Feasibility Study – Transforming Tea Gardens: A Women-Led Strategic Framework for Socioeconomic Development in Upper Assam’s Tea Garden Communities.

Feasibility Study – Transforming Tea Gardens: A Women-Led Strategic Framework for Socioeconomic Development in Upper Assam’s Tea Garden Communities.

Subtitle: Addressing Alcohol Dependency and Developmental Barriers through Community-Driven Action on Health, Education, and Livelihoods in Seven Tea Garden Districts

 

The Project-executing agency is the Center for Development Initiatives (CDI) located at Guwahati, Assam. It is an organization dedicated to the service of marginalized communities, especially women, girls and children. CDI is a voluntary non-governmental organization registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860. The task of CDI is to act as the coordinating body of the social and developmental work of MSMHC. Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians (MSMHC) is a congregation founded 1942 at Guwahati, Assam.

 

The Missionary sisters are actively engaged in empowerment of women, rural development (and education of rural poor), and public health care (particularly by undertaking village health programs through rural dispensaries). They are also engaged in running schools, boarding homes for the poor children, homes for the aged, orphanages, and vocational training centers, schools for the disabled and for children at risks. Centre for Development Initiatives (CDI) is the coordinating Development office of the MSMHC congregation and a registered body under society registration Act, based in Guwahati, Assam. It has its FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) registration as well as 12 A registration for the charitable societies.

 

The project is accompanied by Don Bosco Mondo in Bonn, Germany. Don Bosco Mondo is a non-profit organization committed to supporting disadvantaged youth worldwide. As their advocate, the NGO mobilizes personnel, spiritual and financial resources, and it also aims at spreading and increasing the enthusiasm for their joint efforts. Don Bosco Mondo sees school education and vocational training as the key to empowering young people to live independent lives free from poverty. In close partnership with the Salesians of Don Bosco and the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco as well as the Salesian Family, assistance is provided to more than 16 million children and adolescents beyond all limits. As a congregation of MSMHC, the relationship with DBM spans almost two decades, beginning its collaboration in a rehabilitation project for the HIV/AIDS affected young people.

2) Purpose, Objectives and Use

 

Rationale and Objectives

The purpose of this feasibility study is to assess the viability and relevance of a proposed initiative aimed at improving the socioeconomic conditions of tea garden communities in Upper Assam through a women-led framework for socio-economic development. The study will identify existing challenges, opportunities, and contextual factors that could influence the design and implementation of the project. It seeks to ensure that the proposed intervention is evidence-based, locally responsive, and capable of generating sustainable impact. The study will also include a baseline survey that helps CDI to define project relevant indicators in order to be able to measure outcomes and impacts.

 

Project Concept

The core concept of "Transforming Tea Gardens" is to implement a strategic, women-led framework to address the multi-faceted developmental crisis in Upper Assam's tea garden communities. It hypothesizes that empowering women—the most affected and proactive stakeholders—is the most effective catalyst for sustainable change. The project will establish Women-Led Community Action across seven districts, which will spearhead community-driven action focused on three critical and interlinked pillars: Health, Education, and Livelihoods. Crucially, this will simultaneously lead social mobilization to combat the prevalent issue of alcohol dependency and associated socio-economic distress, thereby removing the largest structural barrier to household stability and progress. By integrating these strategic pillars and leveraging women's leadership, the project aims to replace chronic vulnerability with collective self-reliance and improved human development outcomes across the target region.

 

Use of Results

The outcomes of the feasibility study will guide both CDI and Don Bosco Mondo in shaping a comprehensive project proposal that accurately reflects community realities and priorities. The findings will help refine strategic approaches, anticipate potential risks, and align project components with feasible implementation pathways. The results will also serve as the foundation for developing a robust monitoring framework and contribute to baseline data for future evaluations.

 

Temporal and Geographical Scope

Geographical Scope: The study will cover the seven districts of Upper Assam identified in the concept note, focusing particularly on tea garden communities affected by economic hardship and substance abuse.
Temporal Scope: The study will commence at the end of January 2026, with data collection and analysis primarily undertaken during February and March 2026. The final report, including conclusions and recommendations, will be submitted by the end of March 2026.

 

Interested parties may send their EOI within 10 days (20 December 2025) of publication of this advertisement, to the project implementing agency CDI:

Sr. Lisa (cdimsmhc@gmail.com)

Mr. Nirmal Singh (nirmal4cdi@gmail.com)

Tags Children and Childcare Skill Development Women Empowerment Social Change