Sagardwip, a river-bound region, is home to a resilient community where agriculture plays a vital role in daily life. In Khansaheb Abad, families came together with a shared goal—to cultivate sunflowers and ensure a steady source of edible oil and income.
During a community meeting facilitated through Goonj’s Vaapsi initiative, the villagers identified a challenge they all faced—rising market prices for essentials, especially edible oil. Instead of relying on external sources, they saw an opportunity to grow sunflowers, producing oil for their households while also selling seeds to generate income.
Community members preparing the land
From Idea to Action
With women and men leading the effort, the community secured 6 bighas of land from two village members and began the process of cultivating sunflowers. Over 12 days, they prepared the land, divided it into plots, and planted seeds.
- 2 bighas were dedicated to sunflower oil production.
- 4 bighas were cultivated for seed harvesting.
After three months of care and maintenance, the community celebrated the harvest— oil and seeds generating ₹50,000 from sales.
Sunflower fields in full bloom
Vibrant sunflower fields cultivated by the community to ensure food security and income.
Beyond Oil: A Ripple Effect
For the villagers, this initiative wasn’t just about sunflower cultivation—it became a catalyst for economic independence and resourcefulness.
- “This saved my family the cost of buying oil, and the income from seed sales enabled us manage our expenses better,” shared Namita Bhunia
- “Beyond oil, the seeds also provided fish and poultry feed, as well as organic fertilizers—things we truly needed,” added Khokon Babu
- “Farming had lost its appeal because it often didn’t bring enough returns. But seeing this success, people are now interested in growing more crops,” reflected Jadab Bhunia
This initiative sparked a renewed interest in year-round, diverse farming, ensuring that land remained productive across seasons.
Harvesting Sunflowers
A Step Towards Sustainable Livelihoods
Under Goonj’s Vaapsi initiative, community-led efforts like these highlight how local knowledge, shared resources, and collective action create long-term solutions for sustainable livelihoods.
Our invitation to you is, start from where you are.. From a small change of starting a Goonj kee Gullak or Team 5000, joining a long and deep change process, or things in between- organising a collection drive, a volunteering journey, an internship, or simply walking with us signing for a Goonj monthly newsletter subscription.. More on www.goonj.org or write to [email protected].
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