Background
Kavitha, 35 years old woman from a remote village in South India, with less formal education was a full-time housewife managing her family. Her husband was not earning enough and there was no way they could move into the city or leave their house, and they had two tiny mouths to feed so she started looking for part time work.
Challenges
In fact, the isolation of the village made sale to urban markets very difficult.
Low technical knowledge: The failure of Kavitha stems from here, as she did not know the advanced gardening techniques, lacked to grow high value corops for which farmers are even willing to shift scales in procurement and did not have much experience.
Aditi was a woman, restricting her control over actions and movements (in a largely patriarchal rural setup to begin with) as well had hardly any money of her own.
Intervention
Kavitha participated in one of the self-help group (SHG) meetings for women, where an NGO was attending with a plan to work under agriculture department promoting organic kitchen gardening. The NGO’s program provided:
- Training: Hands on practical workshops for organic farming methods, composting, rainwater harvesting, and pest control practices.
- Tools and Seeds: The Tools & Seeds program that distributes seeds for vegetables and herbs along with tools to better prepare the soil.
- Market Linkages: The NGO facilitated tie-ups with local buyers and vendors so that she could sell her vegetable produce.
- Mentorship: Mentoring, providing experienced women farmers as mentors to support beyond.
Implementation
Kavitha did this by starting with a small patch of land near her own house, making compost from kitchen waste and adopting regular organic farming practices. In the beginning, she cultivated simple vegetables like palak, tamata and hara mirch (apart from rice and wheat) to fulfil their household requirements.
Growth and Scaling
After experiencing this success, Kavitha extended her gardening land. Soon, she diversified and began trying her hand at high-value crops like herbs with medicinal values, micro greens as well as exotic vegetables like lettuce and bell peppers which commanded a higher price. To sell her produce, she:
- Teamed up with nearby eateries and natural stores: These foundations were focused on paying an excessive cost for crisp, natural produce.
- Opened a stall at the village market: Her organic and pesticide-free vegetables gained popularity, especially among health-conscious buyers.
- Social media and WhatsApp: She started fielding orders from nearby cities, growing her customer base
Outcomes
- Rising Incomes:Kavitha who was earning nearly nothing now earns 10000–15000 INR($120-$180) per month from scratch to higher income within next 2 years.
- Skill Development: Learned organic farming, rainwater harvesting etc through experiential learning.
- This has also led other women in the community to join the gardening project as well. Today, the village has formed a network of 25 women who market their produce together and all benefit from it, which not only helps everyone economically but also strengthens the community.
- Addressing environmental benefits: Organic methods improved the soil structure, reduced dependence on agro chemicals and water management in the village.
Challenges and Solutions
- Pests and Crop Failures: Initially Kavitha got pest problems, but with the proper training on organic control of pests that led to minimal impact.
- Market Access: The NGO support helped Kavitha sell in urban markets, however transportation costs were still an issue for her. In response, the women created a cooperative to pool their transport funds.
Conclusion
Kavitha gardening story is the inspiration of women in rural areas to get small scale gardening to be more of self independent. Her story will remind us that when given little resources but with the right assistance, rural women can perform in sustainable agriculture not just from a household income perspective, but to also in contributing to the local food system.