Economic Empowerment & Livelihood Issues
Due to the inability of agriculture to sustain the large rural population in district of eastern Madhya Pradesh, there is an urgent need to develop non-farm sources of income. While the region has traditionally depended upon agriculture for livelihood, there is a potential to develop new sources of income with existing local resources. Arogya has begun a program with village communities to use bamboo resources in handicrafts to be sold for monetary income. Additionally, economic disempowerment and social marginalization of sections of society are tightly interlinked. The inability to control over monetary resources subsequently reduces self esteem, ability to make decisions concerning one’s own life and control over health. In an effort to bring about empowerment of women through economic security, Arogya has worked extensively in the formation and facilitation of micro-credit groups in traditionally economically backwards communities.
Main Activities in Economic Empowerment and Livelihood Issues
Formation and facilitation of women’s micro-credit groups for women’s social and economic empowerment.
Development of off-farm income opportunities.
Programs to emancipate bonded labourers and to integrate them into the mainstream economy.
