“I have always hoped to empower women to take action and increase their awareness of and respect for the dignity of work because I cannot imagine any woman just being a housewife,” says Kygum, a leading farm entrepreneur from Jaluke B village in Peren District of Nagaland. In her village, Kygum urges the women fold to engage in productive activities to enhance their social and economic status to bring more empowerment to the communities.

Kygum’s journey to becoming a sustainable farmer started in 2017 when she got in touch with the Development Association of Nagaland (DAN), a Caritas India partner. She then began focusing her full-time attention on developing better farming techniques.

In 2017, with the help of the DAN Animator who frequently visited her village under the Caritas India FARM Northeast programme formed Bata (meaning self-reliance) farmer’s club. Kygum supports the 10 women who make up the group as they collaborate to promote organic products and traditional crafts.

She leased her land to the Bata Farmers Club in 2018 so they could create a community garden and grow a variety of crops, including cucumber, ginger, yam, and maize. Everywhere they came across unused land in their villages, the group members planted betel nut saplings to become self-sufficient. The group suggested that the potential buyers in the Jalukie area purchase the saplings. They received Rs 20,000 from the betel nut sapling each year.

In 2019, the group revived the long-lost indigenous seed of millets and cotton from old Jalukie. The women from the group had also grown Job’s tears and five of the families are currently growing millets.

Bata farmers always seize the opportunity to promote their farm products in order to generate income. They participated in the DAN-organized organic mela, where they exhibit and sold their agricultural products, handicrafts, and value-added goods.

They go to market their agricultural products in a rotational system so that all of the members can share in the profits.

DAN advised the group to value addition to make better money, like making ginger candies or pickles. The groups began to receive a monthly income of between Rs 20,000 and 25,000. The group currently has two community gardens where various crops, such as millets and fruits, are grown, as well as a farm that produces dragon fruits, from which they receive a monthly payment of between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000.

Kygum was only a homemaker, but through determination and hard work, she not only became independent but also helped her group members market their goods to make money. Kygum’s contributions were acknowledged by Caritas India, which provided her with a chance to participate in the Kisanotsav in March 2019.

Recently, she has been awarded as the 2022 best Lead Farmer in the FARM Northeast programme for her contributions to the community by promoting food and nutrition security initiatives for self-reliance. The model of farm entrepreneurship is not just confined to her village but extended to other programme areas. She has become a lead model for all the women in the village to follow her steps to achieve great progress in life.