“Unlike a stunted bonsai plant, I aspire to become a redwood”, says Jasmita Mohanta, a 32 year old inspiring woman,  hails from Khuntakata village which is apparently 15 km away from the Thakurmunda block of Mayurbhanj district in north Odisha. After receiving a basic education, she got married to Patel Chandra Mohanta of Khuntaposai in 2008 and together, they are a family of four! The family was left to survive on their own from the meagre income that they earn from their 1.5 acres of land through paddy cultivation. Sadly, the yield was too low to afford the educational facilities for her two children. However, these tragedies were never enough to let down Jasmita’s spirit. Being a self-taught woman, having experience in vegetable cultivation, she was confident on her own ideas to be self-employed in order to extend a lending hand to her family but not just support her children’s education.

Jasmita’s voluntary participation in a meeting of the village Producer Group brought a turning point in her life when she listened the hard work of members, their positive attitude and determination to try something new and getting success. This could motivate her and soon she convinced her husband to get involved in the Producer Group and bring innovation in cultivation.  Here, the role of her husband cannot be ignored. He delightedly allowed Jasmita to be a member of the village producer group.

Having agricultural roots and lot of experience in vegetable cultivation, Jasmita became a member of Maa Budhipat Producer Group, Khuntakata village which was being promoted by CYSD. Soon she got chances to participate in four orientation programmes along with other members that includes vegetable cultivation, NPM preparation, BDP development and leadership training. Her enthusiasm also led her to participate in a leadership training & exposure visit to Baripada to gain knowledge on Role of Producer Group.

Being an active member of Maa Mangala SHG, Jasmita availed a loan of Rs. 20,000 in the year 2018 from the SHG to start Agri-enterprise and from then she never looked back! In the very first year of her entrepreneurship, she started with the highly demanded vegetable cultivation, like brinjal, tomato, cauliflower and chilly. After earning a suitable profit of Rs. 45000, she was motivated to try something more. Then she continued cultivating watermelon in the same plot of land and gained more than Rs. 20000 within four months’ time! The combined gain was enough to save her family from the debt and poverty cycle they earlier faced. She repaid back the loan borrowed from the SHG.

The unexpected success of Jasmita impressed her husband Patel, who continued to support & cooperate in her initiatives. After success in vegetable cultivation, the couple decided to take up Banana cultivation in one acre of land. Now banana crop is in growing stage and production will come in 3 months’ time.  “We expect an estimated profit of Rs. 60,000/- from the banana cultivation this year. If the weather condition favours we will expand this cultivation to three acres more on lease with the available suckers”, said Jasmita.

Not only did Jasmita succeed in agriculture but also she initiated animal rearing.  In between, investing some amount from the profit she has started livestock rearing. Now, she has been able to acquire 10 goats, 60 ducks and 50 country layer bird which will cost around Rs. 90,000.

Today, Jasmita has stood as a successful entrepreneur changing her role from housewife. She is blessed with her own bank account in Odisha Gramya Bank and sportively taking her own decisions in terms of family expenses and her business. She aspires to provide her children with better higher education. Her determination to achieve something, backed by CYSD, has helped her to come out of the shackle of poverty. Her story has not only touched the lives of local people, but  also12 members have actively shown interest in action to adopt her path and take guidance to yield better in their cultivation refraining from seasonal migration.

Jasmita proudly flaunts by saying, “There is absolutely no need of providing rice with a price of Rs. 2.00 per Kg by the Government, but only timely support from the banks or financial institutions and guidance will help for economic growth of a person”.