Needs Assessment Survey across 25 Villages of Palghar District
To build a responsive outreach framework, BGM Foundation undertook a comprehensive needs assessment across 25 tribal villages in Palghar district. The survey was designed to capture a nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities present within these communities, particularly in the domains of livelihoods, gender equity, and cattle welfare.
Engaging over 500 individuals, including women, youth, cattle rearers, and local leaders, the Foundation used a combination of household surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and secondary data analysis. The effort was executed through 12 trained local enumerators using digital data collection tools, ensuring both accuracy and cultural sensitivity.
Key findings revealed a high level of interest among rural women and youth in skill development, alongside widespread reliance on informal cattle-rearing practices that lacked access to veterinary and fodder support. The study also uncovered significant information gaps regarding government schemes and entitlements, and highlighted the urgent need for infrastructure to support training and value chain integration.
The final report, submitted with a detailed set of recommendations and opportunity maps, has served as a strategic resource for designing the Foundation’s 2025–26 initiatives. Projects such as the Japabai Massage Training for tribal women, the Reflective Belt Initiative for cattle safety, and goat-rearing pilots for women-led FPOs were directly informed by this exercise, underlining the Foundation’s commitment to evidence-based programming.