Empowering Change: Megha Bodale Leads the Clean Energy Transition
Swayam Shikshan Prayog’s program, with the support of USAID’s South Asia Regional Energy Partnership (SAREP), aims to empower women leaders in Bihar and Maharashtra, India by scaling up access to innovative energy efficient solutions for rural populations through a women led micro-entrepreneurship model. These women are spearheading a clean energy movement, promoting sustainable solutions, building resilience, and strengthening their communities.
Under the ongoing support of SSP through SAREP’s Partnership Fund, Mrs. Megha Bodale, from Shingadgaon village in Maharashtra’s Solapur District, has been embracing cost-saving clean energy technologies since 2022.
Growing up in a village where SSP had been working for years, Megha knew their work well. When SSP arrived in her new home village after her marriage, Megha joined their training sessions to learn about the amazing benefits of biogas plants and organic farming. Initially hesitant, with the support of SSP’s women leaders, she convinced her husband and in-laws to install a biogas unit on their farm. The benefits were quickly apparent. Cooking for 25 people on wood and gas stoves produced a lot of smoke, causing coughing and eye irritation among the children. Owing to the biogas unit, the family fully transitioned away from wood-burning stoves. By 2023, Megha’s family was saving Rs. 18,000 annually due to reduced reliance on LPG cylinders.
But Megha’s journey didn’t stop there! She convinced her family to use the leftover “biogas slurry” as a natural fertiliser on their farm and started cultivating vegetables for household consumption on their 2 acres of land. Growing a variety of fruits and vegetables, the family now saves around INR 2,000 per month by producing their own food. Using this slurry in their banana and lemon orchards, they reduced their use of chemical fertilisers and other inputs, saving INR 19,000. Megha notes that the quality of the fruits has improved since using this organic slurry, with better size, colour, and quality.
Megha plans to inspire more women in her village to adopt bio-farming practices and aims to transform their 20-acre farm into a model of sustainable farming. Her story is one of embracing clean energy solutions and building a more sustainable future for her family and the community.
Swayam Shikshan Prayog
June 04, 2024