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From Survival to Empowerment Through Integrated Farming System
Introduction
In the Baksa district of BTR (Assam), Majarila Toppo resides in Dihira Village with her husband Silibus Toppo. She is a member of the Minati Self-Help Group (SHG). Her husband works as a farmer, and together, they are raising two daughters who are currently studying in school.
Despite Majarila and her husband’s hard work, their farming efforts provided only a meagre income, making it difficult to meet the family’s needs. This financial strain forced them to rely on seasonal labour and informal loans, leaving them trapped in a cycle of economic vulnerability, with limited resources to invest in sustainable growth or education
Intervention by SeSTA
Her story changed when she participated in the process of Family-Based Livelihood Planning (FBLP) conducted by SeSTA under the DWIMU project, where she decided to venture into pig rearing. With financial assistance of Rs. 20,000 from Rangde, Majarila invested in building a low-cost piggery shed, purchased 2 piglets and earned Rs 24,000 in May 2024 following improved practices.
Impact
Encouraged by this success, Majarila decided to expand her livestock activities to further enhance her family’s income, setting her sights on entrepreneurship. She began rearing goats and backyard poultry (BYP). Currently, she has 18 goats, a goat shed, a poultry shed with 30 hens/cocks, and 35 chicks. From goat rearing alone, she earned Rs. 16,000 in the FY-2024.
Majarila also embraced agro-forestry on two bighas of land with guidance from SeSTA. She did soil testing in her plot which revealed medium organic carbon content in her land, which she saw as a challenge.
Again, with SeSTA’s support, she leveraged a vermi-bed from the Agriculture Department, installed and applied it in her plots to enhance soil fertility.
Conclusion
“Thanks to the guidance of SeSTA for upgrading my knowledge and income enhancement in the family. Today, I’m involved in five different livelihood activities, “Our total income, which was Rs. 65,000 annually, has now increased to Rs. 1,65,000. We are truly grateful for their continuous guidance and envision a future where our systematic approach to livelihood activities will secure the well-being of generations to come.” – Majarila added