Every day i spend in the villages , in the godavari district (Coastal Andhra , India) ,talking to people representing various sections and communities, one thing that stood out was the desperate need for alternative livelihoods. More importantly something that was non-migratory and non-agri based in nature. That in my view is probably the toughest assignment ,especially in these regions, where people have been dependent on agriculture for generations , probably the most fertile lands in India. The biggest handicap is the fact that there is no other local livelihood to speak of ,no artisans, be it pottery or weaving or any major cottage industry to speak of , unlike rest of Andhra.

We ,at Byrraju Foundation, are now exploring the option of setting up community based tourism projects in the rural areas. The villages here , in the Godavari districts, Andhra Pradesh,India (especially in and around Konaseema ) are known for their beauty ; canals crisscrossing ,green paddy fields,coconut trees,aqua farms ...
Imagine Kerala , replace the backwaters with freshwater canals and you get Konaseema.
In fact , a friend of mine,a keralite himself , once remarked - Konaseema is like Kerala without Keralites :)

The idea is : Provide simple ,clean cottages (and clean food) in the village, (say min 6 cottages for critical mass for some common services), each one or two cottages run by a family , basically relaxation tours. Combine this with luxury boat trips (already operational by AP Tourism ) ,nearby beaches ,tents in forest islands and guided tours, massage ,yoga, some 11th century Chalukya temples etc.

Target: We are looking at Indian families in Hyderabad / Vizag who can do this over a weekend / extended weekend. The places are reachable by train/bus overnight from Hyderabad / Visakhapatnam The cost is expected to be at budget prices.

Any ideas are welcome ?