From ISRO Scientist to an Organic Date Farmer - a unique story

An ex ISRO scientist and a pioneer in the field of organic date farming ,the story of Diwakar Channappa is a tale of sheer determination and love towards farming and nature. In an effort to grow something unique, he became the first farmer to grow organic dates in Karnataka. 

Towards the Roots

Belonging to an agricultural family, Diwakar comes from a small village Begur in rural Karnataka. Their village lost it's existence due to unprecedented expansion of Bengaluru city. They were forced to take farming land 100 km away from Bengaluru which was no way profitable to them. His father was a farmer growing Ragi, corn and Toor daal but somehow never found farming profitable hence he always wanted Diwakar to move away from roots and excel in life through education.Respecting her father's wish, Diwakar bagged a Masters degree in social work and also worked as a visiting faculty at Tumkur University. He also worked with ISRO as a Project scientist in a social project till he set on to a new life journey in 2009.

Embarking to a new Journey

In 2009, his father suffered a stroke which paralyzed him significantly. Diwakar decided to return to his roads and he came back to his village. When he spent first year with his father, he realised that he was not at all willing to live a city life. However the major catalyst for shifting towards agriculture was the book 'One straw Revolution' written by a Japanese farmer Masanobu Fukuoka. After reading the book for few days,he got the courage to visit his father's farm which he was never allowed to visit. He then decided to move towards farming.

Cultivating a Desert Crop

Initially Diwakar cultivated local crops like to Toor daal, Corns and Ragi. The output was however very poor. At this moment his mother reminded him that why his father didn't liked that he should not opt for farming. Even his In laws were also very upset as they married their daughter to an ISRO scientist and now he opted for agriculture. It was a very tough face for Diwakar. 

He finally decided to take up date cultivation which was actually a crop grown in arid and hot desert region of Saudi Arabia, Oman and Egypt. Before taking up this new venture, he met a Date farmer at one Krishi Mela which was organised in Bangalore. The farmer was from Tamilnadu and was distributing pamphlet on how to cultivate dates in India. Diwakar traced the farmer and went to Tamilnadu to learn all about date farming. Diwakar says" it is a myth that dates can grow only in deserts. All they need is ample sunlight and a lot of moisture. " Diwakar then purchased 150 saplings costing rupees 3000 each with an investment of 4.5 lakhs. He was mocked and people laughed at him however he continued with his decision. He dug 2x2 pits  in the farm and put river sand in it. He then nourished each pit with castor cake, vermicompost, neem and panchgavya and planted saplings in it.

Yielding of Dates

It was in 2013, nearly 4 and half years after planting dates saplings that he saw the first flowering. It was an in memorable moment in his life. In first year, he extracted 800 kg of dates which multiplied to 5 tonnes till now. He is able to generate an income of 6 lakhs per acre from his 2.5 acre farm. As per Diwakar, farming comes up with its own challenges. It was not at all an easy task to take up farming from by switching the job of ISRO scientist however for him a slow and peaceful life was more valuable than any other assets.

Other Initiatives

Diwakar also organize harvest festival two times annually which attracts numerous visitors and sets up a unique connection between farmers and consumers. Apart from dates, Diwakar is also cultivating traditional crops like Ragi, Sugarcane ,Millets and many varieties of paddy hence presenting a sustainable model of farming. He has also collaborated with Udhbhavaha, a  special school in Bengaluru providing alternative education in which he invites students to his farm hence nurturing them with the unique experience of farming and connecting them with the roots.

People like Diwakar are unique examples of those persons who listen to their life's calling and  follow their passion by keeping mental peace over luxuries and greed!

 The Architect Duo from Bengaluru - Houses designed by them are Saving Lakhs of Litre of Water

If I say that I am going to construct a house in which there will be zero water bill , almost negligible electricity bill and the cost of house maintenance is also minimum, what will be your response? Ecocological architecture answers this question very effectively. Meet the Architect duo Chitra Vishwanath and Vishwanath S whose green buildings are setting standards in the field of green architecture and they are a popular name in this field.

Introducing the Amazing Personalities

Chitra Vishwanath has completed her diploma in Civil engineering from Nigeria and degree of Bachelor of Architecture from CPET University, Ahmedabad. She started practicing architecture in 1990. She got married to S Vishwanath, a civil engineer by profession specialized in water harvesting structures and water management and is also the founder of their architectural firm BIOME Solutions along with her wife Chitra. Chitra is currently the Principal Architect and Managing Director of BIOME Environment  Solutions.

Starting BIOME Environment Solutions

After starting her practice in 1990, Chitra noticed that about 50% of the world total energy consumption comes from field of construction and it is one of the biggest producers of greenhouse gases. As per Chitra once Gandhiji told Lorry Baker that all the materials needed for construction of house should be obtained from a 5 km radius from the existing site." but why from 5 km radius why not just below your feet? You can collect the soil just below your feet to make your house. " with this belief , she laid the foundation of BIOME Environment Solutions in 1991 - a multi disciplinary firm providing a complete solution to ecological issues established with a mission to built eco friendly and sustainable structures with minimum energy demands.

Challenges Faced

Chitra is one of the pioneers in the field of eco architecture but this incredible journey was challenging indeed. When she started her journey, her peers considered this thought as unworthy and awful. " It was rather disrespectful. " She smiles. Her first project was their own house built in 1995. With a spark in her eyes, she says " My house is a laboratory for me. Before we teach the world , we designed our own home in an eco friendly manner. It is closest to our heart."

The Sweet Home

They built their sweet home in 1500 square feet plot about 33 year ago from locally available resources. The walls are made up of locally available mud and mortar crushed bricks providing insulation and strength to the house. The house outlines low bamboo gate and recharge well at the front door for water harvesting. Most fascinating feature of the house is that it is naturally ventilated and it has no fan and well planted with trees all around. Most of the wood used in house is recycled. The house uses each and every drop of water in a city like Bengaluru where water comes from Kaveri ,100 km away from the city. Grey water from Green toilet is used for growing rice and irrigating other plants at the rooftop. Segregation of biodegradable and degradable waste is done for composting and this manure is used to feed kitchen garden. 70% of energy needs are fulfilled by solar panels and rest by a biomas heater installed at rooftop in cloudy days.

Unique Initiatives

So far, the architect duo have designed more than 800 ecofriendly houses so far which are saving more than 1 lakh litre of water. They have also dug 2 lakh recharge wells in association with a local community called "Mannu Vaddar "involved in the digging of traditional wells near Bengaluru. When people started digging borewells, they became jobless. Biome started a mission called "Million Wells for Bengaluru" in 2015 and dug wells with the help of  this community. They are aiming at digging 10 lakh recharge wells in Bengaluru. 

The architect duo is setting standards in the field of Green Architecture by their initiatives and leaving a legacy behind for future generations.Hats off to them!

 Iha Dixit - A Green Warrior and environmentalist at the age of 10

An environmentalist ,a green warrior and an awardee of international Young eco Hero award - Iha Dixit, is a name which is echoing amongst all environment and nature lovers throughout the country at just the age of 10 years.

Introduction

Iha Dixit ,a nine year old is studying in St Francis World school in Meerut  in class 1. Her mother Anjali Choudhary is also a teacher in one of the private school in Meerut where as her father Kuldeep Sharma is running a coaching institute. She has been a brilliant girl in academics as well as fond of planting trees.

Starting a Plantation Drive

Reminding the old days, her father Kuldeep Sharma says that her daughter was always fond of doing something different. When she was 4 years old, she watched a TV cartoon showing the importance of planting trees. Iha started insisting her parents to plant a tree. Finally she planted a lemon sapling with the help of gardner in her home garden. When it sprouted later on, she was filled with immense joy.

One day she heard honourable Prime minister Narendra Modi in one episode of Mann ki baat insisting on planting trees to save environment and to reduce pollution. She now started planting trees every Sunday. As it was a noble deed, her parents has to agree for that.

Opening of Green Smile Club

Initially Iha planted trees alone by digging the holes by herself. When sometimes these plants were damaged by animals or due to weather, Iha was much discouraged but soon started planting saplings again with new zeal. As Iha planted more and more trees, her parents kept on sharing this information on Facebook and other social media platforms. In 2018, she established Green Iha Smile club and several other children joined her in this venture. Seeing her passion, her father organised a bigger event in Meerut at a site provided by Housing and Development board where 1008 saplings were planted. That was a turning point and she was noticed in local media and later on by Prime Minister's office and throughout the country.

Other Initiatives

Due to great passion of small Iha, Child volunteers are now associated with Green Smile Foundation which are preparing mini forests, parks and green belts in their surroundings collectively. She has also prepared a Plant Bank by collecting plants which are being donated to her by others. She is also developing her own seeds and distributing it to the aspirants of plantation in future. She wants to become an IPS officer. She plants 5 saplings every Sunday on regular basis.

Awards

Iha Dixit has got first place in the competition organised by Action for Nature, a California based NGO which recognises Eco Heroes every year from all over the world. She has been awarded with International Young Eco Hero Award in August 2023. Iha has also been awarded Pradhanmantri Rashtriya Bal puraskar in 2019.

The story of Iha is a live example of passion and enthusiasm for a noble cause. It also reflects that doing something different and unique for the sake of humanity has no relation with the age. Passion can be nurtured in any age provided that suitable environment is provided !

 Deep Narayan Nayak - Raastar Master, a Unique Educator

A mentor, a social worker but above all a revered educator for under privileged children - Deep Narayan Nayak is a respectable name in Bardhman district of West Bengal. He has put forward a 3G learning model in education also known as Raastar Master (Teacher of the street) which has got iconic success in the field of primary education. 

Deep Narayan Nayak - Another name of excellence in education

36 years old Deep Narayan Nayak is a primary school teacher at Tilak Majhi Adivasi free School at Jaba village of Jamudia in Bardhman district of West Bengal. Deep Narayan himself comes from a humble background where he faced several adversities in getting formal education where he lacked a proper uniform, books and copies. Even when he got old books to read and study, he used them joyously and got educated due to his dedication for education. As he himself has gone through tough phase in his life, he decided to pave the path of education for the less fortunate and under privileged ones.

Raastar Master- A Novel Journey

Deep Narayan recalls that he started his journey in 2010 when he saw several Adivasi,Muslim and backward tribal community children leaving the school and education. There were many reasons behind it which included financial problems,poverty, lack of awareness and losing their parents. With an impersonal motive, he started operation blackboard inclusive model in 2014. He painted the outer mud walls of houses along the streets in the villages and converted them into blackboards. Due to this novel idea and efforts to educate these poor children ,he popularly came to be known as Raastar Master.

Raastar Master- A Wholesome Learning Model

During 2020, when Covid 19 broke down, it became a golden opportunity for Deep Narayan to implement this model even more intensively. He started teaching maths and Science on village streets and very soon it became popular. However Deep Narayan has a greater intention then merely teaching children. He aimed at creating a 24 hours learning cycle along with teaching their guardians by these children only. First of all the children, those who have not got any formal education earlier are provided basic education through this street model. These children then educate their parents and grandparents at home so that three generations are simultaneously getting education by this model. Deep Narayan deeply believe that this model can educate a village in less than 5 years which may otherwise take 50 years to do so.

Inculcating Scientific Attitude

With technology opening new horizons everyday, it becomes essential to get updated with it. With this belief, Deep Narayan tries his best to use technology in his lectures by using laptop, phones, projectors and even microscope daily in his classroom. The most important part of this learning model is that he records his lectures with children daily and shows these recorded lectures to their parents through a projector which gives them a great sense of satisfaction. He is also aiming at reducing school drop out rate and promoting adult literacy rate.

A True Altruist

Deep Narayan is more than a teacher ,rather he is a leader and serving the community by going beyond his role. During Covid 19 ,he took the responsibility of vaccination of elderly and pregnant women in the village.He often promotes girl education more than that of the boys to reduce gender inequality in rural areas in his classes. He also designed a mobile library on cycle containing books on various subjects like science ,Ayurved ,fiction and many more to promote reading among children.

Following the Heart's Calling

At present there are about 50 centres in West Bengal and 5 centres in Jharkhand which are running under the model of this teaching. In these centres, children of age 4 to 18 years are getting educated in five languages namely Hindi,  English ,Bangla ,Urdu and Olichiki with 50 teachers and 100 assistant teachers working with him. 

Deepnarayan got awarded with Global teacher award by AkS in 2022, best teacher award by Institute Of Scholars in 2020 and his school got Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar award in 2021 by Ministry of Education, Government of India. Clicked by photographer Saurav Das, one picture of his project Rastaar master got UNICEF photo of the Year 2021 and first position in prestigious Global peace photo award. An innovator, a true leader ,a community worker and an extraordinary educator ,Deep Narayan Nayak is a name which will be sung across generations for his unique work!

 Ashok Chakradhari - an Artisan from Chhattisgarh, the creator of Magic Lamp

Just forget Aladdin's magical lamp ! Ashok Chakradhari ,a Potter from Kondagaon district of Chhattisgarh has made a magical lamp which can light up continuously up to 24 hours. Ashok has paved a new path for all the porters and artisans by designing this creative lamp and increased the prestige of clay art. 

A Childhood filled with Struggle

Ashok lives in kumharpara area of kondagaon district of Chhattisgarh. He belongs to a potter family and his father was also involved in making clay materials and equipments. He was hardly able to study up to class 4th and eventually he got involved in clay art with his father which was his ancestral work also. He was visiting villages and was installing clay tiles at the roofs of houses. This became his ultimate profession. Since then Ashok has been practicing pottery for about 40 years. One decade ago, Ashok's parents passed away and he has to took the responsibility of the whole family.

The Problems Faced

" After the arrival of equipments made up of Steel, plastic and plaster of Paris ,people have become least interested in purchasing clay items. " says Ashok."Even if the people buy these items, they don't pay full money for these items. Apart from this, the business of clay items is also affected by whether changes ,less durability and water scarcity. Many of my fellow potters have left this work and advised me also to do so however I was continuously searching possibilities in that work." he continues. 35 years before, in an exhibition organised in Bhopal ,I met an artisan from Sarguja who had done many innovative experiments with clay. Seeing this I was also searching for limitless opportunities in clay modelling from there only. " says Ashok. Ashok started working over the concept of Magical lamp and after 1 year of continuous labour he was able to design the magical lamp. Formerly Ashok has seen the idea of a similar lamp in YouTube. After failing 3 times, he finally designed the lamp in his 4th attempt. 

What is this Magic lamp? 

This magical lamp is divided into two parts. The lower part has been given a circular base in which the wick is placed. The upper circular part is looking like a tea cattle in which oil is filled. To pour oil from it ,it is connected to the lower part through a clay pipe. The upper chamber is filled with oil and is covered upside down over the lower part by fitting it in a mould. The lamp is designed in such a way that the stream of oil starts automatically towards the lower chamber when oil is less in it. This magical lamp become a boon for Ashok. As he uploaded the photo and video of the lamp on Facebook, he became a celebrity overnight and started getting orders for lamp from all over the country. With increasing demand he has increased their production by hiring 10 more fellow potters including the widows.

From Innovation to Recognition 

Ashok has made this lamp available at E-Commerce platforms also like Amazon. The core purpose of Ashok in designing this lamp is not only to earn money but also to rejuvenate this old age art form and tradition. Ashok is a master trainer at Jheetko Meetki Art Centre, Kondagaon where he is training other artisans also. He has also been felicitated with a merit certificate for his unique work by Ministry of handloom. Apart from this Magic Lamp, he make a lot of other clay products which have a good demand in the market. An NGO and Forest Department have provided him with a mechanised kiln and necessary equipments to ease his business. 

One day, Ashok wishes to upload his Art on YouTube also. He is really a noble potter with shear love for soil and the associated art. " we have originated from earth and one day we will perish into it. " what a spirit, salute to him and his spirit!

For business enquiry, you can contact Ashok on 91-9165185483

 Nageshu Patro - A Coolie at Night, a Teacher in Daytime, a story of a Philanthropist

Ch Nageshu Patro, a 31 year porter has been a face of change for 70 children of Ganjam district of Odisha who are deprived of better education and guidance due to financial difficulties,by providing them free coaching. Due to his altruism and the philanthropic efforts for these children, he has become quite popular.

Nageshu's Story

Nageshu belongs to a cattle grazer family whose income mostly came from grazing goats and sheep. He got his elementary education with difficulties however he was unable to give his high school exams in 2006 due to financial difficulties as his parents were unable to pay his fees. In order to have some income, he shifted to Surat in search of work where he worked in a textile plant for two years . He also worked as a salesman in a mall in Hyderabad but finally he returned to home. Meanwhile he passed his class 10th exam through the money which he earned through his job. He passed his higher secondary exam with correspondence and completed his graduation and post graduation from Berhampur University.

Shaping of A Philanthropist

In 2011, Nagesh's brother informed him about a vacancy for porter in Indian Railways. He cleared all physical and medical tests and got the job. However he was having a strong quest for knowledge and he continued reading and writing at the same time. 

Shaping of a philanthropist

During covid-19, Nageshu's job was adversly affected as the trains were not running in that period. He noticed that many students left their studies during that period in his neighbourhood due to financial difficulties and lack of proper coaching and guidance. Nageshu not at all wanted these children to leave their studies as he himself was a victim of financial difficulties at one time. Suddenly the idea of a free coaching sparked in his mind.

Free Coaching

He started teaching with only 3 children in his neighbourhood. Gradually other students also started joining the coaching and finally at present, there are 70 students studying in Nageshu's coaching. Initially he took a room at rent when started teaching Hindi and Odia and hired teachers for other subjects. To manage the expenses, he is working as a guest lecturer in a private college . He is imparting education to students in his coaching centre up to class 12th.

The Motive Behind

Nageshu is spending most of his salary to pay to the coaching teachers which he is getting by working as a coolie. He is facing a lot of difficulties in teaching these children. He frequently overlook his own needs and inspite of all the difficulties, he is dedicated to give a better future to them. Hats off to the men who is so dedicated towards education of underprivileged children. Let's join hands for such a philanthropist and help him out.

From 12th grade to a 20 Crore Jamun Empire : Rajesh Ojha's Remarkable Journey

Can you ever imagine a start up based on black plum popularly known as jamun in India? With the core purpose of empowering tribal women community of Rajasthan by using their expertise and knowledge on Indian herbs and medicinal plants, Rajesh Ojha laid the foundation of Tribalveda ,an enterprise based solely on jamun. It is one of it's kind of innovative and creative approach in the field of agri based products. 

Early days of struggle

Rajesh Ojha has completed his formal education and passed class 12th from his hometown near

Udaipur. In the search of livelihood he shifted to Mumbai. With this basic level of education, it was quite hard to get a better job in Mumbai. He worked there as a salesman for 14 years however in year 2017 with hardly 1000 rupees in his pocket, he and his wife left Mumbai with a dream to uplift the Grasiya tribal women near Udaipur. 

He took a loan of 2lakhs from his friend and started his entrepreneurship journey with absolutely no knowledge of agriculture.

The Difficult Journey

Rajesh recalls that once he didn't have enough money to support his family. He also faced a lot of hardships in his entrepreuneal journey as he was mocked by his own family members and relatives for opting an agriculture based career. He was disapproved multiple times to leave the comfort of a metropolitan city and reside in forest area. Moreover it was quite difficult to communicate with tribal community and convince them to sell their produce to an unknown person. Despite these challenges, due to his humbleness, simplicity and the purity of intentions ,he gained trust of tribal people and built up strong bond with them with time.

Founding of Jovaki

Jovaki in local language means to enlighten. In 2017,Rajesh founded Jovaki Agro Foods India Private Limited which is the parent company of brand Tribalveda. It is a source of income and livelihood for more than 1000 tribal families. Rajesh noticed that the region was rich in a variety of natural herbs, fruits and medicinal plants however due to lack of storage and processing facilities ,a lot of forest produce like custard apple and Jamun pulp was being wasted. He foresaw a great opportunity in processing these fruits and built up a successful enterprise around it. In Jovaki,  the tribal women are first imparted rigorous training on various steps involved in the processing of fruits like harvesting and collection of fruits, their storage and grading, sorting and washing of quality produce and finally their processing and packaging. The whole process is being done by tribal women.

The products

The company is involved in making of a variety of innovative products like flakes ,strips, vinegar and green tea from Jamun. After making these products,the leftover Jamun seed is sun dried and converted into powder and utilised for medicinal purpose. Also the custard apple pulp is sold in market to caterers and ice cream and dessert industry. The waste which is remaining after processing is used for vermi composting and a part of seeds remaining is used for plantation of same plants. Such a great vision!

Uplifting the Tribal Community

On and average,  70 tribal women are involved in each unit for processing of fruits while another 150 tribal women are supporting them in the collection of fruits there by engaging more than 1000 tribal women in the whole process. Jovaki intends to intervene the remotest parts of forest and provide a sustainable livelihood to the local tribal community, specially women. The 60% of total profit of company goes to these women in such a way that 25000 families are supported indirectly from this innovative business model. The company has also created a general awareness about the significance of local forest produce in the community and is also involved in extensive plantation drive in the region. The company has setup village level processing units not only in Southern Rajasthan but also in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Company Profile and Awards

At present ,Jovaki has a valuation of around 20 crores and expected to grow about 10 times more in upcoming 2 years. After the setting up of the brand Tribalveda, company has started selling it's products on e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart also. Jovaki has been awarded with the 'DBS Foundation Special Enterprise Award 2021 'which is being awarded to only19 companies worldwide because of its innovative 'Socio economic development 'model. With an aim to process 50000 kg of wild vegetables and fruits annually and selling 125 metric tons of forest produce , Jovaki  is targetting to provide livelihood to 18000 tribal families in upcoming years. The company also aims to plant 15 Million trees in the coming years.

Seeing their creative approach, many supporters have come ahead by joining hands with them like CCS NIAM centre for Innovation, Villgro Innovation Foundation, Knowledge Partner RKVY RAFTAAR, Gol Upaya Ventures, IIM Kolkata and ICICI Foundation. 

Rajesh Ojha is gleaming example of entrepreneurship clubbed with a true leadership having a great vision for welfare and upliftment of the society.