By Sachini Madurapperuma

The image of a village garden, especially in a community committed to sustainability and collaborative development, embodies the enduring idea of ​​resilience, empowerment, and environmental stewardship. This idealized guide reflects the strength and adaptability of women in rural settings, who are often the central part of their families and communities. Their roles transcend traditional boundaries, integrating agricultural practices with environmental consciousness, fostering a culture of sustainability that transcends generations.

After 30 years of war in Sri Lanka, the Northern People’s Planning Forum has supported a rural ecological approach that seeks to revitalize livelihoods and restore hope among the affected population. The initiative stands as a beacon of transformation, focusing on promoting alternative livelihoods that not only generate income but also respect and conserve the local environment. By integrating traditional knowledge with modern sustainable practices, the forum encourages communities to grow crops sustainably, adopt organic farming techniques, and engage in environmentally friendly practices. Women play a crucial role in these efforts, a milestone in the path of the idealized feminine image of a village household. This is the Story of Devanandan Sathyavadani.

I’m Sathyawadani. I have two children; my husband and I have been here for 8 years. When we started gardening, we had no knowledge or understanding, and we had no way to earn money. So, I constantly wondered how we could get out of these economic difficulties. There were days when we could not even afford to eat a single meal. As women, when we were looking for what we could do to move forward, we came to know about Peasant Producers Collective . Through them, we gained knowledge, understanding, and guidance about gardening. We buy poisonous food from the store. We also got the nutritional importance of feeding our children something that we grew ourselves, and we also got mental satisfaction from this cultivation. They regularly came to visit our crops and gave us advice.

The realistic truth of life that the first step towards anything different can be very difficult and difficult is also evident in her story. The beginning of her journey towards gardening was full of crises. It was like sowing seeds in barren land. Despite facing countless challenges, she refused to give up. The dream of a better life with every drop of sweat has built her into a successful homemaker day by day.

It was very difficult in the beginning. But we never gave up. Somehow, following the advice we received, we continued to cultivate. We were able to cultivate enough to support our children and ourselves and achieve economic prosperity.

She is a testament to the hope for environmental and agricultural change in a small village. She provides an example of a strong yet courageous woman who has not given up hope and resilience in a more difficult and challenging social, political and economic environment. She demonstrates through her experiences a more practical and attitudinal vision of sustainable practices that can lead to broader socio-political change by coming together as a community, through collective efforts to address systemic challenges.

We understood that society will change only if we change individually. She encouraged us to start this garden and experience the life-changing impact it can have. Indeed, we are experiencing it today. Although gardening is difficult in the beginning, when you continue to do it, seeing the fruits of the trees in the morning and evening brings true joy in the results of your hard work. I experience a different kind of satisfaction in enjoying the fruits that grow right away, harvesting them and preparing them as food. During this gardening, we also take care of animals. We were also taught how to raise cows, goats, and chickens. As a woman, I am satisfied with seeing flowers and fruits grow from gardening and sharing them with guests who come to our house. We use the fertilizer we make from the waste materials we remove from our house for our crops. We also use the waste materials we dispose of from animal husbandry to prepare our own fertilizer. In these 8 years, I have not bought a single egg from outside. I sell twenty eggs a month. We also consume them and the money we get is enough for me.

From planting seeds in accordance with the biodiversity of the Mannar land to building knowledge about Argo- ecological Inputs, she provides Agroecology models for sustainable living. The connection between the land and the community, which has been inherent to human civilization since the dawn of civilization, is reflected even more strongly here. She demonstrates the self-satisfaction of the village household and sustainable self-sufficiency that comes from seeing and touching its fruits. Her demonstration of mixed cropping, which is more productive than monoculture, not only economically but also biologically, adds nutritional value to their diet by nourishing plants and nurturing biodiversity, and also brings to life the sense of community that has been deeply ingrained in Sri Lankans for centuries.

We use fruits like guava, papaya, pomegranate, and anoda that we grow in our own garden every day. In recent times, the price of green chilies has increased to over 2000 per kilo. There are 4 to 5 pods per 100 grams. As women, if we can take an hour out of our time watching TV or looking at our phones and engage in gardening, we can completely change our lives. We share this harvest with those around us. Similarly, even guests who come to our house walk around the garden and are amazed at what we have done. They also ask about it. That way, we become an example to others about how they are doing their gardening in their own gardens.

Women in the North actively contribute to the leadership of community farming groups, participate in workshops on sustainable practices, and lead initiatives that empower others in their villages. Through training programs and collaborative projects, the Forum empowers women to regain their economic independence and become stewards of their environment. By prioritizing community collaboration, these efforts foster a strong network of support and shared knowledge, which ultimately strengthens the resilience of the entire community.

As women, we have to set aside an hour or so of our time and do this. The initial difficulties are only until we build the basic environment for cultivation. After that, we don’t have to stay for long. When we apply fertilizer and water properly and take care of it, it is enough. In the beginning, we also had a lot of trouble. At times, it was difficult because of the sea water. At other times, we ran out of water. But we didn’t give up. Somehow, we stayed for a long time. Little by little, we built our cultivation. We received advice one by one on how to prepare the soil and how to implement the program in animal husbandry. Cultivation gave us money and a productive way to spend our time, as well as a high level of mental happiness.

In a feminist eco-economy, economic injustice against women, environmental degradation, global economic inequalities, and the fundamental relationships between unstable political and environmental systems around the world highlight the crises of deprivation and marginalization that women experience for being women. Feminist eco-economic models view individual, family, community, and other interconnectedness as a complex of interconnectedness, each of which has economic and environmental significance. Central to their nature is the primacy of the work that takes place within households and communities. A small village in Mannar offers us a practical demonstration of these universal political and economic approaches.

We have been given half an acre of land. We have divided it into three parts. One part has been given to the mother and father. Two parts have been given to the eldest son and second son. There are 30 coconut trees. We do gardening around the house. We grow eggplant, chili, mackerel, greens, mango, jackfruit, guava, anoda, banana, jambu, strawberry and medicinal plants. We raise chickens, goats and cattle. My husband also has an income. That income is added to the income from my gardening. If we don’t have that, we have to go to the shop to buy vegetables or anything else. Then we have to depend on the husband. Now we have a lot of money left over from this gardening. We get income from the animals as well as from the cultivation. Only if we both work together can we get a more successful income. I also need the support of the husband. It is because of his support that I have reached this level. Sometimes, while I work in the garden, my husband cooks at home. We often share the work. When planting crops, we have to tie the knots. My husband comes and cuts the necessary rods and ties the knots. I do the other work, such as watering, fertilizing, and removing weeds. We definitely work together.

We make compost. We collect all the waste we throw away at home and process it into fertilizer. We also add animal waste to it. In addition, we grow Gliricidia. Once a year, we cut them and put them on the fields to make fertilizer. In addition, we make fireweed as an insect repellent. We also make jeevamrutha, fish tonic and Vermi compost. I now have a lot of confidence in natural farming. Because we have been doing it for years now and have seen its success. When we go to trainings, each one shares their experiences with us.

This is not just a story about a model garden; it represents a deeper theme towards a more sustainable and just future. It illustrates how, despite the scars of war, communities can come together to create a new path – a story anchored by resilience, driven by the empowerment of its members and dedicated to nurturing the land they maintain. This collective vision not only honors the past, but also paves the way for a prosperous, peaceful community, depicting the spirit of a people working for peace and prosperity.