Since childhood, I saw my father struggling to make agriculture profitable. I was very sure that I could do better. That with my hard work and skill, I’d earn more. But somehow, it never happened …

In 2015, I happened to attend a farmer meeting organized by Ambuja Foundation and realized there were so many modern and new techniques in farming. That was an eye-opener when I realized there were so many ways to improve agriculture productivity! I visited the Ambuja Foundation demonstration farm and that’s when I got to know the secret … ‘more inputs doesn’t necessarily mean more produce.’

Within a year, not only did the produce increase (both in quantity and quality), but I got to experience the power of collective bargaining, by working together with other farmers in a group. Soon, Ambuja Foundation chose me as an extension volunteer. I started guiding other farmers on more modern practices, multi-cropping, and the power of farmer institutions.

In a short time, I developed a strong reputation in the village. People developed trust in my abilities and it came as a pleasant surprise when my villagers chose me as the village sarpanch - unanimously. It’s been almost a year that I have been in the village Sarpanch and I have implemented several government schemes and projects in the village including Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (under which we have got 100 toilets constructed).

People are happy with my work and I am motivated to see what more I can do - after all I’m just 31 years old!" - Gopal Jambulwar, Panchgaon, Chandrapur, Maharashtra.