Yakshi
Yakshi was established in 1993 in Andhra Pradesh and works with adivasis (tribals) of the East Godavari region. The main objectives of Yakshi are:- To empower community organizations to work for sustainable development of the community and resources by integrating local indigenous knowledge into development interventions while ensuring gender equality in the process of change,
- To protect and promote local natural resources and bio-diversity of the area in terms of indigenous crops, medicinal plants etc.,
- To network between community based organizations and provide necessary and appropriate inputs to develop perspectives to work on broader development issues in the region.
Yakshi provides opportunities and a space for the activists to explore and develop their capacities to access skills, information and knowledge. It closely works with people's organizations to protect livelihood resources, culture, languages and identities.
Yakshi has successfully mobilized various groups across adivasi areas of Andhra Pradesh (AP) to implement the Forest Rights Act at the village level. Yakshi is currently engaged in nearly 800 villages. Yakshi has published a guide book on Forest Rights act in Telugu which has been widely circulated across AP.
Implementation of Forest Rights Act and Empowering Women
Yakshi is committed to the social change process and empowerment of marginalized communities (largely tribals) and has concrete plans to reach out to more than 800 villages for the implementation of the Forest Rights Act. It supports around 46-50 adivasi activists who represent different community organizations in the 8 districts of Andhra Pradesh. Activities include supporting institutional development and capacity building of community based organiations, campaigns and advocacy, promoting and encouraging the interaction and exchange among NGOs/people's movements around issues of bio-diversity, cultural identity, indigenous knowledge systems, and livelihood interventions through
- Strengthening local markets,
- Scaling up innovative approaches to marketing agriculture produce,
- Setting up seed banks, and
- Cooperatives.
Last updated on Thursday, October 9, 2008.
