The Same Old Story
Bamani was tired of seeing family’s broken, and leaving her community, so she decided to act
Bamani and other Cadres are becoming what these villages call “change makers.”
Bamani and her husband, Sam, said goodbye to another group of young people leaving their village searching for work. For years, migration out of Tutra Pahad, India, had left families broken and hurting. For Bamani, breaking up her family was not an option. She admitted that finding work at times was difficult, even with her education. But she was determined to stay and contribute to her community.
Her community struggled with new ways to gain income and have enough to eat. Rice was hard to come by, and proper land to farm was virtually impossible to find. Limited access to forests for fire and lumber meant few jobs in the community. There is also extensive erosion on the sloping fields/forest where slash & burn farming was practiced. These reasons meant many community members had to leave to find work elsewhere to support their families. Families became split up and suffered profoundly from being separated.
Then one day, Bamani had the opportunity to make a difference. Tearfund and its church partner, EFICOR, chose Bamani and several others to be ‘Cadres’ (community organizers). Cadres are members of the community that are seen as leaders and facilitators. They carry unique knowledge and wisdom, enabling their communities to thrive. Because these Cadres are respected, they were the few chosen to become conservation agriculture (CA) facilitators.
For Bamani, having the knowledge and training in CA meant she was responsible for helping her neighbour’s farm in new ways to help them produce more food and one day climb out of poverty. She knew that because many in the village struggled with language, handing out materials and lecturing about conservation agriculture would not work well. So Bamani led by example and demonstrated how CA produces more sustainable yields.
Bamani quickly started a kitchen garden to practice the new CA techniques. Almost immediately, she began to grow better and more nutritious vegetables. She joyfully shared that “my little boy, Prince, loves the new vegetables and lentils. So not only can I grow more, but I’m also setting a good example for nutrition.”
Other people in the village soon took note, and the transformation has been remarkable. For the first time in years, the community has begun believing they can sustain their families in their village. It has already started to reduce the number of families migrating for work.
With your prayers and donations, Tearfund and EFICOR are working and hiring locals like Bamani to provide training and examples of positive CA farms to other families in their villages. Bamani shared that “all of these life skills will be modelled in my village, but also shared in the villages I am assigned to.” Bamani and other Cadres are becoming what these villages call “change makers.”
Although towns like Bamani’s face more issues like soil erosion and poor nutrition, leaders like Bamani have begun to create a culture of change and hope. Thanks to you and other supporters of Tearfund, Bamani and other cadres will continue to work with our partners EFICOR to make lasting changes that will keep families together and help them thrive in their indigenous land.
