He and his wife set out to plant an orchard — not just as a farming activity, but as an investment in the future.
“When I told them that I want to plant an orchard on my land,” recalls Mahangu Kumhar with a smile, “everyone looked me up and down in surprise.”
At nearly 80, he was not exactly the kind of volunteer anyone expected.
The year was 2024. In Saktar village of Gumla district, Jharkhand, members of Azim Premji Foundation’s Livelihoods team were holding meetings with small and marginal farmers about growing orchards under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) — an effort to support sustainable livelihoods and long-term income.
Many villagers listened. Few came forward.
Mahangu was among those few.
“You are an old man. Planting and caring for trees require hard work. How will you manage at this age?’” — this was the first question that came Mahangu’s way. His wife Bhutni Devi, who was 73 at the time, stood by him in silent support.
Most people their age think of slowing down. But for this couple, the orchard was not just about farming — it was about rebuilding life and securing the future.
Mahangu spoke to the Liveliihoods team with confidence. “If I have land, why should I not use it?” he asked them.
Mahangu’s steely determination put the team in a dilemma. Hansika Kumari, a member of the Foundation, later said, “We assumed that only the young are able to undertake the demanding work of establishing and managing an orchard — from digging and planting to nurturing the trees, harvesting the fruits, and marketing the produce. Mahangu Dada proved our assumptions wrong.”
In less than a year, Mahangu’s hard work and the Foundation’s support and guidance bore fruit. The octogenarian proudly shared the first mango with the team.
Through the Jharkhand government’s Birsa Harit Gram Yojana, launched in May 2020, Mahangu and 400 others in three blocks of Gumla district, planted mango orchards. The primary objective of the Yojana is to transform barren and fallow land into fruit orchards and boosting rural income while increasing the state’s green cover.
From traditional pottery to sustainable farming
Mahangu belongs to the Kumhar or the potters’ community. After marriage, he migrated to Dhantoli village in Chhattisgarh’s Jashpur district with his wife. They took up pottery for income. Instead of money, customers paid the couple in kind.
“At that time, there was a barter system,” Bhutni Devi says. “People gave us paddy in exchange for pots. Life was simple, but we managed.”
With age, pottery became difficult. Weak eyesight and physical strain made the work challenging. The couple decided to return to their ancestral village, Saktar, where Mahangu had three acres of inherited land.
The duo began cultivating paddy and vegetables. But their lives were shaken by repeated tragedies. Two grandsons died in separate incidents — one in a lightning strike and another in a violent family dispute. Their great-grandson, Parmeshwar, was left vulnerable.
It was then that the couple made a conscious decision to invest their remaining years in something meaningful.
“We don’t how many days we have,” Mahangu says. “But whatever we are doing now, we are doing now is for our great-grandson.”
The orchard became that commitment.
Building a long-term livelihood
Under the guidance of the Foundation’s Livelihoods team and with support through MNREGA, Mahangu transformed his land into a mango orchard by pit digging, plantation, regular watering and fencing.
Today, rows of healthy mango saplings stand firmly across his land. In between, seasonal vegetables keep growing, providing immediate food and supplementary income. Remarkably, there has been no plant mortality — a sign of careful nurturing.
We find Mahangu in the field with his spade, under a mellow December sun, loosening soil around the plants. Bhutni Devi and young Parmeshwar help him by removing weeds.
Their livelihood is modest but stable. They have a small kitchen garden for household consumption, a cow that provides milk, and two bullocks that Mahangu uses to plough the land. Their one-room mud house serves as kitchen, bedroom, and storage.
The orchard has added something more valuable than income: security. Mango trees will bear fruit for decades. Even after Mahangu and Bhutni are gone, the orchard will continue to generate produce and income for Parmeshwar.
Inspiring a community
“Mahangu ji’s success has inspired several other villagers to show an interest in orchard development,” says a member of the Livelihoods team. “His dedication has encouraged younger farmers.”
In a village of 158 families, where sustainable income is often uncertain and migration is common, this orchard is a picture of stability. It demonstrates how government schemes, when combined with community facilitation and personal determination, can transform small landholdings into long-term assets.
As we prepare to leave, Mahangu smiles and says, “Come again when the orchard is full of fruit.”
His words carry more than just an invitation. They carry hope. This indeed is a fruit of labour.
