For more than two years, a collective of Indigenous women in Odisha’s Badakichab village, walked their Commons with maps, memory, and lived knowledge. They documented land use, forest cover, water sources, and how deeply women’s lives depend on these resources.

Their findings revealed a stark gap: over 10 hectares of unused common land could support non-timber forest produce, yet no NTFP plantations existed, leading to dwindling livelihoods.

“As farmers we can lose crops,” says community leader Purnima Sisa, “but when our crops fail, the forest feeds us. When we are sick, it is the forest that heals us. It gives us wood to build and resources to live. Without the forest, there is no life here.”

With this clarity, the women turned evidence into action. Placing their plan before the Palli Sabha, securing Gram Sabha approval, and ensuring inclusion in the Gram Panchayat Development Plan, the women turned data into governance. With knowledge support from SPREAD, their persistence unlocked Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) funds, and soon over 16,000 saplings, mango, jackfruit, tamarind, bamboo, harida, bahada, amla and more were planted across the ignored land.

Today, these growing forests are protected by the very women who envisioned them, demonstrating community leadership can revive ecosystems, strengthen livelihoods, and build climate resilience.