A Collective Farming Group Leader - Seema Devi

Quates from Ms. Seema Devi:-- We all are associated with PRAGATI since 2006. After the association with organization, their staffs used to come and we started our group meetings. We also discuss for savings in meetings. We have taken 10 katha agriculture land on lease in 2009. Problem of Food insecurity lessen after starting farming. We are now satisfied now. Our children are now  going to schools. Now women of group don’t have to take loan from money lenders.

This is the success journey of women group who organized themselves as institution and started collective farming while taking agriculture land on lease to overcome from the challenges of hunger and denied to work as daily wage labour. Capacity building training programs of local organization called Pragati Grameen vikas Samity organized them and strengthen them to realize their rights over land and livelihood. Vital role played by the women of this group in land movements given them recognition as women leaders and inspiring other women to join the struggle for identity and recognition as women farmer in the society.  

There is a woman farming group in Devnarayan Nagar tola of Baruhi Village who has 11 women members. This is belongs to Mushar community organized and formed its institution in 2009. This is being led by Ms. Seema Devi.

Before the intervention of the organization, the Mushar community of Baruhi village was facing the challenges of landlessness, poor economic scenario of Dalit households, and no access to health and education. Migration was another serious issue that enforces the Dalit women remained alone in villege with children and work as daily wage labor on others land. Daily wage labour works are only available hope for their survival in agriculture seasons and remaining period; they have to face the painful challenge of hunger. The Dalit community of Baruhi village got associated with Organization in 2006. The organization started sensitizing the Dalit community on their rights and entitlements. In this process Pragati has started orienting community to realize their strengths and further organized as issue based units. There was one of the groups of women from Mushar community in Baruhi village who formed their institution as mutual helped group. This women group came forward and started saving credit activities that strengthened their group for further intervene in livelihood activities. While ensuring active participation in Land movements of organization to access homestead land, this women group has also acquire 0.30 land on lease for group farming and collectively these women started cultivating potatos, Paddy, Pulse and other seasonal crops. The group has transplanted paddy on 0.30 decimal area of land by taking it on lease and paid 3000 rupees to landowner as well as group has also planted potato and Masur (Pulse) on waste land that was around 0.45 decimal. Joint efforts of the group produced 800 kgs Potato, 640 kgs Paddy and 80 kgs Masur (Pulse).

The women of that were glad to achieve the success in terms of yields which has partially ensured their food grain need of households especially during the lean period agricultural seasons. This locally discovered land associated livelihood option supports their household food need to all women members of that group along with also shown them a way to ensure women’s rights over land and further recognition as women farmer. This women as farming groups specially Ms. Seema Devi inspiring other women to adapt collective farming a successful land based agriculture model for food security and livelihood.

Broader perspective of this women group is to acquire the identity as farmer so that they could avail the entitlements of various national and state sponsored schemes on smallholder agriculture. With this perception they will also ensure women’s rights over land an integral part of their livelihood for their economic feasibility.