Sister Nevedita Peace Circle creates economic opportunity with bountiful mango gardens

We were greeted by a group of nearly sixty women who are part of a Self Help Group (SHG) that manages the village's 100-acre mango garden. The grove was established by a member of the community, Pranab Mukherjee, with the hopes of creating a sustainable local economy. 

There are about 200 women in Sister Nevedita Peace Circle's SHG who care for the mango gardens. Much of the work is done between the months of April and June, during and directly following mango season. The mango harvest affords the village around one million dollars a year which is used by members of the SGH for family expenses and to construct 35 village homes. 

Although the project is successful, many women continue to work as day-labourers outside of mango season, earning on average $3 a day for much of the year. They are interested in undertaking more projects so that they may become financially independent. Other financial projects in the village include a chicken coop and rice patties. They are interested in learning about organic compost from Janseva Prathishtan, a CC located in Vita, West Zone.