Society For Promotion Of Wastelands Development

SPWD is actively engaged in the Mahila Kisan Shashaktikaran Pariyojna (MKSP) across four Jharkhand districts. MKSP, a government initiative under NRLM, aims to empower women in agriculture. SPWD collaborates with local NGOs, AISD and Jan Astha, leading the consortium. It provides guidance and support to community leaders, while partners focus on capacity building at the village level. SPWD designs and conducts capacity-building programmes, empowering women with agricultural technologies. The goal is to increase income for women farmers in 75 villages through lac cultivation, improved agricultural practices, and integrated farming systems. Community Resource Persons (CRPs) play a vital role, in disseminating knowledge on enhanced agricultural methods, supported by cluster-level training.

SPWD actively engages in the NRLM-MGNREGS-CFT convergence programme, focused on the integration of MGNREGS and NRLM through Cluster Facilitation Teams (CFTs). The initiative aims to enhance the income of small and marginal women farmers by building their capacity and facilitating MGNREGA participation. By synergizing the functions of MGNREGS and NRLM, which address rural employment and poverty from distinct perspectives, CFTs contribute to the improved quality and sustainability of assets created under MGNREGS. In 2015-16, SPWD implemented specific activities in accordance with government directives, including campaigns for planning, job creation, special village assemblies, and the construction of water bodies. This collaborative effort involved the Ministry of Rural Development, State Government, districts, NREGA workers, and SPWD.

SPWD recognizes the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in rural development in India. With rural areas facing distinct challenges and limited infrastructure, ICT and GIS offer solutions to enhance transparency, community participation, and local resource planning. SPWD has established a GIS Service Cell in its Udaipur and Ranchi offices, utilizing GIS for integrating location-based data and creating visual representations. This empowers local NGOs with tools for informed planning, leveraging traditional geographical knowledge and modern technology, including GIS, remote sensing (RS), and global positioning system (GPS). SPWD's GIS efforts focus on documenting natural resources, assessing utilization, addressing environmental concerns, analyzing socio-economic conditions, and training NGO personnel to adopt these technologies for sustainable development planning.

SPWD is dedicated to promoting good governance and empowerment among marginalized tribal communities, with a particular focus on women and children, through adherence to PESA and FRA. The Swadhikar project, initiated in August 2014 in Ranchi, is centred in the Patratu block of 3 panchayats—Bicha, Baridih, and Sanki—encompassing 14 villages. Funded by Caritas Australia through Caritas India, the project's primary objective is to strengthen gram sabha for improved accessibility to rights and entitlements via natural resource management-based livelihood opportunities with a gender-sensitive approach. Specific goals include ensuring the effective functioning of Gram Sabhas in adherence to PESA, raising the income of marginalized tribal communities by 30 per cent in the project area, and increasing women's involvement in decision-making within Gram Sabhas by June 2017.

SPWD's Green College, supported by Welthungerhilfe (WHH), aims to promote sustainable agro-ecological farming practices and empower youth to become agricultural entrepreneurs. Through interlinking agricultural subsystems and innovative practices, such as using poultry waste as nutrient-rich manure, mulching with agricultural waste, and employing medicinal leaves as natural pesticides, farmers are trained to manage their farms efficiently and boost productivity. Green College, operational for a year, strives to reduce poverty by providing skill-enhancement training in agriculture. Notably, in places like Angara and Purulia, trainees have embraced natural farming, moving away from chemical methods, highlighting the programme's success in promoting sustainable agriculture.