1. Project description

This project will solve the problems of unemployment and under-employment, daily wage labor, collection of NTFPs and livestock rearing for income among the tribal households. It will also solve the problems of declining forest resources, migration, and desertification of lands through primitive agricultural practices, resulting in greater risks for agriculture and livestock in the hill areas. The overall purpose of the project is to bring 100 tribal women together and involve them in the cultivation of their agricultural lands distributed under the Forest Right Act of 2006 with selected NTFPs to ensure regular income for the tribal households using the available sustainable agricultural practices and organic farming techniques, while simultaneously improving the biodiversity conservation process in the hills. For this, the GREEN Team plans to initiate activities such as identification of eligible and deserving tribal women, giving them orientation on the overall thrust of the project; training and equipping them with skills in sustainable farm practices and cultivation of NTFPs; involving them in the cultivation process with selected NTFPs using sustainable agricultural and indigenous conservation practices; establishment of a nursery with timber-based and non-timber-based saplings/seedlings; and shrewd marketing strategies that will result in the protection of the environment; soil fertility; biological pest control, chemical management; food security; and climate change responses..      2. Project progress up to now During the month of May, 2022, GREEN Team identified 100 eligible and deserving tribal women following certain criteria, and prepared a list of identified beneficiaries with personal family details. After the completion of the selection process on May 16 and 17, 2022, the Green Team organized an orientation program for the selected 100 tribal women beneficiaries, giving them an orientation on the important features of the proposed project. The GREEN Team members resourced the orientation process. It was organized in a community hall located in Korangani. We started the theoretical and practical training process for the 100 tribal women beneficiaries on May 20, 2022. The venue was the community hall for theoretical classes, and the tribal lands were for practical classes. The theoretical classes included training on sustainable agricultural and organic farming practices; the difference between sustainable agriculture and organic farming; the nature of soil and its contents; the meaning of soil fertility, methods for improving soil fertility; main ingredients for the preparation of vermicomposting; Panchakavya; fish tonic; amirtha solution; pest repellents; etc. Meanwhile, we have established a nursery to grow seedlings and saplings of both the timber and non-timber varieties. The theoretical classes were followed by practical classes on the preparation of vermicomposting, Panchakavya, fish tonic, amirtha solution, and pest repellents using different combinations of 15 herbal plants. The team members instructed and involved the trainees in the identification and collection of 15 types of herbal plants from their areas for the preparation of pest repellents. At present, we are looking forward to obtaining the nursery plants and seeds of NTFPs from the open market sources for sowing purposes. The GREEN Team arranged for both the theoretical and practical classes during the months of June and July, 2022, starting from May 20, 2022. The team invited persons from agricultural colleges, and university, and experienced NGOs. The team used the community hall and sometimes the open field for theoretical classes and both the field and the meeting for the preparation of low-cost inputs as mentioned above. Normally, the solution takes 21 days to obtain the full maturity of inputs like Panchakavya, fish tonic, amirtha solution, and pest repellents. The team and the trainees are waiting for the full maturity of these low-cost inputs, including vermicomposting.         3. Project plan forward We plan to involve the 100 tribal women from August 2022 onward in the cultivation process. Our conversations with the target group reveal that they are more interested in cultivating their lands with herbal plants that are in great demand. We plan to form a procurement committee consisting of experienced tribal women in the procurement activities. We also plan to have a consultation meeting of procurement committee members with experts from colleges, universities, and NGOs experienced in the field of organic farming practices. Similarly, we will convene a meeting of officials/experts from the Forest Department, Horticulture Department, Tribal Welfare Department, commercial banks, and key stakeholders for the successful implementation of the project goal and objectives during the remaining period. We will organize other tribal women farmers in protecting their lands and water and livelihood rights through campaigns, awareness building, collective actions, and advocacy initiatives. We will soon organize a meeting with bank officials and tribal women leaders to fund their livestock rearing ventures. The preparation of a manual on the Application of Sustainable Agricultural Practices and Organic Farming Techniques in NTFP Production for publication is in its final stages. This book will be published during the month of September 2022. We will involve tribal women in the marketing of NTFPs at the end of October 2022.    3-1. Quantitative & Qualitative Impacts of Project Following activities WILL BE completed by upcoming period of July 16th,2022 to October 2022 as the 2nd and Final phase of the project

• Arranging bank loans for livestock rearing.
• Linkages with government departments Collective Action ensure their rights as enshrine Forest Rights Act, 2006.
• Collective Action ensure their rights as enshrine Forest Rights Act, 2006.

Our GREEN with the local community participants have been involved in taking necessary steps to carry the above mentioned activities to completing it within the stipulated period, by the upcoming months and make the KOREA–SHE Project as effective manner.             4. Photos