From Grassroots Woman to Farmer and Leader
Patta Raghavan, a grassroots woman from Cheriyamottamkunu village in Kottathara Gram Panchayat, Wayanad has changed her life and transformed into a farmer and leader in the last few months.
Patta, belonging to the Paniya tribal community, lives in an isolated settlement with her family on their 5 cents of land. Her husband, on whose income the family depended, worked as a daily wage labourer. Dealing with a multitude of health ailments, Patta remained cut off from the rest of the village and her own family. In February 2024, when SSP’s leaders visited Cheriyamottamkunu, Patta learned about SSP’s work in empowering women through the ‘one-acre farming’ model. Through enthusiasm and continued engagement with SSP, Patta was linked with the local Agriculture Department from where she received free agri inputs for starting a vegetable garden. However, faced with the lack of water sources for irrigation on her own land. Patta soon approached a local land owner and he was impressed by her determination and courage in demanding a small piece of land for farming. He happily given 2 cents of land for her vegetable cultivation without any demand. She also saved water from the Jalanidhi Scheme to secure the crops.
In May 2024, Patta harvested her first crop, producing 15 kgs of vegetables like peas, pumpkin, spinach, cucumber and okra. She began to contribute to her family’s household expenses, through savings of Rs. 2000 per month from her vegetable cultivation.
Through SSP, Patta also got the opportunity to interact with other women from the Paniya community and share her experience and success story. She is now enthusiastic to scale up her farming practice and also act as a role model for other women in her community.
Swayam Shikshan Prayog
June 24, 2024