Usha Jadhav, a rural woman leader in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, is transforming how women look at health and nutrition of their families, through awareness raising and promotion of organic agriculture.
Usha Jadhav lives in Virgaon village, which is part of the Khullod Gram Panchayat in Sillod Block of Aurangabad district. Usha tai was always interested in participating in activities beyond her household, but was constrained by her lack of knowledge and self-confidence. Usha tai first got associated with SSP in mid-2019, when she began to attend trainings on the integrated ‘one-acre model farming’ model and health and nutrition. During the Covid-19 crises, Usha tai began to lead recovery and response efforts in her village. She soon emerged as a strong leader, and moved on to address larger women’s meetings in her village, conducting trainings on health and nutrition, organic farming, vermicomposting, and women’s rights and access to government social protection schemes. Usha tai was part of a team conducting Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) in her village, using community mapping techniques. She also conducted FGDs with various women’s groups to understand their issues and priorities.
In 2022, Usha tai mobilised women in her community to attend the quarterly Gram Sabha, and presented the maps, along with women’s agenda’s to the Gram Sevak and Panchayat members. This was very well received, due to the meticulous and accessible manner in which issues, stakeholders and action plans were mapped. As a result, the Panchayat took immediate action to improve lighting and sanitation in the village. The repair of the access road to the village, another major issue, is currently underway. Further, issues related to water and tree plantation have been formally introduced into the Gram Panchayat Development Plan and officially approved.
Usha tai says that there has been a visible change in her village over the past 2.5 years, with over 40 women starting to cultivate food crops like vegetables, grains and pulses using organic methods and vermicomposting. Some of the more enterprising women are also selling surplus vegetables locally, as the village does not have a market. Usha tai now wants to reach out to more women, and integrate livelihood diversification practices and entrepreneurship to the food security model in her village.
Swayam Shikshan Prayog
February 14, 2023