Lalmanti Devi, Gayaji, Bihar

๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐  ๐’๐ญ๐š๐›๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐š๐ญ ๐‡๐จ๐ฆ๐ž: ๐‹๐š๐ฅ๐ฆ๐š๐ง๐ญ๐ข ๐ƒ๐ž๐ฏ๐ขโ€™๐ฌ ๐’๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐‚๐ก๐š๐ง๐ ๐ž

In Amin village of Gayaji district, Bihar, Lalmanti Devi once lived with constant uncertainty. Her family depended on seasonal farm labour. Her husband owned two bullocks for ploughing during the farming season, but after that, he migrated to cities for work. Though they had land, it remained unused due to lack of knowledge, financial constraints, and limited decision-making space. Feeding the bullocks year-round added to their burden.

In June 2024, Lalmanti attended a community meeting organised by Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP). There, she learned about womenโ€™s entrepreneurship, clean energy solutions, and Women-Centric Climate Resilient Farming (WCRF). Inspired, she decided to take a step forward.

With continuous handholding support from SSP, she started a clean energy enterprise. As her income became regular, her familyโ€™s trust in her grew. She later attended WCRF training, where she learned about organic fertilisers, natural pesticides, government schemes, and market linkages.

With new confidence, Lalmanti revived nearly one acre of unused land and began cultivating maize and vegetables using climate-resilient practices. Crop residue now helps feed the bullocks, reducing expenses.

Today, her household income has stabilised at โ‚น10,000โ€“12,000 per month, reducing dependence on migration. More importantly, she has gained confidence, financial independence, and respect within her family and village. She is now mentoring 10 other women to explore similar livelihood opportunities.โ€œOne meeting with SSP changed my life. I was shown the path, and once I started walking, everything began to change.โ€ โ€“ Lalmanti Devi.

Swayam Shikshan Prayog
12 February, 2026