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YOJNA LAMA

AIF Clinton Fellow, Class of 2014-2015

By AIF

November 18^th, 2014

Film, photos, and text by Ilana Millner | Media Fellow, Class of 2014-2015

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Yojna Lama (center), pictured with farmers at the Biodiversity Conservation Center in Phulia, West Bengal.

Switch ON–ONergy

It’s 7:45 am on a muggy Monday morning and Yojna Lama is sprinting through the crowd at the Sealdah train station in the city of Kolkata, West Bengal. She dodges people and parcels, and just as the train whistle shrieks, she grabs hold of a door handle and swings herself into the ladies’ compartment.

Settling into a seat, she prepares herself for the two-hour train ride that will take her to Phulia, a small town about two hours away. Around her, women call out to the chaiwallah wandering the aisles, exchanging rupees for steaming cups of wakefulness. Meanwhile, Yojna stares out the window at the vibrant green landscape and makes calls to farmers, reminding them to gather for the day’s exposure visit.

Passengers in the ladies' compartment on the train to Phulia.

YOJNA LAMA

Hailing from Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Yojna is now based in Kolkata with an NGO called Switch ON – ONergy. Switch ON is the nonprofit branch of ONergy, a social enterprise dedicated to creating a sustainable and equitable India by providing access to clean energy. ONergy provides decentralized energy solutions to underserved households and institutions by developing and distributing products such as solar lanterns, solar inverters, water heating systems, cookstoves, and solar irrigation systems.

In conjunction, Switch ON raises awareness about renewable energy, nurtures innovative projects, and promotes livelihoods and capacity building through the training of rural energy entrepreneurs. Switch ON’s work is focused on creating linkages between “energy access, income generation, and community development,” and on facilitating last-mile access to energy sources.

Over the past few years, Switch ON has worked with farmers in various capacities to reduce the energy input needed for agricultural production. On that Monday in September, Yojna was on her way to Phulia’s Biodiversity Conservation Farm and Agricultural Training Center—the state of West Bengal’s only government-run organic farm—where she helped lead a group of farmers through an exposure and education visit. The goal of the demonstration and workshop was to help the farmers understand the advantages of growing organic rice; not only can it lead to more long-term profits and sustainability, but also eliminate the need for costly, harmful products such as the pesticides and synthetic fertilizers that have ravaged the landscape.

At the Biodiversity Conservation Farm, farmers examine samples of a variety of organic rice seeds native to the region.

Assistant Director of the Biodiversity Conservation Center, Anupam Paul (left) explains organic farming practices.

Farmers inspect samples of organic rice in the demonstration fields at Biodiversity Conservation Center.

YOJNA LAMA

YOJNA LAMA

This work comes naturally to Yojna, who holds a masters degree in social work and has extensive experience in community organizing, as well as in promoting the education and success of rural entrepreneurs. Prior to joining the Fellowship, Yojna worked with Udyogini in Madhya Pradesh, managing the Intel-Udyogini School of Entrepreneurship for tribal women in Central India. In addition, Yojna worked with the Eco-Tourism and Conservation Society of Sikkim, a job that greatly influenced her interest in working with youth on issues of environmental sustainability.

It was this interest that led her to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), where she worked as a volunteer developing curriculum on sustainable development. Of her decision to apply to the Fellowship program, Yojna explains, “Since I was already volunteering with WWF and was looking to extend my voluntary service in an environmental-based organization, AIF’s vision, projects, and partnerships synced with my field interests.”

Yojna’s exposure visit with the farmers in Phulia is part of her larger project, titled “Sustainable & Integrated Farming Solutions in Nadia & Howrah District.” The goal of the project is to set up a model for sustainable and integrated farming, which holistically addresses agricultural challenges. The project is supported by GIZ [Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH], and has two main components: promotion and implementation of a solar pump, and development of solar cold storage facilities and processes. Through her work, Yojna hopes to nurture the creation and successful implementation of innovative agriculture supply chain solutions that are integrated with clean energy technology.

Farmers participate in Yojna's mapping exercise.

Yojna describes her work with Switch ON as “action oriented,” and says she’s learning at a fast pace. “I’m constantly on my toes, with high work satisfaction.” Her favorite aspects of her work are research and documentation, monitoring and nurturing the work of solar entrepreneurs, and working with communities.

Along with the joy Yojna derives from her work, she also faces many challenges, the most difficult of which is managing the expectations of farmers. Yojna explains that in the case of the solar-powered water pump that Switch ON promotes as an alternative to diesel pumps, the response from farmers has been positive. However, along with this enthusiasm comes the expectation that the solar pump will work in a similar fashion to a diesel-run pump. As Yojna explains, the output of the solar-powered pump is affected by cloudy weather, and thus may not be as consistent as a diesel-run pump. In order to keep the farmers engaged, Yojna must convince them that any short-term frustrations will be outweighed by long-term benefits.

In addition to educating farmers, Yojna also wrestles with the technical issues that arise from Switch ON’s efforts to pilot a new model of both solar pump and solar cold storage facilities. In the case of developing a model for the latter, Yojna explains that it is a process of trial and error. “There are technicalities to be considered; you have to store vegetables at a certain temperature, which requires certain precooling and packaging measures. Regulating ideal temperatures and addressing technical issues such as AC [air conditioning], Coolbot [a low-cost cooler technology], and switching from the grid to solar energy production, is challenging.” However, Yojna finds these challenges interesting—they provide her with a learning opportunity, and drive her to apply her skills in independent research and critical thinking.

Yojna engages farmers during a workshopping session at the Biodiversity Conservation Center.

Location: Kolkata, West Bengal

Walking through bustling streets, past crumbling buildings and pickle shops, one finds that Kolkata’s storied history can be experienced through all five senses. The original capital of the British Raj, Kolkata (then known as Calcutta) was heavily developed as both a port city and a transit center. The Howrah train station—located in the city of Howrah, which sits on the opposite bank of the Hooghly River—was the first train station built in India, and remains a teeming transit hub.

King George V’s 1911 decision to shift the capital to Delhi marked a new period in Kolkata’s development, freeing the city to draw upon its ancient roots. Kolkata is widely considered the cultural capital of present-day India, and Bengalis are famous for their love of literature, music, and food, the latter of which is characterized by an emphasis on fish and the use of mustard oil and pastes. Residents of Kolkata are also known for their passion for sweets such as mishti doi—a fermented, sweet yogurt—and Rasgullah—soft balls of curd cheese made from buffalo milk, soaked in a sugar syrup. No description of Kolkata would be complete without mention of its most iconic resident, Rabindranath Tagore, who immortalized the city in his many poems, short stories, dramas, films, and songs.

Aside from its arts and cuisine, Kolkata is recognized for its magnificent celebration of Durga Puja, a Hindu festival that celebrates the victory of the Durga devi over the demon Mahishasura. Although the holiday is celebrated across the country under various names and through various traditions, Kolkata is recognized as the national epicenter of festivities. Over the course of a few weeks, skilled artisans in the ancient potters’ neighborhood of Kumartuli craft massive clay Durgas, which are then adorned and installed in pandals (temporary stages) in neighborhoods across the city. At night, the streets of Kolkata come alive with residents who gather en masse to go “pandal-hopping” and enjoy delicious street food and dancing. Durga Puja festivities culminate in the immersion of the Durga idols in the Hooghly river.

Men prepare to immerse a clay durga in the Hooghly River as part of Kolkata's famous Durga Puja celebrations.

When asked about her placement, Yojna laughs. “Actually, I did not expect to be placed in Kolkata, I was thinking more like [AIF] would place me in South India.” Having spent time in Kolkata in the past, Yojna was excited for the chance to reconnect with old friends, and to enjoy a place she knows well. However, her excitement was tinged with apprehension; she worried that there would be little for her to learn from the city.
However, the enthusiasm shown by her American co-Fellows inspired a newfound appreciation for opportunities that she may have otherwise overlooked: “[…]I was talking to the Fellows, and they said, ‘Okay, if I’m in this place, what should I do? Should I learn sitar?’ Somebody else wanted to learn a language, and it changed the way I was looking at my city. So now I’m going with a changed perception of my city […] there are things that I want to do: I want to go to Sunderbans with my co-Fellows, I want to learn to read Bengali. This time, I’m going more energized about my city.”

Clay durgas dry in the sun in the potter's neighborhood of Kumartuli.

A potter carefully paints the face of a clay durga, one of dozens that he has made for the festival.

Partially-completed durgas and other deities rest against the wall of an artisans' studio in Kumartuli.

A family bathes in the Hooghly River.

Men carry a massive clay durga down to the banks of the Hooghly River as photographers vie to capture the scene.

Cooks and customers at the Abhinandan paratha shop near Barabazar Market.

Visitors admire the Victoria Memorial Hall, a popular tourist attraction.

A building entangled by roots and vines is slowly reclaimed by the ancient city.

Vendors and buyers at the Mallick Ghat Flower Market, one of Asia's largest wholesale flower markets.

A source of motivation

The contagious energy of her co-Fellows is something that Yojna finds invaluable. Reflecting on the Fellowship Orientation, which took place in Delhi in early September, Yojna says “I was really amazed to see the kind of passion that each Fellow has, and especially someone outside India; they want to do something for my country. […] It really energized me and motivated me, and that was one thing that I was really happy and amazed to see.”

Reflecting on her personal goals for the year, Yojna describes her desire to continue to derive inspiration from her Fellowship class. She hopes that she and her co-Fellows will continue to teach each other how to be “more compassionate, and more passionate” about their work, delving deeper into spaces both familiar and unfamiliar, and gazing through the unique lense each Fellow has to share.

Yojna (right) and her Kolkata-based co-Fellow, Andrew Jelinek (left) share a laugh.

Footnotes

Film, photos, and text by Ilana Millner. Media Fellow, Class of 2014-2015. © Ilana Millner for the American India Foundation.

FootNotes

Film, photos, and text by Ilana Millner. Media Fellow, Class of 2014-2015. © Ilana Millner for the American India Foundation.

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