Livelihoods
Livelihoods

Why Livelihoods?
85% of India’s farmers own land less than 2 hectares and practice subsistence farming amidst degraded natural resources and erratic weather. Lack of reliable income options not only impacts the community’s well being but also leads to challenges such as poverty and distress migration.
There is a need to reduce the overdependence on traditional agriculture by introducing viable alternatives. The diversification from agriculture into other Agro-based livelihoods, rural enterprises and non-farm sectors is an important source of income, economic growth and transformation not just for rural India, but for the whole economy as well.

Our Interventions
WOTR is empowering rural communities by helping them explore and leverage the agri-allied and other non-farm livelihood options, demonstrating the impact of a dedicated livelihood NGO. We provide handholding support to our communities by educating them and building their capacity to adopt various livelihood alternatives. WOTR aims to diversify the sources of people’s income and help them manage risk in agriculture.

Our Impact
4,400
25%
73
50%
increase in non-farm incomes
livelihood training and exposure visits conducted in 2021-22, covering over 2000 participants
decline in distress migration
Our Impact
4,400
25%
new enterprises started with a focus on livelihood diversification
increase in non-farm incomes
73
50%
livelihood training and exposure visits conducted in 2021-22, covering over 2000 participants
decline in distress migration


Program Highlights

Our Achievements

Award for Innovation in Technology
Presented by Maharashtra State Rural Livelihood Mission (MSRLM), 2014

Vasantrao Naik Puraskar 2012
WOTR received this award for excellent work done in rural development

Land award 2017
Received for innovations and efforts for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular, SDG 15.3 -Life on Land

Social Entrepreneurship Award
Mr. Crispino Lobo, Co-Founder and Managing Trustee of WOTR, received the prestigious award in November 2005, from the Schwab Foundation, Switzerland

JSW-TOI Earth Care Award, 2010 (Commendation)
WOTR received a “Commendation” with a Memento under the category – “Community Based Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change”

Kamlakola takes charge
The untimely death of her husband, the primary earning member of the family, had left Kamalakola devastated. The responsibility of taking care of the entire family fell on her shoulders. Kamalakola was confused and scared of her future until one of her neighbours told her about WOTR’s implementation of HDFC Bank’s Holistic Rural Development Program.
Today she is a confident and financially independent woman earning a daily profit of Rs 200 from her grocery shop. HRDP has changed Kamalakola’s life.