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ANNUAL REPORT 2023-24 TRANSFORM RURAL INDIA

Farm Prosperity aspirations and create pathways for flourishing Success stories
localities. Success in our CAL blocks depends
In all CAL blocks we are prototyping the
universalization of livelihoods anchored by the on government programs like VPRP-GPDP and Women of Thandla Block
120 CLFs. The dominant strategy is Low requires drawing support at both block and
External Intensity Livelihood Actions (LEILA) district levels to ensure effective delivery and Their prayers were eventually answered. This time,
focused on enhancing productivity and overcome administrative challenges. The the Food Department decided to allocate ration
deploying improved agricultural practices capacity for contingency planning is essential, shops to self-help groups instead of registered
through the women collectives. The other high reinforcing the need for robust strategies to societies. The Transforming Rural India (TRI) was
intensity strategy of sub-sector livelihood manage uncertainties. given the task of selecting the groups for 14 ration
shops, as a group selected by TRI had performed
activities reached 35,636 households. exceptionally well in MSP procurement the
Innovative agricultural models such as the previous year. The Food Department officials
protected cultivation of commercial crops Outlook trusted TRIF's ability to select the right groups.
cultivation like stevia, fennel, dragon fruit and They say, "Where there is a will, there is a way." This
marigold, are set to scale up. Successful proverb holds true for the women of 13 self-help With the cooperation of the TRI team and the
implementation of orchard plantation, goat Looking ahead, our Community groups in Thandla block. Tasked with operating NRLM team, 14 groups were selected. After
ration shops by the Food, Civil Supplies, and
overcoming many obstacles and challenges
rearing supported through MGNREGS also has Action Labs will focus on achieving Consumer Protection Department, they were given posed by influential individuals, the women of 13
been demonstrated. 237 Agri Entrepreneurs greater consistency in essential an opportunity to change their lives. self-help groups finally received the responsibility
(55% females) are addressing gaps in local component actions like CLFs, the of operating ration shops. Under TRI's guidance,
value chains. Women FPOs are the emerging Locality Development Compacts and During the pandemic, many migrant laborers had to they performed excellently, leading the
business forums in CAL, which is the activation of CLF-managed return to their home districts, including Thandla department to seek their assistance again for the
strengthening the identity of women as WOW Hubs, while prioritizing gender tehsil in Jhabua district. Returning home, they faced allocation of 15 more ration shops. The team has
severe food and employment crises. The
selected capable groups, completed their
farmers. intentionality in every engagement. government's free ration scheme provided crucial paperwork, and submitted online applications.
Additionally, integrating support, but the fear of COVID-19 was so Now, the final selection by the department is
Gender Equity environmental stewardship and overwhelming that laborers hesitated to leave their awaited.
resource management will add a homes to collect the ration. Additionally, the ration
Gender awareness and related interventions shops were located in distant villages, and the large This journey of resilience and determination
has been the focus during the year. Our teams new dimension to these efforts. crowds meant that it often took two to three days of showcases the incredible capability of these
brought on board police departments, Women Strengthening local governance, continuous walking to get their turn. Laborers women, marking another significant step forward
& Child Development (WCD) departments and boosting women's leadership and frequently prayed for a ration shop in their own in their path to empowerment.
the State Legal Services Authority (SLSA) to enabling ecosystems for rural village to save time and effort.
support women safety and security in a few women safety and dignity, will be
states. The institutionalized mechanism at the crucial in promoting deep
CLF level to support women access- community involvement and
entitlements and livelihood support through decision-making. This aligns with the Sweet Success
the set-up of Gender Help Desks (in Nari "Whole of Society" approach to
Adhikar Kendras) is being replicated across all comprehensively impact Quality Life
the blocks. outcomes and offer our CAL as Fleshed (Bhukrishna). It has shown substantial
economic viability, with the Bhusona variety yielding
immersion sites, grounds for an average of 950 kg per 10 decimals of land at Rs 20
Reflections prototypes for learning and per kg, and the Bhukrishna variety yielding 507 kg per
Community Action Labs are emerging as replication across various 10 decimals at Rs 24 per kg. This success has paved
fertile grounds for active experimentation, geographies through public the way for scaling up the initiative to three additional
where the Locality Development Compact, programs. Enhancing Livelihoods with Biofortified Sweet blocks—Bero, Kurdeg, and Kersai, with nurseries
along with high gender intentionality, is Potatoes in Rural Jharkhand already raised for 1.5 tons of vines for year-round
production. This illustrates Samaj-Sarkar-Bazar
shaping up to be a uniform approach to deep With the support of NABARD, initiated a collaborative efforts engaging with Self-Help Groups,
community engagement. These continuous groundbreaking biofortified sweet potato intervention KIIT University, Mati Farm, and Farmer Producer
systemic actions, particularly enhancing the in the Gola and Dulmi blocks of Ramgarh District, Organizations, have not only enabled women
capacities of our teams, is strengthening the Jharkhand. This endeavour involved 1000 through entrepreneurship in producing value-added
information flow mechanisms to systemic women-headed households across 100 acres of products like sweets and chips but also ensured
integration with our PPiA and BMFL practices. Scan to watch rain-fed land, cultivating two nutrient-rich sustainable agricultural practices and improved
varieties—Orange Fleshed (Bhusona) and Purple
market access, thereby enhancing both nutrition and
This will be crucial for developing scalable livelihoods in rural communities.
solutions that align with community

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