Once shattered after losing her husband, the climate champion from Ganjam now cycles between villages, guiding women on climate-friendly farming and leading a change.
00:00In Brajesh Penta village of Odisha's Ganjam district, a quiet revolution is underway.
00:23At its heart is Swarnalata Sahu, a woman in her early 40s clad in a simple salwar kameez whose calm voice now carries the weight of change.
00:37She is a climate champion guiding farmers through the system of rice intensification or SRI, an archaeological method that uses fewer seeds, less water and minimal chemical inputs yet delivers better yields.
00:53In a village of 148 households, her influence has grown.
01:19About 20 women farmers have adopted the SRI method, refusing to remain just helping hands in agriculture.
01:27She had a few few people in the country.
01:29In the first place, the SRI is a very vulnerable group.
01:32However, when the people say that the SRI will be able to empower the drop of the SRI, we can do less, less water and less water.
01:47One of the first to follow her was Naini Pradhan, a farmer.
02:14Others soon echoed the same, farmers say fewer seeds are now yielding more
02:44to Paddy.
02:45Swarnalata's journey here was born of loss.
02:50Widowed in 2023, she returned to her in-laws' village with her two young daughters.
02:56She joined ECRICC as a climate champion, an initiative supported by the UNI.
02:57She joined ECRICC as a climate champion.
02:58She joined ECRICC as a climate champion, an initiative supported by the UNDP and the government
03:05of Odisha.
03:06Today, she cycles from one village to another.
03:07Today, she cycles from one village to another.
03:08Helping more than 150 farmers embrace climate-friendly cultivating.
03:09She also then helped be a new development as a child.
03:10She also joined the ECRICC as a climate champion, an initiative supported by the UNDP and the
03:27government of Odisha. Today, she cycles from one village to another, helping more than
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