Teacher Preparedness for Integrating Indian Knowledge Systems: A Comparative Study of Curricular Practices for Sustainability

The present study examines the effectiveness of sustainable livelihood practices in empowering tribal women, with a specific focus on textile waste recycling. Tribal women often face challenges such as limited employment opportunities, low income, and lack of access to skill-based work. In response, this study implements a practical and low-cost livelihood model that utilizes textile waste to create value-added products.
The intervention involved training tribal women to recycle discarded fabric into low-risk, marketable products such as scrunchies. These products were selected due to their minimal production cost, ease of learning, and consistent demand in the market. The study was conducted in the vicinity of ZP Thokarwadi, Kasara, over a period of three months.
Data was collected through interviews, observations, and questionnaires, and analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The findings indicate that the implementation of textile waste recycling as a livelihood practice led to improvements in skill development, income generation, confidence, and participation in economic activities among the women.
The study concludes that sustainable livelihood practices, particularly textile recycling through simple products like scrunchies, can serve as an effective, scalable, and environmentally responsible model for empowering tribal women and promoting self-reliance.