From Survival to Sustainability: Mushroom Farming Empowered 150 Musahar Women

For decades, in Bihar, the Musahar community has faced hardships and struggled at the due to the social margins and being excluded from the mainstream, they are landless, underpaid, ignored, and neglected. However, within the fields of Gaya, in the fields around Gaya, something remarkable began to grow, a hope, an independence, and an opportunity. This was just the beginning as with the help of Joy of Helping’s partnership with Nari Gunjan, a lot began to appear and grow as 150 Musahar women have learned the means of growing mushrooms. Additionally, this has affected musahar women not only economically but emotionally, they have grown to be more confident, dignified and are now independent of their own income.

The main aim was to turn basic kits into something impeccably strong tools. Following the beginning of the project with simple yet complex training workshops on mushroom cultivation, including preparing beds and maintaining hygiene to ways of managing humidity and lastly, learning the packaging for sale. Every participant gets starter kit consists of mushroom spaws, training materials, tools and expert guidance. The span of three months, the first harvests began gradually and as well as their incomes increase to three times higher than their prior daily wages.

One of the first participants, Rekha Devi, states, “Before, we worked for others in the fields. Now, we work for ourselves and people come to buy from us.”

After training, the real change was the transformation from margins to entrepeneurs. The evolution changed the entire scenario. As with the right mentorship and learning, women started selling their products in nearby markets and local markets and also some even created groups for more collective sales.

As one year passed, across 120 women continued mushroom farming independently, with avarage of monthly income increase from₹2,000–₹2,500 to ₹6,000–₹8,000. As mushroom became a everyday part of their meals, nutritions intake improved within households. Most children started attending school regularly, which is a powerful sign of financial security and knowledge.

“When I sell a packet of mushrooms, I see my hard work. I see respect,” shares Sunita Kumari, who now mentors new batches of women farmers.

The initiative was not just about livelihood, it was more about reclaimation, beyond income, more than important was to build future, dignity and confidence. Futhermore, women who were once overlooked and were bounded by these social norms and financial dependency myth, are now decision makers at home and role models in their communities. Its a discovery of powerful truth, sustainability with self sufficiency.

A Model for Sustainable Change

The Musahar women’s mushroom project embodies impact-based philanthropy, where outcomes matter more than charity, and long-term transformation takes center stage.

Small investments have yielded lasting impact:

Each mushroom kit is more than an economic tool, it’s a seed of dignity.

The Ripple Effect

Encouraged by success, the model is now being scaled to reach 300 more women across nearby villages. Plans include cold storage training, packaging innovation, and digital market linkage.

As these women continue to grow and sell their mushrooms, their success becomes the soil for another family’s dream.

Impact:

How You Can Help

The story of these 150 women is just the beginning. Each new kit can transform another life,  moving a family from dependence to dignity. Support more women-led livelihood programs that turn skills into independence.

Donate Now or Volunteer to empower women through skill-based livelihood projects.

Closing Note

At Joy of Helping, we believe true development is not about giving, it’s about enabling.

From kit to kitchen, from hardship to hope, these women have shown that when opportunity meets courage, transformation is inevitable.