People formed cooperatives to secure a regular income in spite of uncertain weather conditions. At present, each participant is guaranteed 4,000 rupees per year, irrespective of income from other sources. To provide shade to conserve nursery water, fruit trees were planted. Flowers and vegetables are grown as well, adding privacy and beauty to the modest dwellings and nutrition to families' diets. While regreening and regenerating the forest resource base, the project is alleviating rural poverty and raising awareness of environmental issues, not only amongst the women but in the entire community.
Women are key participants in the forest sector.
Their contributions vary at each level of activity, from massive involvement at the grass roots level to a much leaner presence at professional and technical levels. It is not enough merely to mention women as participants and beneficiaries in project plans and project documents. Project strategies and workplans must be defined, human and financial needs identified, and indicators suggested so that goals can be achieved. Reaching women, and people in general, is always more complex than anticipated. Without plans, budgets and resources having been determined at the outset, it takes much longer.