By Monika Paik, from Shyamnagar, Satkhira
In the quiet village of Abad Chandipur, beside the Kadamtala canal in Shyamnagar’s Burigoalini Union, lives Heera Parvin, a 35-year-old woman whose story reflects resilience and renewal. Married to Abdul Aziz, a day laborer, Heera manages a small household of five that include her husband, son, daughter, and a mentally unwell mother-in-law. Their home stands on barely five kathas of land. Life has always been a daily struggle.
But Heera’s life began to change when she joined a farmers’ group formed by BARCIK in 2024 at nearby Pankhali village. From training workshops, exchange visits, and agroecology learning sessions led by supervisor Konika Rani Mondol, she learned the fundamentals of vegetable cultivation, local seed conservation, and organic pest control.
Eager to put her learning into practice, Heera started conserving seeds from her own vegetable harvests. Every season, she sprouted them in small pots and transplanted the seedlings in her homestead garden. She also began preparing natural pesticides using local ingredients to protect her crops without chemicals. Gradually, her small yard turned into a thriving green patch of life which is filled with vegetables, herbs, and local fruit trees.
Heera Parvin said, “With BARCIK’s support, I learned how to grow vegetables naturally. We now produce enough for our family’s needs, and I sell the surplus in the local market. Natural farming costs almost nothing, only physical effort. Our family eats better, and we rarely fall sick.”
Inspired by her success, many women in her village have followed Heera’s example, starting their own home gardens. Beyond her household, she now advises neighbors, shares seeds, and promotes nutrition awareness among other farmers.
She said, “I dream of a healthy family and a healthy village. If we can ensure safe food at home, we can build stronger communities.” From a struggling homemaker to a local champion of nutrition and agroecology, Heera Parvin has proven that sustainable farming begins at home and that empowerment grows best when rooted in the soil of determination.
