In my previous post, I had mentioned about a tea book which dealt with Darjeeling Tea and Makaibari – a gift from Mr. Rajah Banerjee. In that very tea book entitled as “The wonder of Darjeeling“, there are numerous tales relating to the historical upliftment of Makaibari Tea Estates, but one story which touched my heart and which really doesn’t really relate to Makaibari’s historical background, is the story of Jamuni Mangarni – she resided at Makaibari – grew Darjeeling Tea, makai (corn), fruits and beans, but her economical condition was not at all good. The story relates how the Makaibari family gifted her a cow and the cow proved magical in bringing her up from the grounds of economic disaster.
Some of you who might have come across this book, might have already discovered it, but for those who haven’t, the story lies below:
Here’s a simple story of Jamuni, a farmer lady who raised a cow, and how it transformed her life. Jamuni Mangarni, is a farmer who grows Darjeeling Tea, makai, fruits and beans. she lives at Thapathally village at Makaibari, in Darjeeling district. The people at Makaibari call her “Jethi”. For years Jethi worked hard. It was a constant struggle to survive and make both ends meet. Her husband, too was not very supportive, as he moved away to Calcutta city and rarely came home. So she struggled and toiled.
A few years ago Jethi’s life changed, she received a gift from the Makaibari Joint Body (MBJB), a cow. The donated cow was part of a program, operated by the Makaibari Joint body, (which comprises of annually elected members from the Makaibari Darjeeling tea farm’s 7 villages). The MBJB works with families and communities who want to raise livestock and gain farming skills and community development. The funds of the MBJB are premiums received under Fair Trade Labeling Organisation (FLO) from tea sales in Europe and the US. Not every family in her village received cows, so one family, which did not receive a cow offered Jethi help feed it – in exchange for the first born female calf. Jethi, cared for the calf when it arrived and a few months later turned it over to her friend. Others in the community who helped Jethi build a cow-shed, received the second calf. This way, in time all villagers benefited from just one cow.
Jethi’s life improved after the first calf was born. Her children drank milk and became healthier. She sold the extra milk and improved her lifestyle. The manure from the cow, fertilized her fields, improving the quality of crop (Darjeeling Tea and others) and yields. She now had surplus grain, fruit and vegetables to increase her income, and further augment it by sale of the excess manure to the Makaibari tea farm (aside: which only grows bio organic Darjeeling Tea). The MBJB at this point, gifted her a portable bio-gas and cooker. This changed her life dramatically. Now, she had a non-polluting, renewal energy on tap for fuel. The woods were not threatened and it bloomed.
Jethi’s success was due to the way she maintained her cow. She used a system called “Zero grazing”. This means, she penned her cow, fed it cut grass and did not allow it to graze away. This allowed her to watch her cow and instantly remove ticks and parasites. The cow was healthier and no vet was needed.
Her success spread, and by this way all the villages, in and around Makaibari benefited. Her husband too returned. Jethi’s hard work had paid off, and the simple cow had played an important role in not only bringing her family together, but also turned an impoverished community – into a self-respecting grass-root entrepreneurial one.
Recently Jethi, gifted Makaibari Joint Body Rs. 10,000 to enable the organization to initiate another Jamuni chapter in the region.
Sorry for the above photos are a little cheesy – took them from the tea book itself!
Hope you enjoyed this Darjeeling Tea story which occurred at Makaibari Tea Estates. Makaibari Tea Estate is one of the first Darjeeling Tea plantation who implemented farming of organic Darjeeling Tea. It is spread over 670 hectares of which the tea fields growing Darjeeling Tea only cover 270 hectares and the rest of it is preserved as forest reserve.
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