Livelihood promotion by non governmental organizations: A case study of a forest based initiative in Changar region of Himachal Pradesh

Livelihoods have always been supported by both state and non-state actors. Non-state actors include corporate sector as well as civil society organization (CSOs) or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or the third sector. Since sustainable livelihood development primarily depends on local contexts, needs, and priorities, NGOs are best placed to understand these contexts and priorities in designing relevant livelihood solutions not just due to obvious economic imperatives but also due to their unambiguous social justice agenda. While state sponsored activities have their own importance, community driven livelihood initiatives assume more significance in the context of limitations of the state run initiatives. It is important that such initiatives are documented, explored and understood in order to make them sustainable and scalable. The present paper begins by situating livelihood promotion in the current developmental discourse. It then underlines its inter-linkages with NGOs and Geography, explains the concept of livelihood promotion, sums up NGOs ’efforts in this direction, and documents a green livelihood initiative of Dona-Pattal (bowl and plates made using leaves) making supported by Society for Environmental & Rural Awakening (ERA), an NGO working in the resource-deficient Changar region in the Khundian tehsil of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh. Based on the information collected through review of documents, a series of in-depth interviews and two focused group discussions, the project is being described in terms of its context, target group, objectives, strategy, impact, challenges, sustainability and scalability. The paper finally lists key learning and recommendations for practitioners, policymakers and researchers.