Renu Devi belongs to a Scheduled Tribe household in Bendi (Jagarbandha) village, where her family primarily depended on rain-fed paddy cultivation and occasional wage labour. With limited land and agricultural knowledge, she faced challenges in ensuring regular access to nutritious vegetables and generating additional household income.
Joining the programme
In April 2024, Muskan Foundation, in collaboration with ICAR, New Delhi, initiated a Vegetable Seed Support and Training Programme in the tribal areas of Katkamdag. Mobilised through local Self-Help Group members, Renu attended a village-level training session and received a seed kit containing tomato, bottle gourd, spinach, chilli and okra.
She also received practical training in organic compost preparation, raised-bed cultivation, natural pest control, seasonal cropping and irrigation techniques. With continued guidance from the Foundation’s field team, Renu established a kitchen garden on seven decimals of land near her home.
The results
Within six to eight weeks, she began harvesting spinach and okra for household consumption. By the end of the season, surplus tomatoes and bottle gourds enabled her to earn approximately ₹2,500 through local sales. Her family also saved an estimated ₹800–₹1,000 per month on vegetable purchases.
Renu’s journey shows how agricultural training, seed support and community-based guidance can strengthen women’s participation in farming.
Impact & Outcomes
- Improved NutritionIncreased access to fresh vegetables for household consumption
- Household SavingsSaves an estimated ₹800–₹1,000 per month on vegetables
- Additional IncomeEarned about ₹2,500 through local sales of surplus produce
- Skill DevelopmentAcquired practical knowledge of sustainable kitchen gardening
- Community InspirationHer garden became a learning site for other SHG women
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