Life in the remote villages of the Ghatol block in Rajasthan’s Banswara district has never been easy. Water scarcity, lack of employment opportunities, inadequate access to education, and the weight of entrenched social traditions have persisted for generations in these hilly tribal regions. Yet amid these challenges, a group of women has emerged who have not only transformed their own lives but have also become sources of inspiration for their communities. Without formal education and with limited resources, they have ignited meaningful change in their villages.
Indra Devi’s story is one of water and dignity. At 45, Indra is now a well-known figure in Goj Rathore village, though her journey began in entirely ordinary circumstances. A farmer by occupation, she faced the daily struggle of cultivation in the hilly terrain of Ghatol—parched land, scarce water, and low yields despite relentless labour. This was the reality she lived with until she joined Vaagdhara’s Gram Swaraj group. There, she learned about government schemes and heard for the first time about the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, which opened up new possibilities.
The scheme was not merely a policy promise. It provided drip and sprinkler irrigation systems to marginal farmers, helping conserve water and improve productivity. When a government official contacted Indra for the first time, she was sceptical and surprised that the administration was reaching out to her. Encouraged by a Vaagdhara field worker and supported by the Gram Sevak, she decided to act. What began with ten families soon expanded to twenty, fifty, and then hundreds. To date, Indra has helped more than 250 families access the scheme.
Her role went far beyond paperwork. She regularly travelled to the government office at Roopji ka Kheda to collect application forms, returned to the village to explain procedures, helped link Aadhaar cards with mobile numbers, completed OTP verifications, and coordinated with banks. Often, she paid for petrol from her own pocket to take villagers to offices. Each beneficiary received around 700 feet of drip pipes and 40 sprinkler heads. Indra also organised training sessions outside her home to demonstrate installation and maintenance of the systems.
Though not a technical expert, she offered guidance on minor issues, steadily building trust. Today, villagers respectfully address her as “Didi.” Her work extended beyond irrigation. Through Vaagdhara, she connected farmers to vermicompost and improved seeds. One of her most significant achievements came in 2019, when she mobilised women to collectively demand water infrastructure. Their efforts led to the installation of hand pumps, freeing women from the daily task of walking nearly a kilometre to fetch water.
The journey was not without resistance. Initially, villagers gossiped, and her husband objected to her stepping out and discarding the veil. Over time, as results became visible, opposition faded. Today, he proudly supports her work. At Vaagdhara’s Delhi Swaraj Samvad in 2025, Indra spoke into a microphone for the first time and sang before a large audience—an experience that symbolised recognition, confidence, and self-respect.
Meera Devi’s story is one of quiet determination. A resident of Jajor Kanta village, Meera has farmed for over three decades. Born into poverty, she lost her mother at a young age and never had the chance to attend school. Farming became her life early on. Now in her mid-fifties, she lives with her two grandchildren. Her son died years ago due to alcohol addiction, and after his death, her daughter-in-law returned to her parental home and cut off contact. This created barriers in accessing government schemes, many of which require the consent or thumbprint of the children’s mother.
For someone who never learned to read or write, navigating bureaucratic processes was daunting. Yet Meera persisted. She learned how to obtain documents such as Aadhaar and ration cards, collect forms from the tehsil office, and secure signatures from the sarpanch. The knowledge she acquired through personal struggle is now shared widely. She goes door-to-door explaining procedures in simple language, helping families understand what documents are needed and how to apply.
Although she was unable to enrol her own grandson in the Palanhar scheme due to the absence of his mother, Meera continues to assist others. Recently, she supported a family whose children had lost their father to suicide. With her guidance, the family received Palanhar benefits, ensuring regular assistance for the children. Through trust and community participation, Meera has become a key local link for the scheme. Her leadership ensures that vulnerable children are not overlooked and that government support reaches those most in need.
Taku Devi’s story centres on seeds and tradition. At 55, she lives with her husband Lalu Ram and son Sunil. Like many women in the region, her life once revolved around household responsibilities and subsistence farming. That changed in 2019 when she joined Vaagdhara’s Saksham group. Through regular meetings, she learned about traditional agriculture, indigenous seeds, and biodiversity conservation. These discussions resonated deeply, reconnecting her with ancestral farming knowledge. She later became an active member of the Farmer and Tribal Swaraj Organization.
With renewed confidence, Taku began collecting and preserving indigenous seeds—wheat, maize, kuri, kodra, kang, and other millets grown by her family for generations. Initially sourced from elders, her seed collection expanded through new varieties received via Vaagdhara, which she successfully cultivated. She stores the seeds carefully at home, ensuring continuity year after year.
Alongside crop cultivation, Taku planted 10–15 varieties of fruit-bearing trees around her home, including mango, guava, and lemon. Recently, she cultivated green gram and earned around ₹20,000, a significant contribution to household income. Surplus produce is sold locally or shared with other women. Importantly, she passes on her knowledge to women unable to attend meetings, encouraging them to adopt indigenous seeds and traditional practices. Through these efforts, Taku contributes to biodiversity revival, better nutrition, and resilient livelihoods.
Mani Devi’s story is one of courage and social change. Raised in Jethalia village, she grew up in an environment where girls’ futures were decided early. Child marriage, school dropouts, and early domestic responsibilities were considered normal. Mani chose to challenge this norm. After joining Vaagdhara and attending meetings of the Krushi avm Aadivasi Swaraj Sangathan, she gained confidence to speak about child rights, laws against child marriage, and social discrimination.
Initial resistance was strong. Villagers and relatives reacted with disbelief when she spoke against child marriage and untouchability. Mani persisted calmly. A turning point came when she learned that a 13-year-old girl in her village was about to be married. Mani approached the family, explained the legal, health, and social consequences, and when persuasion failed, sought support from the panchayat and Childline. The marriage was stopped—the first such intervention in the village. Since then, she has helped prevent more than five child marriages, sometimes physically intervening and, with Vaagdhara’s support, involving the police.
Recognising that education is key to prevention, Mani worked to bring girls back to school, visiting families affected by migration and poverty. Her efforts led to several girls returning to education, and some families even stopped migrating for work. Parents now openly acknowledge her role in securing their daughters’ futures.
As an Anganwadi worker, Mani strengthened health and nutrition services in Jethalia. She ensured timely care for pregnant women and newborns, organised vaccination and nutrition camps, promoted nutrition gardens with indigenous plants, and supervised the Anganwadi kitchen to ensure clean and nutritious meals for children. Through awareness sessions, she engaged mothers on health and nutrition issues, reinforcing long-term change.
Though distinct, these stories share a common truth: when women are given the right platform, knowledge, and community support, they can transform not only their own lives but also the direction of society. Indra turned water scarcity into opportunity, Meera transformed personal loss into collective care, Taku revived traditional seed systems, and Mani challenged deep-rooted social practices. Their education came not from textbooks, but from lived experience.
Organisations like Vaagdhara have played a critical role by providing information, collective platforms, and spaces for women to speak, learn, and lead. Through empowerment groups, farmer collectives, and regular dialogues, these women gained confidence and solidarity. Today, they are leaders in their villages—proof that change does not arrive from elsewhere, but emerges from within communities, led by ordinary people who show extraordinary courage.
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*Social development practitioner
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