In the quiet heart of Bonthi Village, nestled within Bidar District of Karnataka, Rama Malhari Rane, a 62-year-old farmer, faced a dire challenge. With 10 acres of land thirsting for hydration, and a dried-up well as testament to the scorching heat, Rama watched the kharif season end, despair creeping in. Without rainwater, how would his rabi crop survive?
It was at this bleak juncture that hope danced into Bonthi in the form of WOTR arriving in the village through an integrated watershed development project. While this project had ambitious dreams of fostering resilience and boosting agriculture, Rama and his community, initially, could only view it with wary eyes. What could this project truly offer?
It took a series of immersive awareness sessions – vibrant visuals from neighbouring success stories and hands-on demos on the nearby hill – for the cloud of doubt to lift. Witnessing the marvel of watershed works, a flame of belief kindled in Rama and his fellow villagers.
Together, under a scalding summer sun, they dug Water Absorption Trenches (WAT). They waited, hopes high, for rain. And when the skies finally wept, a miracle unfurled – Rama’s barren well teemed with water! His lands, now quenched, bore a bountiful rabi crop, a success story he hadn’t dared dream of.
Rama’s smile, radiant and warm, became a beacon for what was possible. It was a thank you for empowering Bonthi Village, and countless others, on a path of sustainability and abundance.
