Community-Based Educational Engagement for Strengthening Livelihood Resilience among the Indigenous Community to Support Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Abstract

This article reports a community service program aimed at strengthening livelihood resilience among the Danuwar community in Tama Ghat, Nepal, through community-based educational engagement. The program was designed in response to persistent livelihood insecurity, land marginalization, and the erosion of indigenous agricultural knowledge faced by the community. Using a participatory and ethnographically informed approach, the program involved community dialogue, reflective learning, and informal educational activities focused on livelihood diversification, indigenous knowledge recognition, and adaptive coping strategies. The results indicate improved community awareness of sustainable livelihood practices, increased appreciation of indigenous knowledge, and greater community participation in diversified income-generating activities such as wage labor, small-scale farming, and local entrepreneurship. The program also contributed to strengthening social cohesion and community confidence in navigating socio-economic change. The study demonstrates the role of education-centered community engagement in promoting resilient and inclusive livelihoods among indigenous communities.