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How Earth Focus Foundation Worked With Tribal Communities To Cultivate 200 Acres Of Barren Land, Educate 1200 Kids

Can humans and wildlife coexist?

Can development and conservation coexist?

Several tragic incidents of conflict occurring between the two make national headlines, disapproving of any possibilities.

There is, however, an exception. For generations, tribal communities across the country have survived and thrived in harmony with nature. According to folklore, these indigenous groups considered themselves to be the guardians of the forest, with skill and knowledge built around the regional plants and animals.

Two such tribes, the Gond and the Baiga, native to the Mandla and Balaghat districts of Madhya Pradesh, have been staring at a bleak future since the forest that nourished them turned into one of the largest national parks in central India.

Spread across an area of 1,945 square km (consisting of a core zone of 940 square km surrounded by a buffer zone of 1,005 sq km) the Kanha National Park was created in 1955, and later, in 1973, it was designated as a tiger reserve. To stop the dwindling number of tigers and their biodiversity, extensive measures were taken by the government that included relocating and restricting the tribal communities to the fringes —the park’s buffer zone.

“Tigers had been on the brink of extinction due to rampant hunting and poaching in the early 40-50s. Project Tiger put a blanket ban on such activities in the 1970s, and over time, strict regulations at Kanha made it a success. But the indigenous tribes that called this land their home and were completely dependent on the forest for food and existence were shown the door,” says Vipul Gupta, Executive Director of the Earth Focus Foundation, which is working to rehabilitate families from both tribal groups.

“They had no idea what to do with the land they were shifted to, how to earn and survive,” he adds.

The Earth-Focused “Livelihoods” Strategies

Earth Focus strives to empower these forest-dwelling communities and restore their relationship with nature through creation of sustainable livelihood opportunities.

It conducts a ‘visioning exercise’ to understand the trials and tribulations of the tribal families. Plans and programs are then chalked out according to their requirements and aspirations while considering the ecosystem's preservation. The non-profit organization runs its Samuday Program (Livelihood and Community Building) in 15 villages near the Mukki gate of Kanha National Park.

During their visioning exercise (baseline survey), Earth Focus learned that lack of education, awareness about government schemes, knowledge of sustainable farming methods, technological backwardness, and large-scale migration have hindered the growth of the locals. Hence, the creation of long-term livelihood opportunities for marginalized groups became the focus area for the team.

The NGO is countering these with its nature-based solutions under the Samuday Program.

“People did not have shelters or employment to sustain themselves once they were allotted and moved to a new land. These lands were uncultivable, and water scarcity added to the woes. So the project was sketched to allow them to live with dignity— to grow what they consume, sell what they don't, and have resources to buy what they need,” Vipul says.

The team works with villages and assists them in upskilling the individuals/ families and assisting in farming activities that are suitable for their land. Strategic plantation is the mantra, they set up vegetable gardens called “Jawaharbadis” that yield in the short-term, native oil seeds along with pulses and millets for the medium-term and bamboo and mangoes to reap long-term benefits. 

“It has been a two-way conversation. We took the initiative to reach out to the communities to understand their hardships and educate them on the best livelihood-driven solutions with the existing resources, and they communicated their difficulties and placed their trust in us. Once the produce got them revenue, it motivated others to join,” says Gajaraj, a Samuday Prerak (Community Supervisor) with Earth Focus.

In just one year (the first year), Earth Focus transformed around 40 acres of barren land into cultivable, fertile land. Finding long-term livelihoods in their own lands has reduced the incidence of migration.

Earth Focus started its journey by adopting three villages, and in three years, this number has increased to 15. Around 200 acres of degraded land have been restored, and about 6,000 lives have been transformed. It believes that creating a self-sustaining model that is a combination of modern practices and traditional knowledge would reduce the dependence of the people on the forest and allow biodiversity to be restored.

This brings us back to the question, can humans and wildlife coexist? Earth Focus is making this possible, one village at a time.

About the NGO: Earth Focus Kanha was born out of a belief that empowering tribal families is key to Kanha’s conservation and nature-based economy. Our holistic depth model currently focuses on education and livelihoods built around landscape restoration in the park’s buffer zone. We work with forest-dwelling communities to leverage indigenous and local knowledge, along with scientific and technical know-how, to build ecological and socio-economic resilience. Our vision is to shape a Kanha landscape where people and nature thrive.

Know more about us: https://www.earthfocus.in/