My goal was livelihood

Kunjalata Rabha belongs to a small tribal family residing at Mejengabari in Chhaygaon block along the Assam boarder. One will definitely feel that the nature tried her best to make this village more and more attractive through these beautiful creations. But still the villagers were running behind the people of other developed parts of the state.

She lives with her husband, and two children. They have around 5 Bighas of cultivable land including homestead land and totally dependent on farming. Earlier their yearly gross income was ₹47,000 gross income was (₹ 8,500/- from rainfed paddy, ₹26,700 from wage income, Livestock ₹4000/-, Betel nut ₹7,800/-). There were so many problems in her family in all the levels. Her husband Mr. Digen Rabha a daily wage labour but at times it was very difficult for him to meet both ends as it was very difficult to get job at his own village and he compelled to outside looking for job as daily wage labor, but as a farmer he tried his best to manage his family by farming activities, but he could hardly manage. Though he had 5.0 Bighas of lands out of which in 2.0 bighas of land Kunjalata and her husband cultivated only paddy in Kharif season. But the huge area of his homestead land was remaining unused except a few Areca nut plants and Lemon standing there.

In 2020-21 Kunjalata somehow came in contact with a volunteer of Grameen Sahara who was working in Ukiam area (under Chhaygaon Block) under a agri-based livelihood project supported by Azim Premji Foundation. Kunjalata approached him and expressed her willingness to participate in the project was going to start a project in her village and she became a member of an FPG (Farmers Producer Group). As per discussion with her husband Kunjalata started the cultivation of Turmeric, Black Pepper, King Chili and a few seasonal vegetables. That was the beginning of the new journey of Kunjalata and her family. Step by step her life started taking a new turn.

Now, Kunjalata wants to extend and expand her farming activities up to Grant-1 she could cover only 1.5 Bighas of her homestead. Now she wants to cover the remaining 1.5 Bigha land for the cultivation other remunerative crops- Assam Lemon, Pineapple and Papaya along with the spices. She plans to increase the nos. of Black Pepper vines as there are 160 nos. of Areca nut plants (host plants for Black Pepper) in her homestead (in Grant-1 she planted 55 nos. of vines) and now she wants to cover all the Areca nut through the plantation of Black Pepper vines to enhance her family income double from the current level.