Women in a Bokaro village turn barren land into mango orchard, rake in moolah
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Bokaro: The women of Kathal Tola in Hesim village, a tribal dominated hamlet in Bokaro's Kasmar block, have turned a barren landscape into a fertile mango orchard with the help of several state assistance schemes.
For the women, life changed for the better in 2015 when they began planting mango saplings in a five-acre land in their village with the assistance of MGNREGS, Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) and a few NGOs.
The hilly terrain of Hesim offered little in terms of irrigation or soil fertility, but through collective effort and guidance, the women turned the impossible into a thriving success.
Information about the state govt's Birsa Harit Gram Yojana reached the women through MGNREGS at the panchayat level.
Under this initiative, the women received training, saplings, and were assured access to markets for their produce. Previously, lack of fair pricing and proper markets left farmers disheartened.
"In 2025, we sold more than 15 quintals of mangoes through Grameen Harit Kranti Farmer Producer Company, our own establishment which was formed under the FPO scheme of Nabard. This not only brought in significant income but also enhanced our social standing.
Our mangoes were never valued earlier. Now they are special," Shravani Devi, a woman from the village, said. Besides mangoes, the women now practice mixed farming and grow sweet potatoes, vegetables, and kurthi based on annual crop planning.
Many women, especially from the Santoshi Mahila Mandal, are now earning Rs 45,000 to Rs 55,000 annually and actively participating in family decisions.
"The way these tribal women have become self-reliant is truly inspiring. It shows the power of convergence between govt schemes and community effort. Their journey is as a beacon of Nari Shakti (women power)," Bokaro deputy commissioner Ajay Nath Jha said, lauding the efforts of the women.
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