๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ช๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ด๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐น๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ: ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถโ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ง๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด
In a small village of Shivlalbigha in Biharโs Gaya district, Pritee Kumari faced numerous challenges. With a low family income and her children enrolled in government schools, she struggled to provide a better future. To make matters worse, the rising cost of chemical-based farming and declining yields made agriculture an unsustainable livelihood. In her community, farming carried little prestige, and she longed to bring changeโnot just for herself but for those around her.
Priteeโs turning point came when she met Bindu Devi, a Sakhi from Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), during a training session. She shared her struggles and expressed her desire to build a better life. Encouraged and determined, she took the first step towards change.
After attending SSPโs training on women led climate resilient farming, Pritee started the production of organic liquid fertilizer (vermi wash), an alternative to chemical fertilizers. After gaining confidence, she trained 150 women in community mobilization, sustainable farming, and entrepreneurship.
As her initiatives gained recognition, agriculture officers took notice and recommended her for a residential training at the Bihar Institute of Public Administration & Rural Development (BIPARD). This training expanded her knowledge and leadership skills, but implementing organic farming on a larger scale proved to be a challenge. Farmers were initially skeptical, and convincing them to shift from chemical to organic fertilizers was an uphill task.
Through persistence and continuous efforts, she slowly gained the confidence of the community. Today, 100 farmers in her community regularly purchase her organic liquid fertilizer. She encourages farmers to grow food naturally for their own consumption, reducing dependency on harmful chemicals.
With her efforts, Pritee prevents the use of 25,000 kg of chemical fertilizers in her region annually, reducing soil and water pollution. Her income has grown steadily, averaging โน6,000 to 7,000 per month, improving her familyโs quality of life. More importantly, she has become a role model for rural women, proving that sustainable agriculture is both profitable and socially empowering.
โAfter training 150 women, I am aiming to extend the initiative of climate-friendly sustainable farming to 500 women farmers of Gaya district.โ
Swayam Shikshan Prayog
February 17, 2025