Livelihood

Aajivika — Building Economic Security and Self-Reliance for Marginalized Families

The Thar Desert is one of India’s harshest environments for sustainable livelihoods. Recurring droughts, sandy and unproductive soils, extreme heat, and geographic isolation combine to keep communities — particularly Dalits, Scheduled Tribes, and women — in conditions of persistent economic vulnerability. Agriculture and animal husbandry are the primary sources of income, but both are deeply unreliable in a region where rainfall fails nearly every third year.

Three structural barriers block the economic advancement of these communities: the lack of quality land and encroachment by powerful interests on whatever land Dalits do hold; habitation in remote dhanis far from markets, institutions, and mainstream development; and social isolation, lack of awareness, and exclusion from government welfare programs. Vasundhara Sewa Samiti’s livelihood work directly addresses each of these barriers through a range of interconnected programs.

Programs Under Livelihoods

Land Rights — Jameeni Atikraman Nivaran

Land is the most fundamental livelihood resource. After Independence, Dalits were allocated land through government settlement processes, but much of that land is low-quality — sandy, uneven, rocky, and barely productive. More critically, in many cases this land has been encroached upon by upper-caste or more powerful neighbours, even while the title (patta) legally remains in the Dalit family’s name. This encroachment strips families of their only productive asset. Vasundhara Sewa Samiti takes up these cases through legal letters, Tehsildar interventions, and formal boundary demarcation processes, ensuring Dalit families reclaim control of the land that is rightfully and legally theirs.

Access to Government Welfare Schemes

Despite a wide range of government welfare programs — pensions for widows, the elderly, and persons with disabilities; housing under Indira Awas Yojana; employment under NREGA; child support under Palanhar; and basic documentation like caste, domicile, and birth certificates — the majority of eligible Dalit and marginalized families in remote areas never access these entitlements. The barriers are many: lack of awareness, complex paperwork, middle-men demanding bribes, and sheer administrative distance. The organization’s Dalit Reference Centre fills this gap by providing free assistance — helping families fill forms, gather documents, engage with departments, and follow up until benefits are received. This work has enabled hundreds of families to access pensions, housing grants, employment cards, and legal identity documents they never had before.

Horticulture Development — Bagwani Vikas

Drought-proofing livelihoods requires finding crops and practices that can survive in the Thar’s harsh conditions. Vasundhara Sewa Samiti introduced horticulture demonstration models in selected villages — establishing small fruit and multipurpose plant gardens (ber, gunda, karounda, pomegranate, lemon) that produce fruit for food and income, and also generate fodder for livestock during drought periods. To support irrigation, 10-by-10 foot water tanks were constructed adjacent to each horticulture plot. These demonstration units serve as living proof that even in the desert, diversified, drought-resistant farming is possible — and they inspire neighboring farmers to adopt similar practices.

Free Health Camps — Swasthya Shivir

Access to quality healthcare is virtually non-existent for communities in the remote dhanis of Barmer. Specialist doctors rarely visit these areas. During drought periods, when families’ finances are most strained, illness becomes a devastating economic shock — forcing poor families to sell livestock or pledge jewellery for medical expenses. Vasundhara Sewa Samiti organizes free health camps in villages, bringing specialist doctors directly to the community. Patients receive free medical consultations, free medicines, and referrals where needed. Para health workers trained by the organization provide follow-up care at the village level between camps, ensuring continuity of care.

Vaccination and Mother-Child Health Support

Child mortality and maternal health outcomes in the working area are severely affected by lack of awareness and access to immunization services. The organization trains and deploys Para Health Workers in all selected villages to identify children eligible for vaccination, track pregnant women, and support Mother-Child Health and Nutrition Days organized by the government. Through this sustained grassroots health infrastructure, communities are connected to the immunization system, institutional delivery is promoted, and women receive health information that protects both their lives and those of their children.

Livestock Health Camps — Pashu Shivir

For poor communities in the Thar Desert, goats are often called the ‘cow of the poor’ — the primary fallback asset when agricultural income fails. Drought conditions create fodder shortages that lead to widespread livestock illness and death, devastating family incomes. Vasundhara Sewa Samiti organizes free livestock health camps in partnership with the government’s Animal Husbandry Department, bringing veterinary services directly to communities that would otherwise have no access. Animals are examined, treated, and vaccinated, and community members receive guidance on drought-period animal care. By protecting livestock health, the organization directly protects the economic survival of the most vulnerable families.

Self-Help Groups — Swayam Sahayata Samuh

Economic empowerment for rural women requires more than individual support — it requires collective financial strength, shared learning, and access to credit on fair terms. Vasundhara Sewa Samiti has built a large network of women’s Self-Help Groups across Balotra and Siwana blocks, providing women with a platform for regular savings, access to bank credit, skill development, and income-generating activities. SHG members receive training and resources for livelihood activities including goat rearing, camel cart business, tailoring, and soap-soda making. These groups also serve as social support networks where women discuss personal challenges, domestic violence, children’s education, and community issues — making them simultaneously economic and social empowerment institutions.

Goat Rearing Program — Bakri Palan Karyakram

Goat rearing is the most accessible livelihood option for women and Dalit families with no land or capital. The organization provides below-market-rate loans through women’s SHGs specifically for purchasing goats, enabling the poorest families to build a productive asset that generates income, provides nutrition, and serves as an emergency financial reserve. By channeling low-interest credit to women for goat rearing, the organization helps break the cycle of dependency on moneylenders and ensures that the benefits of this livelihood support reach the most marginalized women directly.

NREGA — Employment Rights Support

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act guarantees 100 days of paid employment per year to rural households — but in practice, many eligible families in remote areas lack job cards, are unaware of their rights, or face administrative barriers to registration and work allocation. Vasundhara Sewa Samiti actively supports community members to obtain job cards and apply for employment under NREGA, ensuring they access the wages they are legally entitled to. The organization also monitors NREGA work quality and payment to prevent corruption and wage theft, which are common problems in the region.