Akanksha Mahanavar’s Journey to Empowerment and Sustainable Farming
Akanksha Mahanavar, a 25-year-old woman from Dudhodi village in Maharashtra, moved back to her village from Pune during the Covid pandemic. The family relied on their small four-acre farm for income, but faced financial difficulties due to the unproductive land and lack of irrigation. The main challenge they faced was overcoming financial instability and insufficient income from mainstream farming methods.
In 2022, Akanksha joined SSP’s Entrepreneurship Development Program. With guidance from SSP mentors, she diversified into the dairy business, purchasing one cow with a loan from her Self Help Group (SHG). Gradually reinvesting the profits, she expanded her business to include five cows and two goats, earning Rs. 20,000 per month from milk production.
In 2023, Akanksha participated in Swayam Shikshan Prayog SSP’s Women-led Climate Resilient Farming (WCRF) training. Inspired by the knowledge and opportunities, she persuaded her husband to adopt sustainable organic farming practices. They now grow and sell nutritious vegetables, and have installed two vermicompost beds to produce organic fertilizer. She also started cultivating animal fodder, improving livestock feed and saving costs. Through SSP’s network, Akanksha learnt about government schemes, and was able to dig a well on her farm through the MGNREGS scheme.
Akanksha’s journey is a powerful example of how building the entrepreneurial capacities of grassroots women can transform households.
Swayam Shikshan Prayog
July 25, 2024