Transforming The Lives of Tribals of Bastar, Chhattisgarh

Integrated approach for livelihood promotion in 18 villages in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh under CSR project of National Mineral Development Corporation.

Located in villages around Kirandul, fringed by deep forests along 11 km long Bailadilla hills, the Gond tribes are deprived, under served and underprivileged. The area is a mixture of opposites – on one hand an abundance of natural resources – vast stretches of uncultivated land, forest products, abundant rainfall, streams and on the other hand and  inaccessibility and remoteness of the area combined with strong naxalite base in the villages have given the common people- an unhealthy malnourished, uneducated life, and a life  style full of hardships to make the ends meet. Since the year 2009, when Shamayita Math started to  work for transforming the lives of these tribals, there has been dramatic changes in these lives.   Our achievement lies in shifting of the farmers’ practice from broadcasting to transplantation…Starting with 22 farmers in 2009, now we have about 500 farmers, who have the knowledge , thereby enhancing the production from 2 quintals per care to 16 quintals per acre. A small percentage of farmers also practice kharif and Rabi vegetable cultivation, of whom majority are the ones benefitted from irrigation support provided from the project.