshwar and Dahej, came for a livelihood based training (GLIDE workshop). For the Field staff, this was their first complete training on the GLIDE approach. An initial chat with them brought out the problems of failing agriculture, increasing pollution, health problems, labour exploitation, and failed expectations of migrated population. Everyone preferred an independent livelihood, and not a dependent job. But the persisting mindset of deprivation, and the fear of a huge investment kept them away from it.

ACTION taken: As the GLIDE workshop took off, and started unfolding its wings, the participants could not believe, how their feeling of deprivation, turned into a feeling of abundance. The GLIDE workshop made them realise their own skills, and what they could do with it. The limitation of material resources, suddenly turned into an abundance of unexplored natural resources. And poverty suddenly got a new lens that showed them the wealth in their village. Lack of market (that often is the bottleneck for rural livelihoods), suddenly had a new perspective, exposing the participants to the hidden potential of local markets. 

Aware of the abundance, all 28 Participants including the Field staff of Aatapi Seva Foundation wove magic, as they worked in groups, to design their own Group Livelihoods and ended up creating Business Plans for the same. The GLIDE approach helped them redesign their livelihoods, in a financially sustainable, and environmentally friendly way, that will not only make the women financially independent, but also encourage their men to return back to their villages, and start similar livelihoods that will help them earn more than the present, without ill health and malnutrition.

Click here to see workshop photographs.

Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab

Picture this: Established in 1975 and registered in 1982 Prayog Samaj Sevi Sanstha is renowned for its strength in the rural leadership development. The organization works throughout India to build up grassroots activism, focusing mainly on Central India, and Chhattisgarh. It has developed a ‘Gandhian Activism School’ for the rural youth and women, focusing on those that come from the tribal and other marginalized communities. More than 2,500 activists have been trained in the grassroots activism and are now working all over India. The focus of PRAYOG’s work is to assist the local communities so that they gain access and control over the natural livelihood resources, especially land, water and forests (zamin, jal aur jungle). Prayog Samiti has started community livelihoods on Goat Rearing and Fish farming, with few adivasi communities. But their real focus on mass livelihoods based on land, water, forest has started only recently.

This was the second GLIDE Workshop organised by Prayog Seva Samiti, for their Villages in Surajpur District. The District is an arid region, with rain-fed farming, enabling farmers to grow only two crops (instead of 3) in a year. Yields are not high, because of loose soil, with less water retention abilities. Migration happens mostly within the District, and people live on subsistence farming and some micro trading activities. The participants realised that these livelihoods may not continue for long, and therefore wanted to explore other opportunities.

ACTION taken: All 40 Participants representing 10 villages, learnt the new approach in detail, step by step. Initially they were clueless about what was going to happen. But as the GLIDE workshop advanced each step, the participants started seeing a different perspective, that exposed them to the abundance around them, and how they can leverage this abundance for livelihoods. 15 Participants worked in groups, to design their own Group Livelihoods and ended up creating Business Plans for the same. They then helped the other groups to make their Business Plans, using the approach they had learnt. The GLIDE approach helped them redesign their livelihoods, in a financially sustainable, and environmentally friendly way, that will help them overcome ill health and malnutrition too. The best part was the increasing number of men participants, as the word spread in their villages. GLIDE helped them think, about how they can together walk the path, towards financial independence.

Click here to see workshop photographs.

Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: SHIBANI GHOSH, OASiS

Picture this: Purulia District situated on the border of West Bengal state, has a great influence of neighbouring Jharkhand. Located among the mountains and forests, it is home to many Tribes, primarily Santhals. Over generations, foraging from the forests has given way to farming as livelihood. But monocropping and water intensive crops have led to a fast depleting water level, and heavy dependency on chemical inputs. Crop yields around the region have gone down considerably, forcing villagers to either migrate, or become contract labour.  Most men migrate for work, while women are engaged in cattle rearing and agricultural labour. Educated youth seek for work in urban areas, and migrate to other states, for menial jobs.
MGGSS Foundation has been striving to provide some livelihood to the Tribals and OBCs of Tukya Village (with a population of 1200 people in 200 households), through sustainable fashion, teaching them weaving on handlooms, for the past 3 years. They have trained about 16 women as Weavers, and are now involving others in Indigo farming and dyeing. MGGSS has realised that introducing a new profession and a new crop to a new population is not easy, as it takes time to gain their acceptance. In order to provide every family with a gainful livelihood, they invited women from both OBC and Santhal communities for a GLIDE workshop. An initial chat with them brought out problems like increasing deforestation, health problems, failing agriculture, labour exploitation, and failed expectations of migrated population.

ACTION taken: Initially the participants had no clue about what was going to happen. They were lost in a gloom of hopelessness, and saw migration as the only way out of misery. But as the GLIDE workshop proceeded, and started unboxing its magic box, the participants saw one element after another popping out, that turned their feeling of deprivation, into a feeling of abundance. The GLIDE workshop made them realise their potential, and what they could do with it, with the huge basket of natural resources around. All 30 Participants wove magic, as they worked in groups, to design their own Group Livelihoods and ended up creating Business Plans for the same. The GLIDE approach helped them redesign their livelihoods, in a financially sustainable, and environmentally friendly way, that will not only make the women financially independent, but also encourage their men to migrate back to their villages, and start similar livelihoods that will help them earn more than the present, without ill health and malnutrition. GLIDE helped them rethink about their lives differently.

Click here to see workshop photographs.

Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: VIJAY BHARATIYA, Yuva Mitra

Picture this: Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC), the Nodal agency of the Government of Gujarat for providing Industrial backbone of the state, has set up Ankleshwar as a hub of the chemical industry in India. The Ankleshwar Industrial Estate, has close to 1,200 MSME units, out of which 600 are chemical units, which manufacture various types of chemicals, like dyes, pigments, insecticides, specialty chemicals, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, dyes and paints, producing more than 5% of India's chemical products, and employing more than 2 lakh people.
More than a lakh people (50%) have migrated from different parts of the country, to work as Contract Labour. They are housed in and around the units, covered in chemical dust, bad odour and water pollution, with occasional scare of chemical leaks. Crop yields around the region have gone down considerably, forcing villagers to either migrate, or become contract labour.  Most men are employed by the units, while women are homemakers or agricultural labour. Children study, and become labour, irrespective of degrees.
Four Villages (2 with migrant population and 2 with local), with a total population of 20000, in 3600 households, represented by 30 SHG women, came together under the aegis of Aatapi Seva Foundation, for a livelihood based training (GLIDE workshop). An initial chat with them brought out problems like increasing pollution, health problems, failing agriculture, labour exploitation, and failed expectations of migrated population.

ACTION taken: As the GLIDE workshop took off, and started unfolding its wings, the participants could not believe, how their feeling of deprivation, turned into a feeling of abundance. The GLIDE workshop made them realise their potential, and what they could do with it, despite limited natural resources. All 40 Participants including 30 Village women, and Field staff of Aatapi Seva Foundation wove magic, as they worked in groups, to design their own Group Livelihoods and ended up creating Business Plans for the same. The GLIDE approach helped them redesign their livelihoods, in a financially sustainable, and environmentally friendly way, that will not only make the women financially independent, but also encourage their families to migrate back to their villages, and start similar livelihoods that will help them earn more than the present, without ill health and malnutrition.

Click here to see workshop photographs.

Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab

Picture this: Established in 1954, Banvasi Seva Ashram (BSA) is a voluntary organization and believing in Gandhian principles of life. It has been developing and implementing programs to achieve Gramswarajya, i.e. self-sufficiency and self-reliance at the village level with the community involvement. BSA believes in creating a new village culture that blends positive values of traditional life and benefits of modern knowledge, while avoiding undue exploitation of people and nature. Addressing basic problems of life faced by the most vulnerable sections of the forest-dwelling community (tribal, SC, OBC and women) through confidence creation, capacity building and implementing innovative development plans has been the focus of Ashram’s work. A three tier people’s organisation, Gram Swarajya Sanghatan or GSS, has been established in 445 villages, playing an instrumental role in strengthening democracy at the grass-root level and promoting people’s participation in community development. With a wide range of activities spanning over the last 70 years, the Ashram has helped in bringing about visible and remarkable changes in the tribal villages of the south Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh. But the dream of complete Swaraj was still not there. Something invisible was missing.

To find out the missing element, Banwasi Sewa Ashram brought together 41 participants from 5 Villages and 3 FPOs, representing a population of over 68000, in 8800 households of SCs, STs, OBCs and Others, with varied professions like Agriculture, Animal/Poultry rearers, Shopkeepers, Factory workers, landless labour, etc, for the GLIDE workshop. An initial chat with them brought out problems like increasing migration, disinterest of youth in farming, sustainability of cottage industries and local livelihoods, decreasing funds, political interference, etc. The participants came with multiple expectations.

ACTION taken: As the GLIDE workshop unfolded its wings, and progressed from one stage to the next, the participants found the missing element that was always there, but did not catch their eye. With such a varied participation, there were multiple lenses of viewing the workshop. While Trainers saw it from the training perspective, FPOs and SHGs saw it from their own, and Villagers saw their eyes moving from deprivation to abundance. Forgetting their past and positions, all of them got together and designed their Group Livelihoods with detailed Business Plans. Their confidence ran so high that on the last day, the Participants had taken over the whiteboard from the Facilitator, and even drafted implementation plans to roll out immediately. The GLIDE approach helped them find the missing element, look at the potential of livelihoods in their region, and redesign them in a financially sustainable, and environmentally friendly way, that will help them establish Economic Swaraj soon. 

Click here to see workshop photographs.

Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: SHIBANI GHOSH, OASiS

Picture this: A tribal village located high up in the mountains, in Simlipal forest reserve is deprived of mobile connectivity. All 66 households depend heavily on the weekly market at Jashipur, located 24 kms away from their village. Very small land holdings do not suffice for year round consumption, and the families have to depend on rations. Rice beer being the source of entertainment for the villagers, and also a part of their rituals, provides livelihoods to few, but chaos in the houses of many. Women are engaged in farming, animal husbandry, and visiting the weekly market, but men do only the ploughing and selling. Migration is very very high in the region. AHEAD Initiatives with its Partner Pollishree Club, has done commendable work in this area to promote backyard vegetable gardening organic farming, and seed conservation. SHGs exist but not functioning regularly. Literacy levels are very low.

ACTION taken: Despite the pressure of harvesting rice, all 33 Participants worked in groups, discovering the potential of their village and surroundings, and the scope of creating their livelihoods from them, without migrating. Since literacy levels were very low, the Partner CSO decided to create the Business Plans for their Group Livelihoods. With the information listed by the groups, the Partner CSO formed the groups and started helping them start their livelihoods.

Click here to see workshop photographs.

Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: SHIBANI GHOSH, OASiS

Picture this: A tribal village with 107 households, mostly growing cash crops in their small lands, and vegetables in their backyard gardens, has been sustaining on the crops they grow, and selling only the surplus. But over the years, yields have been dropping gradually, forcing them to consider other options, easiest being seasonal migration as agri labour. Both men and women are engaged in farming, animal husbandry, etc. Both men and women migrate seasonally. AHEAD Initiatives with its Partner Pollishree Club, has done commendable work in this area to promote organic farming and backyard vegetable gardening. Prior experience of the villagers with Govt projects and their Trainers, had not been good, and had not resulted in anything worthwhile. So they came with a lot of apprehension and doubt, and almost no expectation.

ACTION taken: As the workshop progressed from one stage to the next, apprehensions started to give way to self belief and confidence. All 40 Participants (with perfect gender balance) including 22 Villagers, rest Community workers, and Pollishree Club representatives, started working in groups, creating one magic after the other, and ended up designing their own Group Livelihoods with detailed Business Plans. The GLIDE approach helped them look at the potential of livelihoods in their region, and redesign them in a financially sustainable, and environmentally friendly way, that will keep their folks away from migration. 

Click here to see workshop photographs.

Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: SHIBANI GHOSH, OASiS

Picture this: A village with 350 households of STs (Santhals), SCs and Other castes, living in the hinterlands of North Sunderbans, faces a constant issue of brackish water in their backwater canals. Limited cash crops because of lack of arable water in their small lands, is gradually driving them towards seasonal migration as agricultural labour. Torn between keeping grains for their year round consumption and selling for yearly earnings, the villagers just have enough seasonal vegetables for their nutrition, and have to depend on ration for grains. Both men and women are engaged in farming, poultry and fishery. But only men go as agri labour workforce. AHEAD Initiatives with its Paschim Sridharkati Janakalyan Sangha, has done commendable work in this area to promote backyard vegetable gardening. The village has great socio-economic inequity as well, that shows up with bamboo reinforced thatch houses of the STs and AC fitted houses of the Brahmins. All of them came with expectations, along with a lot of apprehension. Some politically active workers and a Panchayat member also participated to check for any activism.

ACTION taken: All 64 Participants including 33 Villagers (of different castes), Community workers, Partner representatives, and Political observers became one, as the workshop progressed, and together they started weaving magic, identifying the potential of their people and region, and designed their own Group Livelihoods with Business Plans at the end of 3 days. The GLIDE approach helped them redesign their livelihoods out of existing resources, in a financially sustainable, and environmentally friendly way, that will keep them away from migration and malnutrition forever. 

Click here to see workshop photographs.

Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: SHIBANI GHOSH, OASiS

Picture this: Two villages with 110 households of STs (Santhals), SCs and Other castes, mostly growing cash crops in their small lands, some growing vegetables in their backyard gardens, but most going for seasonal agricultural labour. Keeping grains for their year round consumption and selling only the surplus, has been a norm for long. But rising agri inputs and exploitation by traders is gradually taking them towards severe losses. Both men and women are engaged in farming, animal husbandry, and agri labour workforce. AHEAD Initiatives with its Partner Friends-of Poor-and-Disadvantaged, has done commendable work in this area to promote backyard vegetable gardening. With a feeling of deprivation and hopelessness around, they came with little expectation, but with a lot of apprehension.

ACTION taken: All 30 Participants including 27 Villagers, rest Community workers, and Partner representatives, started weaving magic, as they worked in groups, to design their own Group Livelihoods and ended up creating Business Plans for the same. The GLIDE approach helped them redesign their livelihoods, in a financially sustainable, and environmentally friendly way, that will keep them away from migration and malnutrition forever. 

Click here to see workshop photographs.

Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: VIJAY BHARATIYA, Yuva Mitra

Picture this: Five Villages with an average population of 700 households, where women have been primarily engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry, and agriculture labour, represented by 26 SHG women, came together under the aegis of Aatapi Seva Foundation, for a livelihood based training (GLIDE workshop). Their list of 14 expectations vanished, as the GLIDE workshop made them realise their and their region's potential, and a mindset shift from poverty to abundance.

ACTION taken: All 41 Participants including 26 Village women, IRMA Interns and Field staff of Aatapi Seva Foundation wove magic, as they worked in groups, to design their own Group Livelihoods and ended up creating Business Plans for the same. The GLIDE approach helped them redesign their livelihoods, in a financially sustainable, and environmentally friendly way, that will keep them away from migration and malnutrition forever. 

Click here to see workshop photographs.

Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab

Picture this: A village of 5 Tolas (Paraas) with 110 households, mostly growing cash crops in their small lands, also has been growing vegetables in their backyard gardens. Keeping grains for their year round consumption and selling only the surplus, has been a norm for long. But unexplained drop in yields is now forcing them to consider other options, easiest being seasonal migration as agri labour. Both men and women are engaged in farming, animal husbandry, etc. AHEAD Initiatives with its Partner Pollishree Club, has done commendable work in this area to promote backyard vegetable gardening, and organic farming. With a feeling of deprivation and hopelessness around, they came with little expectation, but with a lot of apprehension.

ACTION taken: All 29 Participants including 21 Villagers, rest Community workers, and Pollishree Club representatives, started weaving magic, as they worked in groups, to design their own Group Livelihoods and ended up creating Business Plans for the same. The GLIDE approach helped them redesign their livelihoods, in a financially sustainable, and environmentally friendly way, that will keep them away from migration and malnutrition forever. 

Click here to see workshop photographs.

Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: SHANTANU MITRA

Picture this: A community with small land holdings, some linked with SHGs, some not, and growing only one cash crop. Men are engaged in farming, and women are engaged in animal husbandry, and other activities. While participants came from two Paras with about 190 households, and a population of 1150, the Community Resource Organisers represented three other Paras.
AHEAD Initiatives and their Partner CSO have done commendable work to promote backyard vegetable gardening, organic farming, seed conservation, reviving astonishing local varieties of rice, and forming open learning centres. SHGs formed and functioning, but not with too much saving.

ACTION taken: All 30 Participants worked in groups to of three, to design 11 Group Livelihoods and create Business Plans for the same.

Click here to see the workshop photographs.

Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab

Picture this: Established in 2006 Pragati Abhiyan is renowned for its work on rural livelihoods for Tribal communities, in and around Nashik, Maharashtra. The organization that started working with 50 villages, has now expanded its operations to 500 villages. It has done commendable work on MNREGA with the Government, and has ensured minimum livelihoods for thousands. But over 18 years of work, they have realised that only MNREGA will not be sufficient to bring rural populations out of poverty. Since 2019, they have been working aggressively on Millet production, with a focus to combat malnutrition. Now with some surplus, they have ventured into Millet processing so that the farmers can get a slice of the millet market for their livelihood enhancement. The organisation has also formed lots of SHGs and some FPOs under Government programs, but have not been able to take them forward towards starting businesses. They also collaborated with the MSME department to start businesses for rural and tribal women, but did not find the businesses sustaining long. Most support organisations (connected with MSME) gave the groups some raw material, but did not buy the finished products. The organisation was desperately looking for models that could clear the current livelihood cobweb, and help them look tangent, towards using local resources, and addressing the needs of other markets.

ACTION taken: All 30 Participants representing 200 villages, were taken aback, when they found that what they thought as limitations, were actually in abundance. Learning the GLIDE approach in detail, on how to use every available resource as a livelihood opportunity, they took stage and created their own business plans. While the farmers decided to go back, and start the Group Livelihoods planned during the workshop immediately, the Cluster Resource Persons (CRPs) decided to guide these Livelihood Groups start their businesses. Based on the results, they will spread the GLIDE approach to all 200 Villages.

Click here to see workshop photographs.

Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: SHIBANI GHOSH, OASiS

Picture this: Tribals with very small land holdings, some linked with SHGs, some not, and most growing only cash crops. Men and women are engaged in farming, animal husbandry, stitching, etc, but youth keep away from it. AHEAD Initiatives with its Partner Pollishree Club, has done commendable work in this area to promote backyard vegetable gardening organic farming, seed conservation, and forming open learning centres. SHGs formed and functioning, but not with too much saving.

ACTION taken: All 39 Participants worked in groups to start their GLIDE Livelihoods and created their Business Plans for the same. Two groups were instantly formed and initiated.

Click here to see workshop photographs.

Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: SHIBANI GHOSH, OASiS

Picture this: Tribals with very small land holdings, some linked with SHGs, some not, and most growing only cash crops. Men and women are engaged in farming, animal husbandry, stitching, etc, but youth keep away from it. AHEAD Initiatives with its Partner Pollishree Club, has done commendable work in this area to promote backyard vegetable gardening organic farming, seed conservation, and forming open learning centres. SHGs formed and functioning, but not with too much saving.

ACTION taken: All 43 Participants worked in groups to start their GLIDE Livelihoods and created their Business Plans for the same.

Click here to see workshop photographs.

Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: SHIBANI GHOSH, OASiS

Picture this: Mixed communities of Tribals and Refugees with very small land holdings, some linked with SHGs, some not, and most growing only cash crops. Both men and women are engaged in farming, animal husbandry, stitching, etc, but youth keep away from it. AHEAD Initiatives has done commendable work to promote backyard vegetable gardening organic farming, seed conservation, reviving astonishing local varieties of rice, and forming open learning centres. SHGs formed and functioning, but not with too much saving.

ACTION taken: All 56 Participants worked in groups to start their GLIDE Livelihoods and
created their Business Plans for the same.

Click here to see workshop photographs.

Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab

Picture this: Established in 1975 and registered in 1982 Prayog Samaj Sevi Sanstha is renowned for its strength in the rural leadership development. The organization works throughout India to build up grassroots activism, focusing mainly on Central India, and Chhattisgarh. It has developed a ‘Gandhian Activism School’ for the rural youth and women, focusing on those that come from the tribal and other marginalized communities. Today, more than 2,500 activists have been trained in the grassroots activism and are now working all over India. The focus of PRAYOG’s work is to assist the local communities so that they gain access and control over the natural livelihood resources, especially land, water and forests (zamin, jal aur jungle). Prayog Samiti has started community livelihoods on Goat Rearing and Fish farming, with few adivasi communities. But their real focus on mass livelihoods based on land, water, forest has started only recently.

ACTION taken: All 43 Participants representing 200 villages, learnt the new approach in detail. 34 Community Participants coming from 6 Villages, decided to start the Group Livelihoods planned during the workshop immediately. While the 9 District Volunteers decided to help these Livelihood Groups start their businesses. Based on the results, they will spread the GLIDE approach to all 200 Villages.

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Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: PIYULI GHOSH, National Coalition for Natural Farming, MP

Picture this: Started in 1994 with small scale and marginal farmers, as a simple effort to distribute indigenous seed varieties in and around the village of Thalli, Tamil Nadu, Green Foundation soon turned into a growing biodiversity conservation programme, which has been central to their work ever since. Their work spread to Madhya Pradesh, choosing the orange belt Pandhurna, a decade back. Green Foundation now works with farmers spread across four States of India - Kanataka, Tamilnadu, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

ACTION taken: All 42 Participants representing 34 villages, learnt the new approach in detail. 31 Community Participants decided to start the 10 Group Livelihoods planned during the workshop immediately, with one Product in each Village. While the 11 Project Staff decided to help these Livelihood Groups start their businesses. Based on the results, they will spread the GLIDE approach to all 34 Villages.

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Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab

Picture this: Working for the past 40 years, BCT has done commendable work for the area. Housing a Krishi Vigyan Kendra, and ITI, and a School in its Campus, BCT has impacted the lives of many rural families, supporting their farming with piloted technologies from KVK, giving them skill training and ITI certification on specific trades, skill training physically and mentally challenged, and even facilitating loans for their livelihoods. But over the years, chemical based farming and heavy dependency on farming subsidies has crippled the villagers economically. Even backyard farming involves use of pesticides. Youth are interested to stay back in villages, but do not have many livelihood opportunities. A new program targeting 66 Tribal Villages in the Hills, and creating 200 women entrepreneurs, needed some innovation and a new direction. Old livelihood approaches targeting urban markets, were not found sustainable in the long run.

ACTION taken: All 50 Participants representing 84 villages, learnt the new approach in detail, and decided to pilot it in 8-10 Villages in the coming Quarter, starting June 2024. Based on the results from the Pilot, they also planned to then roll out the GLIDE approach to 30 more Villages in the year.

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Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: VIJAY BHARATIYA, Yuva Mitra

Picture this: A community that is identified more by caste, than anything else. With varied land holdings growing only cash crops, they are always in a hand to mouth situation. Primary profession is Agriculture and Dairy (mainly Buffalo). Heavy use of chemical based farming and heavy dependency on farming subsidies has crippled the villagers economically. Even backyard farming involves use of pesticides. Youth are interested to stay back in villages, but do not have livelihood opportunities. Livelihood interventions for SHGs have been short lived, because of old approaches, and private companies have ditched them many times. After burning their hands many times, the participants still gathered to learn something new, and get a new ray of hope. Although they came expecting to manufacture stuff for a company, but went back designing their own businesses.

ACTION taken: All 30 Participants representing 5 village Panchayats, designed their Group Business Plans, and decided to initiate many more GLIDE Livelihoods in their Villages. One group organised SHG meetings on GLIDE Livelihoods in their village, the next day itself.

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Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: VIJAY BHARATIYA, Yuva Mitra

Picture this: Gramonnati Trust initiated a CSR Project in village Magarha in Mirzapur District, near Varanasi (UP). The region has a population mix of multiple castes and professions. Primary profession is Agriculture and Dairy (mainly Buffalo). Heavy use of chemical based farming and heavy dependency on farming subsidies has crippled the villagers economically. Even backyard farming involves use of pesticides. Youth are interested to stay back in villages, but do not have livelihood opportunities. Livelihood interventions for the women have been short lived, because of old approaches, and private companies have ditched them many times. After burning their hands many times, the participants still gathered to learn something new, and get a new ray of hope. 

ACTION taken: All 45 Participants from 5 villages, prepared a Village wise Action Plan for the coming month, to help SHG women Villages in their domain, start GLIDE Livelihoods.

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Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: VIJAY BHARATIYA, Yuva Mitra Co-Facilitator: SHIBANI GHOSH, OASiS

Picture this: Regions bashed every year by cyclones that wipe out life, habitat and livelihoods, mixed communities of Tribals and Refugees with very small land holdings, some linked with SHGs, some not, and most growing only cash crops. AHEAD Initiatives has done commendable work to promote backyard vegetable gardening organic farming, seed conservation, reviving astonishing local varieties of rice, non-conventional education supporting Govt Schools, organic fabric with natural dyes. Both men and women are engaged in farming, fishing and some in weaving too, but youth keep away from it. SHGs formed and functioning, but not with too much saving. Livelihood enhancement programs successful, but overall not significant change in economic status of community.

ACTION taken: All 35 Participants responsible for 115 villages, prepared a Block wise and Community worker wise Yearly Plan for 2024, to help Villages in their domain, start GLIDE Livelihoods.

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Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: VIJAY BHARATIYA, Yuva Mitra

Picture this: An extremely poor region of ST and OBC with small land holdings, some linked with SHGs, some not, and most growing cash crops. PSI has done commendable work to promote backyard vegetable gardening and transition towards natural farming. Both men and women are engaged in farming, but youth keep away from it. SHGs formed and functioning, but have not started savings yet. A Farmer Producer Company is being formed to 989 promoting Organic farming, Natural farming and Millet farming, and then planning to sell in bulk to corporates. Livelihood enhancement programs partly successful, but not leading to significant change in economic status of community.

ACTION taken: All 23 Field Representatives responsible for 40 villages in the 3 Blocks, prepared a Block wise and Field worker wise Yearly Plan for 2024, to help Villages in their domain start GLIDE Livelihoods by the end of second and third quarter.

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Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: VIJAY BHARATIYA, Yuva Mitra

Picture this: CYSD has been working on the issues of the vulnerable communities especially promotion of livelihoods and building governance eco-system at community level to address their vulnerabilities. It has been observed that after being interventions of different livelihood initiatives, 100% of the desired goal - livelihood security of the vulnerable communities has not been achieved. Against this backdrop, a serious reflection on the approaches of livelihood intervention and build strong perspective among the team members was felt necessary. The main objective of the workshop was to review and reflect on the current approaches of livelihood programs, to find out innovative programs and possible strategies for livelihood security of targeted communities and to pilot innovative program model Group Livelihoods for Development (GLIDE) developed by OASIS.

ACTION taken: Each District identified a Pilot Village in each Block, and selected Champions for 18 Pilot Villages, who made Yearly Plan for 2024, to help theirVillages in their domain start GLIDE Livelihoods by the end of second and third quarter.

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Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: VIJAY BHARATIYA, Yuva Mitra

Picture this: SC, ST, OBC and Minorities with small land holdings, some linked with SHGs, some not. All villages have plenty of ignored natural resources, but primarily growing rice, wheat, and other cash crops. Some Men engaged in small industries nearby, Women engaged partly in farming. SHGs formed and functioning, but not enabling businesses much. Organisation promoting Organic farming, Natural farming and Millet farming, and then selling in bulk to corporates. Livelihood enhancement programs successful, but not leading to significant change in economic status of community.

ACTION taken: All 28 Field Representatives responsible for 105 villages in the 3 Blocks, prepared a Block wise and Field worker wise Yearly Plan for 2024, to help Villages in their domain start GLIDE Livelihoods by the end of second and third quarter.

Click here to see workshop photographs.

Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: VIJAY BHARATIYA, Yuva Mitra

Picture this: SC, ST, OBC and Minorities with small land holdings, some linked with SHGs, some not. All villages have plenty of ignored natural resources, but primarily growing cotton, maize, and other cash crops. Men engaged in small industries nearby, Women engaged partly in farming and small businesses. SHGs collected into a Federation, but yet to start bulk businesses. Many youth and women participated, along with Federation executive body members and Community Resource Persons representing 53 villages.

LIVELIHOODS taken: 8 groups formed, choosing to make Potato and Banana Chips wafers; Pickles and Paapad; Vegetables; Breakfast; Divel (Oil as pesticide); Nimastra (organic pesticide); Vermicompost; Soap and detergent.

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Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: VIJAY BHARATIYA, Yuva Mitra

Picture this: Korku Tribal community with plenty of forest based natural resources, but primarily dependent on rainfed farming. Women interested in retaining farming and local livelihoods. Their lands are being bought by Tribals from other regions for paltry sums, forcing them into farm labour. Being exploited by non tribals, politicians, traders. 

LIVELIHOODS taken: 6 groups formed, choosing to make Potato, Banana, Jackfruit Chips; Rice Paapad; Pickles; Pani puri; Popcorn; Sesame (Til) Oil; Sewaiyan; Soap; Bamboo toys.

The groups decided to name their products under a common brand JAIBAI (name of a Goddess).

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Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: VIJAY BHARATIYA, Yuva Mitra

Picture this: Tribal community with plenty of neglected natural resources, and heavily dependent on urban manufactured goods. Youth wishing to take up Govt jobs, but also interested in farming. A very interesting observation: Families sell their cattle milk to Amul for cost X, and buy Amul milk packets at cost 2X, for their daily needs. Reason given, was the benefits of bonus in doing so.

LIVELIHOODS taken: 3 groups formed, choosing to make Doli (Mahua seed) Oil (1 group), Moong Paapad (1 group), and Popcorn (1 group). The village also chose to explore making Jaggery from Taal fruit, which is now being sold only for alcohol. If the experiment succeeds, then they will form another group to make Jaggery and sell it locally, eliminating the need to buy it from urban producers.

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Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: VIJAY BHARATIYA, Yuva Mitra

Picture this: Mixed communities with a significant percentage of Dalit population, very visible and troubling casteism, heavy exploitation and discrimination in state resource allocation, migration levels high among males, Water saline because of proximity to Gulf of Khambat, less crop yields, youth not interested in farming.

LIVELIHOODS taken: Each village decided to start with one product, forming all female groups. Village Varnej chose to make Soaps, Varshada chose to make Sanitary Pads, Fatehpura chose to make Shampoo, and Galiyana chose to make Agarbatti (Incense sticks). One of the villages that has a wild growth of Brahmi and Shikakai, also chose to form a group to harvest, and supply the same to Hair oil manufacturing companies, and over a period of time manufacture, package and sell it themselves locally.

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Facilitator: PRADEEP GHOSH, Ashoka Fellow, OASiS Social Innovations Lab
Co-Facilitator: SHIKHA ROY, Ashoka Fellow, SRREOSHI

Picture this: Maoist affected Tribal Forest village, with no support from Govt., Arid zone, Average land holding 1.5 acres per family, heavy seasonal migration for farm labour and construction sites, no vegetable farming because of very little water, heavy malnutrition, some doing contract farming and poultry with minimal returns and maximum risks, educated youth waiting to escape and permanently migrate to urban areas.

LIVELIHOODS taken: Mixed groups of young men and women. Vegetable farming (3 groups, each growing a different set of vegetables, mutually decided between the three groups every season), Piggery (1 group), Goatery (1 group), Pattal (Plates made of leaves - 1 group).

RESULT in the next 2 consecutive years: Youths from 27 families engaged in group self employment, sales increased beyond the village to 3 more villages, exciting more youth to join, NO MIGRATION from this village, general nutritional level in the village improved significantly.

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