Dated: 2nd September 2024
SIGMA Foundation completed an assessment of Promotion of Land Literacy among the Scheduled Tribe Women SHG members connected with the LAMPS (Large-sized Multipurpose Cooperative Societies) in Jhargram and Bankura Districts. Tribal Development Department, Government of West Bengal, and Landesa Foundation for Innovations in Development (LFID), entered into a collaboration for sensitization and empowerment of female members of ST families connected with the Large-sized Multipurpose Cooperative Societies (LAMPS) in 2022-23. The initiative involved training and developing a resource pool of Master Trainers (MT) / District Level Trainers (DLT) identified by LAMPS, who will gradually take the key learnings to outreach the SHG members in a cascading mode of dissemination of content regarding women land rights. 
So far, the project has been implemented in a pilot form in two districts of West Bengal, i.e., Jhargram and Bankura. In the next phase, LFID plans to scale-up the initiative to Purulia and establish LAMPS Facilitation Centre (LFC) in Bankura and Jhargram districts. Against this backdrop, an assessment was planned with the primary objective to have a better understanding of the process and outcome of the land literacy programme before scaling up the programme.
The study followed a mixed methods approach, comprising both quantitative and qualitative components. The LAMPS were the primary sampling units. Quantitative data was collected from 40 WLL trained SHG members of the sample LAMPS were interviewed for collecting quantitative data. Qualitative data was collected by conducting 8 FGDs with the SHG members and from 8 other stakeholders through KII. 4 Cases were also documented to get good insight on the results of the programme. The primary survey was conducted in the last week of July 2024, by a team of 4 researchers of SIGMA Foundation. The quantitative data was analyzed using STATA software. On the other hand, the transcripts of qualitative data were prepared from field notes and recordings and were codified for thematic analysis. The report has been shared with the LFID team.