Sweeping with brooms to economic prosperity in Kotia

Children in remote village Upar Barabandh, Kotia Panchayat, Koraput District have been observing their parents with great curiosity as they gather broomsticks from the nearby mountains, carefully tie them, and leave them to dry on rooftops and village drying yards.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

The younger generation watches in fascination as their mothers meticulously assemble each broomstick into a finished product, a skill passed down through generations but now honed into a sustainable livelihood.

Over the last few years, the village has witnessed a significant transformation, with families securing better incomes and children attending school with renewed enthusiasm. This progress is credited to the intervention of EKTA, a leading NGO, under its Family Focused Village Development Programme (FFVDP), supported by the Linci Foundation, Switzerland. By organizing individual households into a collective, EKTA has empowered women and ensured that all families in the village benefit from shared resources and training.