UNTIL A decade ago, Lahu Pawar depended on income from fishing and seasonal agricultural labour to sustain his family of five. These are the traditional livelihood avenues for his community, the nomadic Katkari tribe of the Sahyadri mountain range in Maharashtra. "There was no financial stability and on many nights, I slept without food. I could not even think about educating my children," says Pawar, a resident of Donaje village in Pune district.
However, after joining the Ghera Sinhagad Van Sanrakshan Samiti (Sinhagad forest conservation committee) as a guard, Pawar was able to improve his quality of life. "This work allowed me to enrol my children in school. We have been able to build a better house and buy a two-wheeler and mobile phone," he says.
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