In the village of Karkat, Agni, a determined member of the self-management group Mahila Samuh, defies convention to pave the way for other women.

From her childhood, she witnessed her father’s fight up close. Being ill, he had to hire people to plow the field. Most of the time, they did not have enough money to pay the workers, so they used to take loans from moneylenders.

Agni’s dream was to grow more crops to support her family, but she often encountered a lack of agricultural machinery. In a tribal society where women are not allowed to use a plow to plow the fields, Agni has a bold idea: use a tractor. Convinced that this approach would be better accepted in her village, she sought help from our local partner team to partner with the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS).

Through his group, Agni submitted an application for a tractor under the Jharkhand government’s agricultural mechanization incentive scheme. The program provided him with a tractor and other agricultural equipment worth the equivalent of CHF 5,000.- with a subsidy of 80%.

Although his decision was not initially well received by his family, Agni’s unwavering determination eventually won their support. After a week’s driving training in Ranchi, she became the first woman tractor driver in Chanho commune. She obtained a loan for half the amount to be paid from her group and the balance was covered by her family.

Agni, now the owner of her own tractor, facilitates access to agriculture for the women in her group. She only asks her colleagues about the cost of fuel. For other people in the village, she charges a thousand rupees per hour to plow the fields, thus earning a very good income from renting her tractor.

In less than a year, she repaid the loan she took out to purchase the tractor, demonstrating the viability of her business. This is an example that proves that if you have strong determination and work hard to achieve a goal, no one can stop success.
“I am happy to financially support my family and honored that many women have come to meet me and are inspired by my journey to create their own. » She is very grateful to the Amar Jyoti team for all the support and guidance that helped her realize her dream.

“I am happy to financially support my family and honored that many women have come to meet me and are inspired by my journey to create their own.”

Agni