Anusaya Garje is quietly leading a powerful shift in her community
At 34, with education up to Class 10, Anusaya works closely with women across 550 households, focusing on sustainable agriculture, livelihoods, health, and building resilience. But her journey began with a simple question during a training by Swayam Shikshan Prayog-is the food grown with chemicals truly healthy?
That question stayed with her.
Determined to find answers, she began practising zero-cost, chemical-free farming on a small patch of barren land. Despite resistance from her family and doubts from villagers, she continued experimenting and learning.
Today, Anusaya cultivates 15 varieties of vegetables on one acre and earns around ₹4,500 per month. More importantly, she has inspired nearly 150 women to shift towards organic farming.
Through collective efforts, women now prepare vermicompost and natural inputs like Jeevamrut and Dashparni Ark, reducing farming costs by nearly 90%. Alongside this, Anusaya conducts trainings on water conservation, group farming, and savings, while also helping women access government schemes and resources.
The change is visible. Families are consuming safe, chemical-free food. Women are earning, saving, and taking part in decisions at home and in the community with greater confidence.
“I changed myself, and in doing so, changed the village too,” she says.
Anusaya’s journey shows how one woman’s determination can spark collective change-building stronger livelihoods, healthier families, and more resilient communities.
Swayam Shikshan Prayog
01 April, 2026