Something happened during my field trip recently that moved me deeply. It was an incredibly powerful reminder of why we do what we do, and why you’re such an important part of it.
By now, you know the story of Ibu Kasmini, our very first Mama Kapas. 4 years ago, she took a chance with me. Together, we slowly transformed her monoculture corn field into a regenerative farm.
What you don’t know is the reason why she is the main breadwinner of her family.
20 years ago, her husband had a motorbike accident–- leaving him disabled for life, with medical bills just piling up. As a young mother of one, Ibu Kasmini had no other choice but to sell off their ancestral land to loan sharks so she could take care of him.
A choice they have regretted since: Now she had to rent a small plot of land an hour from her home to farm corn and somehow make ends meet.
It was a struggle. The soil was in a really poor state and she couldn’t afford the expensive, conventional fertilizer. And still, she said yes when we asked her in 2020 to grow cotton with us organically. To trace back the way her ancestors grew things, using what was available around here.
Slowly she transformed her farm into a regenerative cotton forest, increasing her income while reclaiming her indigenous wisdom from her grandmother.
Thanks to Ibu Kasmini’s hard work, more farmers became interested in growing cotton this way. So that in her village alone we now work with +100 women.
Ibu Kasmini was the starting point of this journey. Her story stayed with us. Her determination, dedication and optimism are a constant source of inspiration and hope.
So it was with great joy that last year, with your help and the support, we were finally able to give bu Kasmini a grant so she can reclaim the land she and her family had lost due to the tragic accident years ago.
She and her husband were shaking with disbelief when they heard the news. Their only dream, to see the family’s land returning to their care, was finally coming true.
We didn’t tell anyone. Not even you, whose purchase and continuous support has made it possible. Because we felt it was simply the right thing to do.
The land was in a very sad condition, abandoned for too long. But then, Ibu Kasmini and her husband started taking care of it. Nursing it back to life. One crop at a time.
Perhaps this was why it was so emotional for me to be here. To witness its transformation, 2 years later. What was dry and degraded, now is filled with life.
Seeing it brought so many emotions. Ibu Kasmini and I hugged, crying.
Her husband, normally quiet and never spoke a word, whispered “Matur Nuwun” (thank you) over and over again. He said he’s been thinking about us. And how grateful he is to have their own piece of land back.
One that they can now pass on to their children and grandchildren to care for. Creating a lasting legacy for her family and our Planet.
It is stories like Ibu Kasmini’s that remind me and our team why we do what we do. It's easy to forget over budgets, deadlines and seemingly endless day-to-day problems. That there are real people whose lives are impacted by our every choice. Even when we don’t even realise.
And what a timely reminder this is. Exactly as we celebrate our #8YearsofChangingLives journey. I am filled with nothing but gratitude at witnessing how it has grown.
It's hard to believe that just a few years ago, SukkhaCitta was a one woman operation with a dream to make a difference. It has been humbling to see how it has since become a global movement. Each of us is a thread in this tapestry of change.
Thank you for taking the path less travelled with me.
Dream on,
Denica
