A project titled Sustainable Agriculture and Women Empowerment Rural Approach (SAWERA) was implemented with the support of Uttar Pradesh Land Development Corporation in Nawabganj block of Unnao district.

The main objectives of this project were:

• To empower and improve capabilities of women farmers in the field of agriculture development
• To create awareness among them about the food protection
• To create awareness among them about the use of technically suitable agricultural instruments for reducing their constraints of workload
• To make them able to resolve gender issue in the field of agriculture
• To increase ability of gender sensitisation in the area of agriculture

Under this project a total of 50 women farmers group of 770 women have been formed.

Excursion tours at national level and state level were organised to enable visiting women farmers gain knowledge of new techniques. In addition to the above various animal husbandry poultry and fisheries initiatives were undertaken. As a part of these initiatives, 683 cows/buffaloes and 686 goats were given to 50 groups, poultry to 10 groups and fisheries to eight groups to increase their financial resources.

Vegetable cultivation has been promoted by all the groups. Floriculture has been undertaken by six groups and cultivation of medicinal plants by two groups. Organic manure was being produced through 136 compost pits by 50 groups, vermi compost by 166 groups, green manure by 32 groups and matka compost by 218 women.

Besides the above, loans to the tune of Rs 4,648 per group were given for enhancing income of the members of 50 groups.