51
o
f the
Sunderbans, Tarini Khatua runs a small goat
farm. In another, Chandana Mondal has a
backyard farm. Kakali Halder makes ropes
from jute. Purnima Bhuiya grows a nutrition
garden to preserve her family’s health as well
as sell surplus vegetables to her neighbours.
Lakshmi Samanta and many of her friends
have been using Improved Cook Stoves for a
few years and have seen a huge improvement
in their environment and health. Such
alternative livelihood options and improved
quality of life have been made possible for
these forest-fringe dwelling women by the
training and support of a dedicated NGO
called Lokamata Rani Rashmoni Mission
(LRRM) under the guidance of the nited
Nations Development Programme.
Giving them the chance to improve their
incomes also reduces forest dependency
and migration. e villagers have been
encouraged to cultivate indigenous varieties
of crops using modern organic techniques,
thus conserving the agrobiodiversity of the
land, and ensuring food and seed security.
‘We believe that alternate livelihoods and
profitable agriculture will bring the positive
changes in the area, which will protect the
Lokamata Rani
Rashmoni Mission
•
•
•• •
F
ounded by Ahindra Nath Ray and
Dr Sudhir Bera in 1988
Encouraged by the humanitarian
Lokamata Rani Rashmoni, Lokamata
Rani Rashmoni Mission (LRRM)
strives for poverty alleviation,
prosperity and equal access to
a healthy environment for the
rural community through skill
development, capacity building,
alternate livelihoods, sustainable
use of natural resources and health
support. LRRM’s efforts have been
recognized through the Environment
Excellence Award and Meghnad
Award, which helped them make
headway into the forest-fringe
villages of Sunderbans. So far, it
has saved 22,500 tons of firewood,
reduced 43,200 tons of CO2
emissions per year, increased carbon
stock by 40,000 tons and been the
source of 45,000 tons of O2.
N
utrition garden for livelihood and health
ollowing pages (52–53):
Improved Cook Stoves make
villagers smile