Grassroots Leader Advancing Food Security and Health in Anji Mothi Village
Suvarna Ambatkar, from Anji Mothi village in Wardha District, Maharashtra, is a grassroots woman leader working to make her village food secure by improving farming practices and community health.
Married into a conservative family where women couldn’t work outside, Suvarna struggled with restrictions. Inspired by her mother, an active SHG member, she mobilized women in her neighborhood to start an SHG in 2014, supported by a local Community Resource Person (CRP). Convincing her family was challenging, but they supported her once she explained the SHG benefits and government schemes it accessed. Through the SHG, she learned about organic farming and implemented it on her land, earning a healthy profit from selling organic vegetables.
In early 2024, Suvarna engaged with Swayam Shikshan Prayog – SSP’s work on women’s empowerment and climate-resilient farming. Attending training sessions on sustainable farming and household nutrition, she began sharing her knowledge with the community. She organized meetings and household visits, raising awareness about climate change, sustainable farming, and health. Her leadership inspired many women farmers to change their farming methods and daily food habits. Over 100 women farmers conducted seed germination tests, prioritized local seeds, reduced chemical fertilizers, and shifted to homemade organic inputs. Landless women cultivated kitchen gardens in pots and bottles for household vegetables.
Suvarna’s impact extends beyond the 30 women she directly works with, as many other women farmers seek her guidance and training. Recently, she used her knowledge about the dangers of child marriage to mobilize village authorities and government officials to stop an instance of child marriage. When asked about her future plans, Suvarna says, “I want to work towards making my village healthier, where people are not dependent on chemicals for farming but have moved towards sustainable methods.”
Swayam Shikshan Prayog
June 27, 2024