We have been saying and hearing that – “India lives in villages!” “The farmer is our best friend!” But now the time has come to think deeply and contemplate on these. For what we are saying and what we are hearing to reach the heart and the mind to accept it, it is necessary to understand the essence of these sentences and put them into practice.
As we progressed in the field of education and technology, our ambitions also naturally increased. New dimensions and new horizons became visible and new goals began to look more tempting. But as we Indians increased in numbers, the countless employment opportunities that appeared to be there also remained insufficient for us, and with this began a period of dissatisfaction, inequality and mental turmoil among the youth.
Shabari Krishi Farm, founded by Jaskaur Meena, is a small example of a positive effort placed in front of our farmer brothers and sisters.
“We are happy that farmers from far and wide visit here. It organises seminars together and try to present agriculture as a modern multi-dimensional business. We are confident that gradually the youth too will get more and more associated with this business. What is needed is only that awakening which gives a new turn to our traditional way of thinking and we should think of working on those possibilities which are already available under our feet and the most permanent possibility in that is our land, our farm. If we love our country then we will also have to learn to love the soil of the country. Economic upliftment of women is the basis of their empowerment. Their means of livelihood should be simple, easy and within their reach,” says Jaskaur Meena.
Women in rural areas have expertise in agriculture and animal husbandry. At Shabri, we have linked them with cow rearing, goat rearing and organic farming. Women have been associated with us in these efforts for the last 15 years by forming self-help groups. She further adds that we aim to help them by showing them the way in their struggle to earn a living.
Self Help Group: Shabri Self Help Group has been actively empowering women economically for the last 15 years. Under this, it has established Shabri Small Scale Industries Centre, where women are running the following small-scale industries: all the machines used in the Small Scale Industries Centre are manufactured in India.
Shabri has continuously produced earthworm manure at Shabri Farm for the last 10 years. About 2500 quintals of organic earthworm manure are produced yearly from the dung obtained from our dairy animals.
