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Sanjo shares how most of the young mothers in her village are anaemic and underweight and kitchen garden has been a boon to all such women.

"We were largely reliant on paddy for our sustenance prior to 2016, when PRADAN NGO introduced us to vegetable cultivation" Sunita Hasdeo, a 26 year old explained to us while travelling around her vegetation, "In 2017, I cultivated Brinjal in upper land, then Bitter gourd, and in 2019, I grew Brinjal again." Sunita, a woman from the Santhal tribe, is uneducated, yet she appreciates the PRADAN's assistance.

With over 104 million people across more than 700 different tribes accounting for 9% of the country's total population, India is home to one of the largest indigenous populations in the world.

In Odisha's Mayurbhanj, when tribal families lost jobs and access to the forests during the pandemic and the lockdowns, many of them faced hunger and poverty. Since May 2020, women farmers have been cultivating 'nutrition gardens' in their front and back yards, providing food and income security

India had the most undernourished and anaemic women even before the pandemic: 125 million women. Now, women in India’s poorest states have less food, heightening the risks of anemia: impaired children, a lowered work ability and health crises they cannot afford. We report from marginalised communities in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Poultry and livestock farming are a major source of income for those in rural Jharkhand, especially women, who are largely in charge of the industry.

September is Poshan Maah or nutrition month and rural women in Godda district of Jharkhand are making changes in their approach to food by starting kitchen gardens and cooking in iron cauldrons to fight anaemia and malnutrition.

मध्य प्रदेश में सिंगरौली जिले के चटनिहा गांव में दौरे के दौरान, रामकली और मुन्नी ने बताया कि किस तरह जुताई और बारिश के कारण उनकी ज़मीनों की उर्वरकता पर बुरा असर पड़ रहा है। दौरे के बाद की गई बैठक में यही मुद्दा बुधनी, सुग्मन्ति और बिट्टी पनिका जैसे अन्य गांव वालों द्वारा भी उठाया गया।

During our transect walk through Chataniha, a village in Singrauli district of Madhya Pradesh, Ramkali and Munni explained how their lands were losing topsoil due to ploughing and subsequent rain. The same issue was raised by many other villagers such as Budhni, Sugmanthy and Bitty Panika in the meeting held after the walk.

The PESA Act is considered to be the backbone of tribal legislation in India; proper implementation can rejuvenate self-governance system in Jharakhand