Majuli, Assam, August 20, 2025: The D’Ering- Dibru Saikhowa elephant corridor project (DDS) is a community-based conservation approach by Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), with support from the World Land Trust, to secure one of the vital elephant corridors between D’Ering Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh and Dibru- Saikhowa NP in Assam. 

As a part of the community livelihood support initiative under this project, 15 members of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) from Mer and Paglam villages visited “Lékopé” (a women-led enterprise) supported by Ayang Trust in Majuli from 31st July to 2nd August 2025. The objective of this exposure visit was to engage the women with community-led livelihood models, particularly led by women entrepreneurs. It also aimed to deepen their understanding of the broader support mechanisms and potential resources available to women entrepreneurs, especially in the fields of traditional skill-based and organic farming livelihoods. 

Lékopé empowers Majuli’s women to market their traditional handloom and handicraft products | Photograph by Team WTI

On the first day, the team interacted with the Board of Directors (BoDs) of Lekope at the Ayang Trust office to gain insights into the production and operation processes of these women-led enterprises. This was followed by a field visit to Lekope’s retail outlet, which provides an empowered space for home-based production in Majuli. 

On the second day, the team visited the weaving centre, where they engaged in interactive sessions focused on traditional handloom practices and cultural knowledge sharing. Women weavers from the  DDS project also had the opportunity to try their hand at weaving.  The day concluded with a session led by Lékopé’s finance team and women enterprise leaders, who highlighted internal financial systems, micro-loan processes, financial literacy, institutional building and the resiliency of women’s leadership in sustaining grassroots livelihood initiatives. 

Weaving on the traditional bamboo loom | Photograph by Team WTI

This exposure visit was not just a learning experience– it was a meaningful platform for the communities to witness the power of economic empowerment, social ownership and the impact of collective action in driving both ecological awareness and community-driven development. 

Lekope’s model demonstrated how enterprise development, when rooted in community capacity building, becomes a catalyst for long-term transformation. Their success reinforced a vital insight: conservation efforts are most effective when they are intertwined with the social and economic empowerment of the very communities that steward the land.