(Photo:) Madhuri was happy using this power reaper as it reduced her drudgery and also saved a significant amount of time for her as it required almost 48 hours to harvest a 1-acre paddy field manually while it could be harvested in only 3 hours with a reaper.
BATIAGHATA, Bangladesh, October 17, 2024 - Madhuri Mallick, a 34-year-old resident from Fultola, Batiaghata, has transformed her life through innovation and training, leaving behind a life of poverty and deprivation. Living in a household of four without any farming land, Madhuri used to work as a day laborer, struggling with minimal income and an uncertain future. That changed in 2016 when she joined the USAID funded Sustainable Intensification Innovation Lab (SIIL) project of IRRI in polder 30 and learned about mechanized farming.
Initially, Madhuri received training on operating a power reaper, a machine that speeds up rice harvesting. Before this, she toiled in the fields during the Aman and Boro seasons, earning just USD 45-75 after 12 to 22 days of exhausting manual work. With the power reaper, she could cut her harvesting time down, earning the same amount (USD 45-75) in 4- 5 days.
As her skills grew, so did her opportunities. Madhuri began providing reaping services in her community, eventually working 17 to 27 days each cropping year. However, moving the heavy machine was a challenge. To help her overcome this, the project introduced the "wife-husband model," where her husband assisted her in the fields. This teamwork allowed her to work longer hours and boost her income.
Over 10 farming seasons, Madhuri’s earnings grew steadily. She used her income to invest in livestock. What started as one cow has since grown to seven, and she recently sold one to support her expanding business venture. From 2020 to 2024, Madhuri’s net income amounted to BDT 131,870. She used this income to repair her house and cattle shed, purchase agricultural inputs and livestock feed, and maintain her agricultural machinery. Additionally, she invested in her children’s education, ensuring a brighter future for them. Part of her earnings also went toward groceries for both her family and her small business.
She opened a grocery shop that continues to grow and provides her with a steady income throughout the year. Her investments in livestock and her shop have created a reliable income, securing her family’s future. Today, her son is pursuing an honors degree, and her daughter is married and settled, all thanks to the financial stability she has worked so hard to build. Now, she is planning to expand her house and invest more in her business to secure her children’s future.
After the SIIL project, she continued to get support from CGIAR Asian MegaDeltas Initiative. Madhuri has transformed from a struggling day laborer into a successful entrepreneur.
On this International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Madhuri Mallick’s story stands as a beacon of hope, illustrating how the combination of mechanization and opportunity can help break the cycle of poverty and create a pathway toward economic independence and dignity for all.
Learn more about the Sustainable Intensification Innovation Lab (SIIL) project here.