Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation

BRLF owes its very foundation to the vision and generosity of Shri Ratan Tata, whose strong belief in the power of Civil Society Organisations and commitment to uplifting vulnerable and marginalised communities drove Tata Trusts to provide a vital corpus fund to BRLF at the time of its inception. His contributions have touched countless lives—from sustainable livelihoods, education, and healthcare to rural development and beyond. Today, we honour not just the memory of Shri Ratan Tata but also the enduring change his philanthropy has sparked. #RatanTata #RestinPeace

A once-barren hillock in Pabharkol, West Bengal, is now a thriving green space, home to birds, and animals. Thanks to the Usharmukti project, large-scale efforts in soil conservation and plantation have brought back biodiversity and renewed life. With improved water retention, local communities are now cultivating the land and securing their livelihoods. #plantation #afforestation #biodiversity #climateaction #sustainablelivelihoods

अहिंसा और सत्य की भावना सदैव हमारे साथ रहे। आप सभी को गांधी जयंती की शुभकामनाएं। #GandhiJayanti #Gandhi

Our team excitedly kicked off Swachhata Pakhwada by taking the Swachh Bharat Pledge, committing ourselves to a cleaner and greener future. In the days ahead, we’ll be rolling up our sleeves for a series of activities—cleaning up our surroundings and office spaces, leading awareness drives, and more. Together, let’s contribute to a #SwachhBharat and make a lasting difference! #SwachhBharatAbhiyan #SwachhBharatMission #SwachhataHiSeva2024

THE POWER OF COLLECTIVE MARKETING! The women farmers of the Jhatiali and Sarangagada Producer Group in Karanjia block, Mayurbhanj, Odisha, are reaping the rewards of collective marketing efforts. Through the Swayang Sampurna Women Farmer Producer Company Ltd., they successfully sold 21 tonnes of pumpkins to the West Bengal market, earning ₹2.39 lakhs. By September of FY 2024-25, the FPO’s total turnover had grown to ₹84 lakhs. This success is a shining example of what the APC (Agriculture Production Custers) project strives to achieve. By empowering women farmers in Odisha's tribal regions through crop diversification, infrastructure improvement, fair pricing, and collective marketing efforts, it aims to help farmers access larger markets and ensure better prices, enabling them to strengthen their livelihoods. #collectives #cooperatives #farmerproducercompany #ruraldevelopment #womenfarmers #sustainablelivelihoods

Situated near the Bhutan border in Assam, the village of Adla faces constant challenges—elephants are frequent visitors, while floods and droughts are regular threats, making agriculture a risky venture. Aware of the uncertainties, Purnima Ramchiary and her husband chose a more secure path, carefully directing their efforts into scientific livestock rearing. This thoughtful decision has allowed them to navigate the challenges of their environment while building a more secure livelihood. Their small farm now teems with life—ten crossbred goats (Sirohi and Black Bengal), one sow, nine piglets, and a lively group of 145 chicks. Equipped with skills gained from various training sessions, Purnima confidently ensures her livestock are healthy and well-maintained. Her hard work has already borne fruit: she recently sold two goats for ₹22,000 and is looking forward to selling her piglets after Durga Puja, with an expected income of ₹40,500. Her backyard poultry promises an additional ₹20,000, providing financial security for her family. Thanks to our partner Seven Sisters Development Assistance (SeSTA) for establishing solid financial arrangements and providing essential technical and managerial support. The #DWIMU project in Bodoland, Assam aims to empower 40,000 such Abo (sisters).  #poultry #poultryfarming #backyardpoultry #sustainablelivelihood

Under the DWIMU project in Bodoland, Assam, the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) were developed through an extensive participatory process, capturing the hopes and aspirations of the communities. The project is dedicated to realising these aspirations by implementing the DPRs. A real-time digital Dashboard has been launched to track and support this journey, consolidating over 73,000 community-driven livelihood and Natural Resource Management plans. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the BTR Government for inviting the Honorable Governor of Assam, Shri Lakshman Prasad Acharya, who officially inaugurated the Dashboard for public viewing on September 21, 2024, at the Bodoland Secretariat Conference Hall in Kokrajhar. The event was graced by the presence of the Honorable CEM, Shri Pramod Boro, along with members of the Executive Council, Secretaries, and Department Heads. #inauguration #datamanagement #sustainablelivelihoods

India creates history by securing gold in both the Open and Women's categories at the 45th #ChessOlympiad! Huge congratulations to all the players and the dedicated teams working tirelessly behind the scenes to make this incredible achievement possible. PC: International Chess Federation #chessolympiad #champions

“I am Rohit Boro, a designer working under the DWIMU project in Bodoland, Assam. I conduct regular training sessions here with groups of women weavers in different areas. I’ve guided them from the very basics—like preparing bobbins, listing on a drum, and calculating warping for individual garments. This village has many skilled weavers, and with proper training, they can now warp more efficiently. In the past, they used traditional warping methods that required a lot of space and struggled with certain types of yarn. Bad weather also used to hamper their work. With the drum, warping has become much easier and more efficient. The women weavers expressed that if they had received this training earlier, they would have been able to produce even more garments." #silk #silkfarm #sericulture #handlooms #weaving #sustainablelivelihoods

“For years, I wanted to start handloom work but lacked the confidence. With training and marketing support, I was able to buy two looms and Jacquard machines from the Sericulture Office. Now, we can create beautiful designs much faster. What once took an entire day to complete one design can now be done twice as fast, allowing us to create two designs at the same time. This project has truly made our work easier, and we’re hopeful it will continue to bring us more opportunities." – Anita Bodo, a weaver from Landandchuburi village, Udalguri, Assam. “वर्षों से, मैं हथकरघा का काम शुरू करना चाहती थी लेकिन आत्मविश्वास की कमी थी। प्रशिक्षण और विपणन सहायता से, मैं रेशम उत्पादन कार्यालय से दो करघे और जैक्वार्ड मशीनें खरीदने में सक्षम हुई। अब, मैं बहुत तेजी से सुंदर डिज़ाइन बना सकती हूं। जिस काम को पूरा करने में एक दिन लग जाता था, उसे अब दोगुनी तेजी से पूरा किया जा सकता है, जिससे मैं एक ही समय में दो डिज़ाइन बना सकती हूं। इस परियोजना ने वास्तव में मेरे काम को आसान बना दिया है, और मुझे उम्मीद है कि यह मेरे लिए और अधिक अवसर लाती रहेगी।" - अनिता बोडो, गांव लैंडंडचुबुरी, ज़िला उदलगुड़ी, असम की एक बुनकर। #sericulture #handlooms #weaving #sustainablelivelihood #sustainabledevelopment