Bhubaneswar, July 19 -- Thousands of forest-dependent families across Odisha are finding new sources of income and hope through a community-led forestry initiative that is combining livelihood generation with sustainable forest management, claimed officials on Sunday.
What began as small financial assistance for struggling forest-dependent families has evolved into a large-scale rural transformation across Odisha. From helping widows become successful entrepreneurs to enabling farmers to diversify their income through sustainable livelihood activities, the Odisha Forestry Sector Development Project (Phase-II) (OFSDP-II) is steadily improving the lives of thousands while strengthening community-led forest conservation.
One such beneficiary...