When unsafe drinking water became a daily health risk, a clean borewell in an Odisha village brought relief, dignity, and a return to healthier lives.
A Better Tomorrow
Stories, Practices, and Solutions
This International Day of Rural Women, we celebrate the strength, vision, and commitment to nurturing life in every form of rural women in India.
13 women are managing 11 collection centres across five Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) in Jalna, Maharashtra, all of which deal in maize, connecting with over 1,800 farmers.
As we celebrate Women’s Day throughout March, we’re honored to share inspiring stories of women who embody grit, resilience, and determination.
The community shares firsthand experiences of resilience, innovation, and growth with WOTR
Sunanda Prakash Jante’s dream of becoming a beautician is finally taking shape with the support of a project that provided her essential tools to start her beauty parlour. Her story is one among many, empowering over 145 women in Aurad Taluka to establish various ventures through this initiative.
Despite initial skepticism from men in their village, three women from Yellammathada started a successful paper plate-making business. Through a training program by HSBC, they launched their venture with a loan and received equipment and training. The business has allowed them to repay their loan, earn profits, and gain financial independence.
Aruna Ganesh Shivasagar, a resident of Kumbharwadi village, Sangamner, dreamt of growing her own food despite not owning land. With support from WOTR and Axis Bank Foundation’s ‘Sustainable Livelihoods Programme’, she embraced gurney gardening in her front yard. Despite initial skepticism, Aruna successfully cultivated a variety of vegetables, reaping a harvest within three months.
This story is from the booklet ‘Seeding Entrepreneurs: Stories of Women Entrepreneurs from Karjat and Shrigonda Blocks in Ahmednagar District, Maharashtra,’ published as a part of the ‘Promoting Entrepreneurship, Employment Opportunities, and Increased Incomes in Maharashtra’ programme of HSBC.
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Innovation once drove survival and growth. Now, amid climate stress and inequality, it must shift toward impact, resilience, and long-term sustainability.
WOTR’s Annual Report 2024-25, Roots & Resilience, highlights rural resilience through science, technology, and tradition.
Across India, disasters are no longer singular events but a polycrisis—where climate extremes, ecological degradation, water stress, and livelihood insecurity interact and amplify one another
When we mix weather,climate and climate change terms together, it can lead to confusion about what actually caused an event, who is responsible, and what actions are most effective
Explore WOTR’s 13-year journey across villages in Odisha, reaching over one lakh people through community-led watershed and livelihood interventions.
The Global South is being asked to shoulder the world’s nature and climate ambitions while global finance continues to move decisively in the opposite direction.
Read a collection blogs which brings together five stories from WOTR’s blog, shaped by the everyday lives, struggles, and choices of people in rural India. Told from the ground up, these pieces reflect moments of resilience, learning, and collective effort around water, livelihoods, and social change.
A water storage capacity of 2.5 million litres was created, bringing 64.25 acres of barren land back under cultivation while reducing soil erosion and improving groundwater recharge.