Getting Set to Go

Abstract

In the context of areas that have little prospect in the medium term of providing even minimal livelihoods locally for their overwhelming poor and increasingly migration-dependent rural populations, what does education for sustainable development (ESD) mean? Do efforts to qualitatively improve migration offer a viable strategy for reducing poverty and fostering sustainable development in the source areas? What skills and knowledge enhancement can concurrently improve the livelihoods of migration-dependent households? This paper examines these questions through a narrative on the formative years of the Aajeevika Bureau, an innovative programme dedicated to the improvement in livelihood opportunities for poor, migrant labourers of Rajasthan, India.