How a Social Organization Planted Joy and Hope in Lives of Countless Rural Women

The ongoing pandemic has expanded and amplified preexisting fault lines like unemployment, social well as economic inequities that have long gone unaddressed all over the world.

 In India, one social organization however continued to work hard to bring some good cheer to rural women who have suffered inordinately due to reverse migration and depleting employment opportunities. While planting millions of trees across the length and the breadth of the country,  Grow-Trees.com also made rural populations happier as every single afforestation project provided them with gainful employment. Here are a few stories that demonstrate how Grow-Trees.com  planted some much-needed hope in the lives of rural women.

Hansidevi from Nathwakhana

When Grow-Trees.com was planting trees via their extensive  Uttarakhand Project, Hansidevi was roped in to initiate a nursery of over 1500 saplings at her home and soon the financial returns began to flow in. Not just that, her produce on maturity will provide her with fodder for her buffaloes and save an annual expense of over Rs.15000 per year. She will also be earning an additional income from fruits and flowers. She continues to enthusiastically learn about the environmental benefits of planting trees and how they will oxygenate the air, curtail soil erosion and create a protective bio-fencing against wildlife intrusions.

Such is her commitment to her nursery that she valiantly battled a recent forest fire to protect her saplings and does not regret losing her hair in the scorching blaze! She says, “I will now continue to nurture my dreams against all odds.”

Maala  from Veepperi

Mala became an intrinsic part of Grow-Trees.com's Tamil Nadu Project. Hailing from  Veepperi village, Maala is part of the Irula tribe and has faced acute economic distress all her life.  She says, “Till now, our tribe has lived with disparities in all areas and nobody has helped us really. But then many women from the tribe, including myself,  gained a livelihood opportunity by planting saplings which we were told were beneficial in more ways than one.” Indigenous varieties like amla,  guava, jackfruit are not only rich in nutrients but also help in generating a sustainable income.

Maala says, “Planting these trees is also good for future generations and for the environment because they will sustain local biodiversity, provide greenery and maintain the ecological balance of our region.”  

Surbali Singh from Laylam Tola Chardungri

Surbali Singh,  joined Grow-Trees.com's Jharkhand Project from the village of Laylam Tola Chardungri. She hails from a large family of seven and initially, it was tough to earn enough to provide sufficiently for every member of the family. She says, “Then my husband and I joined the plantation project initiated by Grow-Trees.com and life took a turn for the better.”

The two also constructed a nursery and participated in tasks such as pit digging, sapling transportation, and plantation. Surbali is now confident of not just ably supporting her family but also knowing that the plantation activities would benefit the villagers in a variety of ways and will help them enhance their quality of life.

Meera Bai from Bardiya

Meera Bai hails from Bardiya, Pratapgarh, and joined Grow-Trees.com's  Rajasthan Project. She is a mother of two and along with her husband was hoping to augment the family income when the opportunity to engage in plantation activities empowered her financially. She says, “This year is a happier one as now we can provide for our family in a much better way.” What makes Meera happiest is that she no longer needs to only confine herself to domestic duties and can offer additional sustenance to the children and satisfy the family's other daily needs with her earnings.