Using Diversity

This program of Using Diversity is being implemented in Gariaband and Korba district of Chhattisgarh over 10 villages of Pali Block in Korba district and 10 villages of Mainpur Block in Gariaband district. The main purpose of this program is to strengthen the forest dwellers (mainly PVTGs) through promotion of forest foods, mix-cropping and ecological agriculture and developing kitchen garden at household level, awareness activities are conducted to people on their rights and various government schemes/provisions. The village level meetings are conducted and information is collected about various forest foods, their livelihood patterns, problems and various issues faced by them in their villages. The organization is also working on community forest rights and individual forest rights and habitat rights. Apart from this, project fellows visit different places to collect traditional seeds. Traditional uncultivated foods are decreasing in the forest village area due to deforestation, mining and other reasons. These wild foods are good supplement for their daily food consumption. Also, some people earn additional income by selling these wild foods in the local market. So, efforts are being made to motivate the community people for conservation of these uncultivated foods.