From Given Plants to Our Plants: SALT Sparked Community Ownership

[Tasnim Chowdhury]

In mid-2024, a group of 30 tea garden workers and their families in Doldoli Tea Garden, Sylhet, received 30 black pepper plants and basic training on cultivation from the local agriculture authority with collaboration of an NGO. In total 30 families received the plant .The initiative aimed to provide an alternative source of income for households and improve their economic stability.

However, just a few months after the distribution, it became clear that the plants were not thriving. Many recipients, even after training, were not watering or caring for the plants regularly. Some cited busy schedules, while others felt unmotivated, thinking that only those formally trained should take responsibility. As a result, the young black pepper plants began to die.

That’s when Geeta Munda, a SALT facilitator from the community, stepped in. She didn’t arrive with instructions or orders. Instead, she sat with the people, listened to their stories, and highlighted what they were already doing well. She helped them see their own strengths, learn from each other’s challenges, and share ideas from one household to another. Slowly, the conversation shifted from “someone gave us plants” to “these are our plants, and we are responsible for them.”

The shift from “receiving plants” to “nurturing our plants” happened when the community began to truly feel that the black pepper plants belonged to them. Initially, the plants were just something given by outsiders, a part of a training program, handed to a few people, with no real connection to everyone’s daily lives. There wasn’t much reason to care. But through SALT facilitation, the conversation changed. People started to see the plants not as someone else’s project, but as part of their own work, livelihoods, and shared future. When the plants became “ours” instead of “theirs,” people’s hearts and hands followed.

Slowly but surely, the change became visible. Soon, 25 plants began to flourish. But it wasn’t just the trained recipients who got involved. Spouses, children, and even neighbours began helping. Families discussed watering routines, exchanged tips on organic fertilizer, and reminded each other to check on the plants. What started as a service became a shared commitment that belonged to the whole community.

The community members themselves began to recognize the benefits. They thought it would help them earn extra income. Geeta facilitated and followed up, which had a huge impact. Now, people are more interested in cultivation and motivated to make changes themselves. “Now it comes to the community’s mind that we can make changes ourselves and take self-initiatives. SALT has started to change the mentality of our community people. They now are thinking about themselves,” one participant Shirina shared.

Another community member, Sabita Nayek, said, “Previously, we didn’t know what was going on in the community or what actions were being taken by the Panchayet. But now we are doing something and we know well what we are doing.”

By the end of the facilitation process, the focus was no longer on individual backyards; it became about collective action. Inspired by the healthy recovery of the plants, the community decided to expand black pepper cultivation, acquiring another 50 plants and cultivating them as well. They saw it as more than just a crop it was an opportunity to earn extra income and slightly reduce their dependence on tea garden wages, taking a step closer to their aspirations.

This case illustrates that the SALT approach does more than provide services; it fosters a sense of shared purpose. Through conversation, appreciation, and peer learning, a struggling initiative was revived and transformed into a community-driven effort. What began as external support evolved into a locally owned journey. The shift from “receiving plants” to “nurturing our plants” changed everything, making people truly care for and protect them.

In this case, Geeta Munda didn’t tell people what to do, she created a space for reflection, sharing, and mutual inspiration. Once the community realized they had the skills and willingness to care for the plants, action became self-driven.

In the usual way of doing things, ECDO might have simply checked which plants were still alive, reminded the trained households to care for them better, or replaced the ones that had died. But this time, ECDO tried something different. Through SALT approach, the facilitator didn’t just talk about plants, they helped people dream together. It was no longer about delivering a service it was about sparking a sense of shared purpose. Everyone got involved, not just the original recipients. Knowledge, responsibility, and pride flowed from one household to another. And the results spoke for themselves. Now not only did 25 plants bounce back to life, but the community independently decided to plant 50 more.

“Sometimes, somewhere, if a development organization or activist can interact with the community properly, and if that interaction works and matches with their dream or hidden dream, the community can do something for themselves. Maybe their thinking about livelihood or extra earning was there long before, and it just expressed itself now. But this won’t happen all the time or in every aspect. Community members perspectives, priorities, or dreams may differ from development activist. But when a development initiative or interaction resonates with the community’s own aspirations or hidden dreams, that’s when it becomes meaningful and can lead to action. That’s why knowledge of the community, or research regarding them, is necessary, though it’s always challenging.” Lakshmikanta Singh, Executive Director, ECDO.

[Parvez Hassan]

Wow what a great story that is....

[Brinty Saha]

The shift from “receiving plants” to “nurturing our plants” - this one reflects real change happens when community take the ownership thinking belonging to them. 

[Rituu B. Nanda]

The title says it all Providing vocational training is not enough. People need to truly own it to make use of it. Lakshmi da 's comment is very pertinent that such community actions only take occur when they emerge as the community’s own dream not as project activity.