Empowering Women, Nurturing Communities!
Meet Sarojini Balan, a grassroots leader and co-founder of the Sakhi Farmers Group in Kolakkimottamkunnu Colony in Wayanad District of Kerala. As a member of the marginalized Paniya tribal community, Sarojini, like many of her peers, relied on daily-wage labor to make ends meet.
In 2022, Sarojini and 9 other like-minded women established a Sakhi Farmers Group in Kolakkimottamkunnu Colony, with the guidance and support of SSP. Armed with knowledge of traditional farming methods, Sarojini collaborated with SSP to implement the women-led climate resilient farming model on her 5 cents of land. Furthermore, Sarojini and her fellow farmers mastered climate-smart farming techniques like seed preservation, water conservation, and the creation of bio-pesticides and fertilizers – mitigating challenges posed by water scarcity and pests.
In early 2023, the group wanted to scale-up their vegetable cultivation efforts, but faced hurdles due to land ownership issues. With guidance from SSP, they negotiated with local authorities and secured permission to develop a nutrition garden on 10 cents of government land near their village.
For the past year, Sarojini and her Sakhi Farmers Group has diligently cultivated a variety of vegetables using sustainable methods, enhancing food security and improving household health. Now, they aim to further scale-up their initiative, so that they can begin selling their organic produce and reduce their dependence on daily-wage labour in other people’s farms and plantations. Inspired by the success of Kolakkimottamkunnu Colony Sakhi Farmers Group, two more communities have embraced the concept of a collective nutrition garden in their village, furthering the movement towards self-sufficiency.
The story of Sarojini Balan and her Sakhi Farmers Group demonstrates how investing in women’s leadership and capacity building can facilitate community development and accelerate progress using bottom-up processes. This story is part of SSP’s International Women’s Day Campaign, where we will publish inspiring stories of women changemakers on the theme of ‘Invest in women: Accelerate progress’ in the weeks leading up to March 8th, 2024. Stay tuned for more.
Swayam Shikshan Prayog
February 13, 2024