Skip to content Skip to navigation

Women in Manas gears up for alternative livelihood source

A process of confidence building among the women themselves seems to have started. Their increased ability to articulate their needs, as is evident, is an important aspect of their identity building. Their world has expanded and their confidence is soaring and this was no exception to the women in the fringe villages of Manas National Park, who on Monday came forward and actively participated in a day-long training programme organized by Aaranyak in association with Forest Department, Bodoland Territorial Council at Bhuyanpara in Manas National Park.

Women, particularly, in wildlife areas are vulnerable to poverty and leads a life dependent on forest resources. Limited access to basic infrastructure like roads, communication and electricity makes it difficult for women to access information, markets and services necessary to improve their livelihoods. Therefore, with an aim to provide women hailing in the fringe villages, with an alternative sustainable livelihood option independent of forest resources, Aaranyak conducted a training programme- ‘Mushroom Training for fringe villages of Manas National Park’.

“Fringe villagers depending on the forest resources for livelihood are a common scenario in Manas National Park. So, we targeted the Women Self Help Groups, which were not actively engaged in livelihood activities yet, to undergo this training and capacity building,” said Namita Brahma, Aaranyak. “However, the training programme did not remain restricted to women only. 35 participants including farmers of the fringe villages were also involved. So we decided to facilitate them with a livelihood option which is easy and profitable as well,” she added.

“We have been running our group for a long time but with very less activities due to lack of resources but this training have inculcated the confidence in us to start off with an easy process of mushroom cultivation. The entire process was practically demonstrated by the trainer and now we can soon work on it,” said Satya Chanda Das, a Self-help Group member.

“Mushroom is easy to cultivate and make profit. The best part is that it can be cultivated round the year with two varieties in summer and winter respectively,” said Nabin Basumatary, a farmer. The training was efficiently conducted by GK Upamanyu, Scientist, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Howli along with the field staff of Aaranyak.

Loss of an ecosystem will not only destroy wildlife but the traditional livelihood of indigenous people of the region. Exposure to financial transaction and a feeling of contributing the families’ financial security has given the women a sense of confidence and improved their status, in varying degrees, within the household.

Aaranyak, a leading bio-diversity group in Assam, started a novel project a few years ago to provide means of alternative livelihood to the people in the fringe areas of Manas National Park who have been dependent on the jungle for their daily necessities.

 

Author info

Dr M Firoz Ahmed's picture

Add new comment

Random Stories

ATM thief arrested at Nazira

22 Jun 2013 - 8:42pm | AT News
One person is arrested by Nazira police in connection of ATM theft case. According to police Ghanshyam Sharmah (38) stolen the ATM Card of Dilip Das of Nazira and withdrawn Rs.26000/- by using this...

Akhil to be produced in court

7 Mar 2014 - 8:40am | AT News
Police are all set to produce Akhil Gogoi seeking more remand in a string of fresh cases pending against the KMSS president.Sources told Assam Times that Gogoi along with two others would be produce...

Kokrajhar Science College student union polls hel

12 Jan 2016 - 8:27pm | Gwshad Basumatary
The student union polls of Science College, Kokrajhar, a premier institution of Kokrajhar district was held on Monday, for four posts: General Secretary, Assistant General Secretary, Sports Secretary...

Accidental firing jolts Itanagar

31 Jan 2008 - 11:32am | editor
An accidental firing rattled Itanagar early in the morning on Tursday. That too before the prime Minister’s maiden visit to the land of rising sun. According to information, a policeman on duty...

Other Contents by Author

A group of school children from several schools in Guwahati today  were taken out on a nature trail programme at Deepor Beel Ramsar Site here at the initiative of Aaranyak, a premier bi-diversity conservation organisation in the Northeast. The children were exposed to wonderful experience of bird watching by experts and volunteers of Aaranyak who also hosted a group discussion and quiz on tiger as part of the event.The nature trail programme was organised as part of  ‘Kids for Tiger Conservation’ programme with partnership of Aircel and Sanctuary Asia magazine, according to Manas Kumar Bhattachryya, city coordinator of Kid for Tiger.Aaranyak’s biologist Namita Brahma and...
A sub-adult greater adjutant stork named “Arshiya” by her rescuers was today released back to the freedom of natural environment   at Boragaon at the outskirt of Guwahati city  at the initiatives of Aaranyak, a premier conservation organitation in the region, in cooperation  with Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and College of Veterinary Science, Khanapara here.“Arshiya”(the bird) was found in marooned condition in Dadara village, near Guwahati. She was safely rescued by local villagers and a group of conservationist comprising Ms Purnima Devi Barman of Aaranyak, Dr Parag Deuri of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and Dr Samsul Ali  of College of Veterinary...
A two-day orientation workshop was organised at Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) for tourist guides under the aegis of Guwahati Wildlife Division in association with Aaranyak and Jeep Safari Association, Pabitora on October 26-27 last.Setting workshop in motion, the DFO of Guwahati Wildlife Division  D D Gogoi mentioned about the important role Jeep Safari Association could play in uplifting the image of  the wildlife sanctuary so that it receives more visitors. He also spoke on rhino conservation efforts in   Assam with special reference to Pabitora  WLS which has the highest density of one-horned  rhinoceros on the globe.Dr Bibhab Talukdar, secretary general...
The mother and the wife are two most important women in a man’s life because they can have great influence on his actions and thereby on the course of his life. Nepoleon Bonaparte once said, “Give me good mothers and I will give you a good nation.”  Taking this truth into account Aarayak in collaboration with authority of Manas National Park (MNP) has undertaken a unique initiative to facilitate about visit of 1200 women from fringe villages to the picturesque Manas National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Assam bordering Bhutan.In the first phase Aaranyak and the MNP authority have organised a day-long trip for 100 women from villages bordering Bansbari, Bhuyanpara and Panbari...
A group of teachers from areas close to Manas National Park (MNP) attended a day-long orientation programme on conservation education on Sunday last at Jharbari under Kokrajhar District.Aaranyak, a society for biodiversity conservation in collaboration with Siknajhar Nounwgwr Adventure Tourism Society ( SNATS ) and Forest department Bodoland Territorial Council jointly organised the programme. Aaranyak took the initiative to organise the programme in pursuit of its goal to create a pool of ‘green teachers’ in the region so that they could sensitise the younger generation on the need for protection and preservation of our natural environment.Dhrubajyoti Kalita a volunteer of Aaranyak...
Aaranyak  has conducted a series of mass awareness campaign in the villages located in the fringe areas of Orang National Park in Darrang district of Assam  covering a cross-section of people from all age groups. The basic objective of the awareness campaign was to sensitise the people living in fringe area of Orang National Park about the need for conservation of wildlife habitat in Orang Park.The first programme of the series was launched  on September 3 at Silbori Junior College, Orang where over 300 persons attended.  The day’s programme included a talk on biodiversity of Northeast India by Arif Hussain of Aaranyak , a talk on animal rescue by Uttam Saikia, Honorary...
Aaranyak, a premier biodiversity conservation organization, along with Wildlife Protection Society of India and Wildlife Society of Odisha has submitted a joint memorandum to the Government of India through the Joint Director of Rajya Sabha Directorate demanding withdrawal of the Section 44 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act Amendment Bill 2013 which has been tabled in Rajya Sabha by the Government of India.The memorandum stated that though the said amendment bill had proposed several   progressive measures for protection of wildlife in the country, the Section 44 will be detrimental to the livelihood security of lakhs of fishing community people as well as common people in the...
Non government organisation Aaranyak and the Numaligarh Refinary Limited in association with the Kaziranga National Park authority has carried out a series of pre-flood awareness camps to minimize the death of wild animals during flood and seek support of the communities to ensure  safe return  of the flood-displaced animals to the park.A series of 12  such camps have been organized recently covering as  many villages from Agoratoli Range to Buhrapahar range on the southern fringe of the park.Kaziranga World Heritage site, famous for its one-horned rhino and very high density of tiger is a flood plain ecosystems and flood is an annual phenomenon here. Flood is also...
The ‘Forum for Policy Dialogue on Water Conflicts in India’ (Forum), Pune and Aaranyak, Guwahati are jointly organising a public lecture programme on June 21 where the Second Northeast Water Lecture would be delivered by Prof. Amita Baviskar, Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi, on "Waterscapes: Bringing Culture and Power into the Debate on Rivers". On the same occasion a publication titled “Water Conflicts in Northeast India: A Compendium of Case Studies” published by the Forum recently will be released by Prof. A. C. Bhagabati, Former Vice Chancellor of Arunachal University, Itanagar and present Honorary Coordinator...
Aaranyak and the Numaligarh Refinary Limited organized the 1st Pre-flood awareness campaign for the year 2013 at Convention Hall, Kohora Kaziranga National Park on Sunday (June 16).It was a day long workshop for Alumni of Nature Orientation Initiatives (NOI) participants with and objectives to understand the activities carried out by these young ambassadors of the park in their localities, to augment their present activities and to ensure involvement in various fields of conservation through proper motivation, guidance and training. The programme included sharing activities of the alumni participants in nature conservation in and around their localities and motivational talks.The natural...