Uttar Pradesh
Bio-gas, a blessing
Cooking with bio-gas offers a host of benefits, discovers a widow who manages her household single-handedly.
The many shades of Varanasi ghats
Take a journey through the vibrant, colorful and iconic ghats of Varanasi - from bustling markets to tranquil sunrises and sacred evening aartis.
Curbing malnutrition, one poshan vatika at a time
In the malnutrition-prone Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh, where children experience stunted growth and women are anaemic, growing organic vegetables in nutrition gardens is improving the health of villagers, while helping them save money.
How women are taking care of livestock health in UP
With veterinary clinics being miles away, livestock healthcare was difficult for villagers in Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh. Trained women pashu sakhis now treat goats locally, getting financially independent and empowered in the process.
Exciting village festivals you can attend this March
Spring is here! And rural India is getting ready to celebrate the blooming season with festivities that reflect each region’s cultural richness. These are some of the most vibrant festivals you can enjoy this March.
From homemaker to ‘Dehati Madam who teaches English’
With over 3 lakh subscribers on her YouTube channel, this “Dehati Madam” from Uttar Pradesh is teaching English and rewriting her destiny using a budget smartphone, mobile data and a strong desire to learn.
The flame of Ujjwala burns strong
Through financial assistance, Ujjwala scheme helps rural and migrant households access cleaner cooking gas. Women save time spent earlier in collecting firewood and cooking and are able to earn more.
Rural entrepreneur empowers other women in UP
Tasting success and financial freedom through her small ventures, a woman encourages the others towards self-reliance which changes the gender and power equations in her village.
City student’s eye-opening account of village trip
It may need years of stay in a village for a visitor to understand rural challenges, but even a brief trip can make an indelible impression. This college student from Greater Noida gets a firsthand experience.
Teacher inspires school enrolment through films in UP village
Vivek Kumar’s dedication and innovative teaching methods revive the primary school at Mangal Purwa village, kindling the students’ passion for learning, creativity, and art.
The MGNREGA worker who won an Asian Games medal
From digging pits as a daily wage labourer to taking the podium at Hangzhou, China, Asian Games medallist Ram Baboo has come a long way. But his village continues to wait for many facilities, the athlete tells us.
A new chapter begins for kids in UP village
A women’s collective spearheads the community initiative to start a library at Marui village of Uttar Pradesh to enable their children gain comprehensive knowledge and holistic development.
How Kaali the dog unleashed hope for disabled Jitu
Jitu Thakur, once struck by polio, led a tough life in his village in Uttar Pradesh. He moved to Indore seeking independence but encountered brutality. That was until he met Kaali who transformed his life.
Summer camp for kids ensures learning beyond books
Members of a women’s collective and school teachers work together to organise a summer camp in Bhawanipur village of Uttar Pradesh, to help children gain holistic knowledge.
Sanitary pad depot evokes pride in UP village
Petrified on experiencing her first menstrual period, 22-year-old Kalpana Verma of Mirtala in Mahoba district now helps other women by making sanitary pads more easily available.
‘Feminist sensitisation is needed for everyone’
What is it like to empower marginalised women to access justice in rural India? We speak to Anshumala of Association for Advocacy and Legal Initiatives Trust (AALI), an organisation working on protection and advancement of women’s rights since 1998.
Get a taste of Meerut’s sweetest gur
A little beyond the Uttar Pradesh city of Meerut is a village called Dabathwa where you will find acres of sugarcane and many women entrepreneurs who make and sell pure ghee and gur using traditional recipes. In this video, we cover the story of one such woman entrepreneur - a feisty Jogindra Devi who single-handedly runs her deceased husband’s gur business in a patrilineal Uttar Pradesh.
Making gur and melting hearts
The matriarch of a gur (jaggery) business in Meerut might appear tough on the outside, but Jogindra Devi’s efforts to employ and empower the people of her village are as sweet as the gur she makes.
For women in Ayodhya, becoming micro-entrepreneurs is not just about money
Coming together as collectives and running micro enterprises help rural women not only earn more and provide better for their family but also become more confident decision makers.
How farmers flourish with community-owned solar-powered irrigation system in UP’s Bahraich
A common eco-friendly solar-powered irrigation system for a group of farmers helps them earn more while weaning them off polluting diesel pumps or relying on rains.