The Timbaktu Collective

The Dharani initiative by the Timbaktu Collective collaborates with over 2,000 smallholder farmers across 66 villages, aiming to foster sustainable organic farming practices and improve the livelihoods of these farmers. It promotes crop diversity, including millets, groundnuts, and lentils, and has established the Dharani Farming and Marketing Cooperative Ltd (Dharani FaM Coop) as a member-owned enterprise to facilitate procurement, processing, and marketing of organic crops under the Timbaktu Organic brand. The Collective's field team supports farmer groups at the village level, ensuring adherence to organic practices, providing training, and aiding in certification. Additionally, the initiative is piloting an organic vegetable enterprise involving women farmers and local youth. It has a history of successful organic farming experiments and has received international recognition for its outstanding agroecological practices empowering small-scale food producers.

The Timbaktu Collective's Gramasiri initiative aims to boost the income of agricultural labourers by promoting the rearing of small ruminants like goats and sheep. It established the Gramasiri Agricultural Labourers’ Livelihood and Marketing Cooperative in 2010, with over a thousand members from 59 villages. Members receive low-interest loans for acquiring and caring for small ruminants. The Collective supports them with village-level associations, training in ethno-veterinary practices, micro-insurance, and explores opportunities in the small ruminant value chain. This initiative evolved from the Collective's work with landless agricultural labourers and leverages the district's landscape and small ruminant population for sustainable livelihood enhancement.

The Enterprise Support initiative of The Timbaktu Collective aims to diversify income opportunities, boost earnings, and secure profits for smallholder farmers and small-scale producers. It assists cooperatives and production units established by the Collective in creating products like Timbaktu Organic, Timbaktu Weaves, Timbaktu Handcrafted Soap, and Timbaktu Pickles. This initiative also helps establish related protocols and supports Dharani FaM Coop in marketing these products, including sales through the 'Timbaktu Shop' and various retail outlets. The Collective plays a role in certifying Dharani Cooperative's products through the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS). In the fiscal year 2022-23, Dharani achieved sales of INR 4.18 crore as of December 31, 2022.

The Timbaktu Collective's Kalpavalli programme, launched in 1992, restores village commons across 4,000 acres in Sri Sathya Sai District. It created the Kalpavalli Tree Growers’ Cooperative, uniting 10 Village Forest Protection Committees. Activities include committee organisation, capacity building, employing forest watchers, fireline creation, 'Bush Camp' maintenance, and educational camps. The KCCA area transformed into a thriving ecosystem, home to endangered species like the Indian Grey Wolf and Black Buck, benefiting local livelihoods. An eco-tourism campsite, the 'Bush Camp,' offers nature enthusiasts opportunities for ecology, wildlife observation, and star gazing. The programme aims to gain recognition as a Biodiversity Heritage Site.

The Timbaktu Collective's Militha programme, launched in 2004, aims to promote respect, dignity, and inclusion for people with disabilities in families and communities. It established the Prathibha Cooperative, a federation of village-level Cross Disability Groups (CDGs) consisting of adults with disabilities and parents or family members of children with disabilities. Prathibha advocates for disability rights, provides access to entitlements and schemes, and fosters livelihood opportunities through individual and collective enterprises. The programme also offers support in setting up Mandal level offices, conducting health assessments and referral camps, home-based therapy, rehabilitation centres, caregiver training, medical care, assistive devices, and educational fellowships for youth with disabilities.