Gchiroli Tribals Farmer Producer Company Limited

Up in Etapali, we operate out of Dalsu Masa Pungati’s place. It’s number 146 in the village. Gadchiroli is a thick forest area, so life is quite different here compared to the big towns. Most of the people involved are from the local tribes. We spend our days dealing with what the land gives us. It might be forest produce or small crops we grow in the clearings. It’s a long way to any big market, so we have to be organized. Dalsu’s place is where we keep our records and meet up to talk. It’s a simple house, nothing fancy. We don't use a lot of technology, mostly just talking and planning things out in person. The roads out here aren't always the best, especially when the monsoon hits, so we have to plan ahead. We aren't some big business with a lot of money. We are just local people trying to get a fair price for what we produce. There is a lot of tradition in how we do things. We don't follow some corporate manual. We just do what makes sense for the community. Sometimes the work is slow and sometimes it is very hectic. We take it as it comes. It is a quiet life for the most part, but we are proud of what we manage to do together in this part of the woods. Everyone knows everyone else, and that makes the work easier.