Gondia, August 24, 2019:  Community-based conservation in Vidarbha just got an added fillip when women from three Self Help Groups supported by Wildlife Trust of India won awards for their social enterprises.

WTI has been working to facilitate unhindered tiger movement across the Central Indian landscape of Nagzira-Nawegaon-Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. These corridors connect forest patches that facilitate wildlife movement and also fulfil anthropogenic needs of the fringe villages. To implement a sustainable model of community-based conservation, WTI intervened in targeted villages to reduce human-wildlife encounters and promote green livelihoods. This involved working with the local community to promote sustainable collection of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) and add value to produce natural and healthy marketable food products.

[acx_slideshow name=”vibh”]

Five women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) from corridor villages where WTI is working, participated in a block-level competition ‘Hirkani’, between 7 and 9 August. The competition was organized by Maharashtra’s Skill Development Department to promote rural women empowerment and sustainable entrepreneurship. Results declared on 15th August revealed three of the five SHGs, Mahi from Brahmapuri, Savitri and Nagzira from Goregaon won the competition at the Block Level. The winner SHGs will be awarded 50,000 INR as seed money to scale up their enterprise. These three SHGs have also qualified to win 2,00,000 INR at the district level, which is scheduled in the near future. They are also linked to UMED, Maharashtra’s Rural Livelihood Mission.  Savitri SHG has also been selected to market their products in a 10-day state-level fair organized by State’s Rural Livelihood Mission, ‘The Mahalaxmi Saras Mart’ in Mumbai.

Maharashtra’s Goregaon block of Gondia district consists of 100 villages with close to 1500 SHGs, of which 28 SHGs participated at the block level competition. 10 SHGs, including Nagzira and Savitri won the competition. Nagzira SHG is from Sodlagondhi village and consists of 10 women members, who have been working with WTI even before its registration as an SHG with UMED (SRLM) in July 2013. The SHG produces various products made from MFPs and specializes in making Mahua Pickle. Savitri SHG from Kalpathri village consists of 12 women members, was revived by WTI in 2017 after a period of latent dormancy since its registration with UMED in March 2013. Members of this SHG were initially trained on making soap and toiletries but gradually working with WTI, they demanded training on NTFP value addition, which WTI supported and implemented. Now they produce squash, pickle, syrup, powder, etc. from MFP as well as soap and toiletries.

The Brahmapuri block has  600 villages with around 52 SHGs participating in the competition, and 10 SHGs including Mahi won the seed money. Mahi SHG is from Rampuri village in the corridor in Brahmapuri Forest Division and consists of 14 women members. This SHG was registered with UMED in 2015. The members of this SHG were trained in bakery, and now they produce cookies made from dried Mahua (MFP).

The success story of these SHGs is a result of the community and WTI’s efforts along with authorities such as the State Forest Department, State Rural Livelihood Mission, and local governance. For sustainable conservation leading to reduced human-wildlife conflict, such initiatives strengthen the co-existence of people and wildlife while providing green livelihoods to the community and some great natural products to the rest of the world.