Stretching across 94,163 square kilometers (36,356 square miles) the state of Bihar occupies 2.8% of the total geographical area of India. In contrast Bihar supports more than 8% of the country's population. Bihar appears quite low on different development indices. This situation has deteriorated quite significantly with the formation of Jharkhand as a separate state in the year 2000. In the bifurcation while Bihar retained 75% of the total population of undivided Bihar, it was left with only 54% of the land area. This has led to increased strain on resources and in turn has resulted in elevated levels of poverty.

Bihar has 42% of its population living below the poverty line. The state is struggling to find solutions to the problems of both flood and drought. In such a scenario, hope lies in working on enhancing resources where people could get employed and contribute to the economy of their household and the state.

Taking cognizance of the enormity of problem, the government of Bihar has initiated a project on rural livelihood promotion with support from the World Bank. This initiated is implemented through a Society registered with Government of Bihar by the name of Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (BRLPS). BRLPS through the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Project (BRLP) aims to improve rural livelihood options and works towards social and economic empowerment of the rural poor and women. The BRLP intervenes with the community through the following four themes or programmes: institution and capacity building, social development, microfinance and livelihood.