“Adversity is a great teacher”
“Every family dependent on agriculture is deeply familiar with risks. And when floods inundate your land & destroy your crops, you square your shoulders & adapt” Valsamma Stephen.
In 2018, Valsamma’s family faced the havoc caused by severe floods in Kerala. They lost almost everything –their house, their belongings, and their standing crops.
Not one to be defeated, Valsamma joined SSP’s Sakhi Farmer Groups in Wayanad. Learning new techniques of climate resilient farming, she successfully shifted to organic farming.
Hungry to learn more, she watched YouTube tutorials and educated herself on cultivating Bird’s Eye Chilli, popularly known as Thai Chilli. High in medicinal value, the chilli not only brought in good money, but also fame.Valsamma was appointed as a trainer by the local Krishi Bhawan and during COVID-19, she conducted close to 26 trainings on Zoom, sharing her learnings with 120 women farmers on Bird’s Eye Chilli cultivation and 1500 farmers on organic farming.
A respected trainer and motivator, Valsamma was recognised by the local Parish for her efforts and awarded the 1st prize in her district.
“Adversity is a great teacher”, says Valsamma, “If one listens and understands the lesson it is trying to teach, success is within your reach”.