Development Alternatives’ sustainable livelihood approach towards development at grassroots is two-fold. One is learning by doing and the other is making the learning purposeful. TARAGram located in Orchha, Madhya Pradesh is the nurturing laboratory for the weaker section of the society. As an institution, it provides an in-built incentive through integration of education with livelihoods programme. Saharia is the most backward Scheduled Tribe of that region. Few years ago, Saharia women started working in TARAGram. Today, they have learnt the art of earning and earning. At the same time, their children study at TARAGram Primary School. Several initiatives like different saving schemes have made these women empowered enough to take their own decisions, carry out bank transaction and manage money matters all on their own.

The mission of TARAGram is to build the capacity of community members on techniques and institutions that can regenerate the resource base and make it available for utilization in an efficient, equitable and environmentally sound manner. TARAGram serves as a model to bring together social, environmental and technological knowledge to generate sustainable livelihoods through decentralized production systems. Such livelihoods are needed in large numbers throughout the developing world to improve material standards while maintaining the natural resource base. TARAGram manufactures products using biomass and other local raw materials. These, at present, include handicraft goods, hand made paper products, building materials and cooking energy devices; new ones are being added continually. In addition to serving as a demonstration facility for such livelihood technologies, TARAGram provides on-the-job and course-based training on micro-enterprises to those who wish to set up similar enterprises.

Another initiative of DA towards education and empowerment is TARAhaat.com - the first mother portal designed specifically for rural India - is currently being field tested in ten centers located 50 kilometers around TARAGram. This facility aims to empower the local communities through the latest advances in information technology.

In 1989, Development Alternatives (DA) field office at Jhansi in Central India began promoting check dams as an appropriate intervention to rejuvenate the degraded natural resource base by recharging the groundwater aquifers in the Bundelkhand region and help the local inhabitants to escape the debt-poverty-migration trap. The sustainable livelihood approach to rural development can take several forms. In the case of the check-dam project, sustainable livelihoods were created through the intensification and extension of agriculture through enhanced water availability.

Villagers like Halda became involved with TARAGram in different ways. Some were approached in village meetings while others heard about the project through friends and family. News spread quickly about DA’s presence. One woman said, "people in the village used to say that there are foreigners here." Others heard about DA directly through the field staff. Many of the women said that what drew them to DA was the prospect of learning new things.

One of the most tangible benefits of employment at TARAGram, highlighted by all of the women, is the income. Some of the women described their improved financial situation, saying: "Now we do not have a financial crunch — there are no worries, we can take care of our children now."

The vision behind TARAGram is not to provide some temporary work for the people, but rather provide sustainable livelihoods — a concept that encompasses social and economic development.

The following is the initial scope of needs and areas for capacity-building in develo-ping countries:

Capacity-building efforts at different levels would certainly facilitate developing countries in building, developing, strengthening, enhancing, and improving their capabilities to achieve the objective of the Convention through the implementation of the provisions of the Convention and the preparation for their effective participation in the Kyoto Protocol process that will, in a co-coordinated manner, assist them in promoting sustainable development while meeting the objective of the Convention. Efforts would be made so that capacity-building activities undertaken within this framework maximize synergies between the Convention and other global environmental agreements, as appropriate.

The first and foremost step in regard to education, training and public awareness is to develop a process nationally and regionally to prepare teaching material to impart education, training and create public awareness. This has to be done under a multi-tier approach. The IPCC and other UN organizations have over the years brought out considerable scientific and response strategy materials both on the science of climate change, its effects and adaptation. Such materials are however only for a very limited number of professionals who are benefited from these literatures and research materials.

Preparation of materials on climate change for the use and consumption of the common man, civil society, community (particularly for students at different levels of school education).

There is a need to bring out small books on "What is Climate Change"; "How it affects our life - our economic prosperity and our health and other welfare"; and "How all of us together can save the environment for our benefit and for our future generations". These materials have to be in simple language that people understand as well as to introduce such an education as a part of school curriculum in primary, middle and at higher levels.

To bring out small books and literature through a participatory process with the community that would provide linkages to their day to day life, their life style and how traditional knowledge of the common people can be integrated to some simple responses to climate change. Such books and literature must be written in the language and vocabulary they would easily understand with illustrations they are familiar with. This is a huge task but must be done with an urgency to impress upon the people how their actions today may not only help their present generation, but also the future generations, for a better and cleaner environment.

The next tier of activities should be to involve middle level and higher level of policy makers, decision makers, planners at the national and regional level to educate and train such categories of people on climate change. The idea is to enable them to integrate climate change concerns in all national and regional activities so that all our development activities are sustainable and would finally address to the main agenda of the developing countries - Poverty eradication and better quality of life for all.

There is a considerable need for external funding to all the developing countries to address to this task of ‘Education, Training and Public Awareness’. In addition to the different agencies of the UN, individual rich and benevolent counties must come forward to provide funds through bi-lateral or multi-lateral processes on an urgent basis.