Of the 1.298 project beneficiaries in income generating activities, half are Janjati and 44 per cent are Brahman/Chhetri. The share of Dalits in this project activity to the total beneficiaries is relatively lower than that of their population share in the project area.
When enquired about the advantages of income generating activities supported by the FOS, women in Melamchi reported that it has tremendously changed their life. They have initiated goat raising, retail shops which has made them economically independent in the family.
With the achievement of financial independence, they also achieved bargaining power in the family, especially with husbands and parent-in-
laws. Their men-folk have also realized this fact. When asked, the men in the VDC reported that women’s contributions to their family have
increased by at least 50 per cent following the FOS intervention.