Darjeeling, Dec. 1 -- The Darjeeling Welfare Society (DWS), led by its president Harsh Vardhan Shringla, who is also an MP (Rajya Sabha), jointly conducted a field visit with senior representatives from the Gates Foundation to Peshok Tea Estate to assess the progress of its livelihood project being implemented by Grant Thornton Bharat.
The visit is part of a support system to seven tea garden communities through alternate livelihood income-generation initiatives. The project currently runs in Peshok, Panighatta, Makaibari, Moonda Kotee, Mangarjung, Samrikpani, and Ambootia, extending its benefits across the wider Darjeeling region.
The delegation interacted with beneficiaries from all project areas and reviewed several project components, including the demonstration plot and nursery unit, oyster mushroom cultivation unit, and the Dalle paste processing enterprise. The women entrepreneurs shared their experiences and the impact the programme has had on their confidence, skills, and economic independence. The project has been linked to the National Rural Livelihood Mission.
The project has culminated in the formation of 'Gharelu Origins,' an emerging community enterprise supported by DWS. The success of Gharelu Origins was highlighted by its participation in the Saras Aajeevika Mela in New Delhi, where its products received strong appreciation. The event also saw the launch of the Gharelu Origins website and a catalogue featuring Gharelu Origins products, which will now make the products easily accessible to the larger market. Now the products can be easily found using the website: https://www.ghareluorigins.in
Shringla stated: "Since the inception of the programme in 2024, there has been massive progress. Our Didis should not restrict themselves to becoming Lakhpatis, they should aim to become Crorepatis." He reiterated the vision of the DWS to sustain local entrepreneurship and scale it beyond traditional boundaries.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.