The Foundation plays an important role in creating self-reliance in the communities it supports so that they may in turn propagate that empowerment more broadly and benefit from a long-term sustainable outcome.
The Foundation currently supports two programs under this objective — a micro-enterprise program that empowers women in village communities to create income and a similar program for transgender communities that are often neglected in society..
The Waste to Green Energy Program described in the Conservation page has created an added benefit in the local community. An important outcome of this project has been to create self-reliance among women through the sustainable livelihood opportunities.
More than 52 women have benefitted directly through the production of biomass briquettes where they are able to earn a living through the sale of the products. In addition to the strong environmental benefits that the program has created, there is now additionally the development of a micro-enterprise among the participating women for wage earning and enhancing the livelihood of their families.
The Foundation started a new initiative in 2021 to find ways to strengthen the capacity of the transgender community through group initiatives that advance their livelihood. The development of alternative economic opportunities through farm- and nonfarm-based activities helps this community to obtain long-term economic stability.
The Foundation’s activities aim to help them by organizing and facilitating access to infrastructure, technical knowledge, and markets. The main goal of the project is to create immediate opportunities to generate income through organic mushroom cultivation as one of the means of living and to ensure gender-responsive empowerment rights in the community.