Dhonk, Ranthambore National Park India
Mamta Verma lost her leg a year ago after being hit by a truck in Rajasthan India. The accident did minor damage to her foot but when her husband refused to get her medical care her entire leg became infected and it had to be amputated. Mamta now works for Dhonk, a socially responsible enterprise aimed at creating sustainable job opportunities for local villagers through art and crafts. “I feel empowered, I’m now financially independent and can make my own decisions”. Manta now has a bank account and is working towards a new prosthetic leg. Dhonk is an open door for any villager who wants to learn and earn. When I visited Mamta today, she was working with sustainably sourced fabric and natural dyes to make clothing and textiles for homes. Dhonk has trained more than 150 villagers, has created a medical policy which would assist the team members in times of crisis, and continues to support the daughters of all team members in getting an education. Since Dhonk is located on the boundary of Ranthambore National Park (home to some of the few remaining Endangered Bengal Tigers), they also provide an alternative livelihood that helps in decreasing the villagers dependence on wood and cattle grazing on the forest and its resources. Dhonk is the only organization that is working with the ex-poachers families belonging to the semi-nomatic Mogya and Bawariya tribes.
A former royal hunting ground now protected and home to some of the few remaining endangered Bengal Tigers. Tiger conservation initiatives within park have been successful and the incredibly effective conservation efforts taking place outside the gates have reduced poaching, empowered women and provided sustainable job and training opportunities for the community.