There was a time he could not afford ink for his pen, but Vijay Kumar Chansauriya lifted himself out of abject poverty to become a government school teacher in an adivasi village in Madhya Pradesh’s Panna district. When he retired, he donated his life’s savings for the cause of educating underprivileged children.
He was an occasional drinker but ever since a bar opened up in the neighbourhood, his intake of alcohol increased with every passing day. A year later, he had cut off ties with parents and was now to be found sitting in the bar, drinking, till one day he encountered his pregnant sister at the bar…
In Uttar Pradesh, 560,408 women self-help groups across the state’s 75 districts have helped rural women into self employment and economic independence. In Bareilly district, women associated with more than 7,000 SHGs are making barbed wire fences to masalas, growing their business and becoming self-reliant.
His willingness to experiment and try out new techniques of farming have led to farmer Sethpal Singh of Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, being awarded the Padma Shri. Here’s how the 55-year-old farmer practises integrated farming on his 15 hectare farmland.
Gurmeet Bawa, who was a melodious repository of Punjab’s folk culture, was awarded the Padma Bhushan, posthumously on January 26, two months after she passed away. Despite obstacles, the acclaimed Punjabi folk singer chose to go down a difficult path and revived Punjabi folklore through her singing.
Young men and women from the Dangi tribe pay a sprightly homage to their reigning goddess – Dharti Maata – through a traditional dance which is a combination of speed and acrobatics skill.
Sharma Sir never missed ‘lecturing’ his students on the ill-effects of alcohol. A decade later, during a school reunion of his students, the chemistry teacher dropped his usual reserve and danced with his former students. What made him do that? Listen to Reunion, a story that is part of a collaboration between Gaon Connection and the World Health Organization to campaign against alcohol abuse.
As part of a series on raising awareness against the harmful effects of alcohol, here’s the story of Babuji who took to drinking after his wife’s death. His son introduced him to an online campaign which demands abstinence from alcohol for a month. Here’s what led Babuji to quit alcohol forever after restraining himself for 30 days.
From blistered hands and racking coughs to financial savings and bright smiles – this is the story of women of Kedia in Bihar who took up organic farming. It has not just improved the health of their families and the soil, but also transformed their own lives.
Along with 337 tribal women of Bastar, Deena Nath Rajput has formed an FPO – Bhumgadi – to market and sell their forest and agri produce. The FPO now includes 6,100 farmers. Bhumgadi FPO also runs the Bastar Café in Jagdalpur.