With malnourished children and multiple communities to feed, we invited a Food Safety Training and Certification (FOSTAC) professional to Mokhada. 20 individuals, primarily women living in rural poverty, learnt how to prepare, cook and store food to ensure it is safe to consume.

After training, we saw an overwhelming increase in the quality, hygiene and taste of their food. Women from Mokhada self-help groups told us their confidence and catering orders had increased. Improved job performance also resulted in increased salaries for tribals like Kavita [pictured], employed at our sister NGO. Overall, this upskilling opportunity boosted participant incomes and knowledge in food safety, enabling them to better support their families and protect the health of their communities.

Limited social mobility and professional development opportunities are the norm in workplaces in rural Maharashtra. At Grameen First, as we employ as local as possible, we also see our organization as a way for the Mokhada tribal community to build their own voices and skills.

We upskill team members on a daily basis by providing small but regular leadership opportunities to all. Decision-making in our organization always involves tribal leaders. We also provide bespoke training opportunities to a group of empowered tribal project leaders known as the ‘Sashakta team’.

We train women and men from Mokhada in skills such as cooking, tailoring, making soap, Ayurvedic herbal balms and papercrafts. We also crucially connect them to new employment and livelihood opportunities in Mokhada, often with our sister NGO, Grameen First Eco-Business Foundation.