Restoring Forests and Community Farms Across Tamil Nadu, India

In 1998, when Green Sakthi was established, the land around the rural village of Thirumalaikodi in Tamil Nadu was arid and neglected, with a lack of trees causing excessive surface heat and compact soil, making it difficult to cultivate. 

Sakthi (pronounced shakti), which means feminine energy or power in Sanskrit, has been restoring forests and farms in India for the past 25 years. This project aims to increase forest cover for biodiversity to thrive and provide local communities with nutritious food and livelihoods through tree planting. 

Scaling and spreading sustainable agriculture

Supporting this project will help maintain the tree nursery and reforestation efforts across Tamil Nadu, and assist Green Sakthi in achieving several ambitious goals, including increasing the ratio of women employed to 75% and expanding their team from 65 to 102 people to grow 100,000 fruit saplings for local farmers. 

Green Sakthi also plans to support 50-100 farmers through a Fruit Trees Multi-Cropping program, promoting sustainable agriculture and providing economic opportunities for growers.

Improving livelihoods and life in the forest

Tree planting will improve the local ecosystem by increasing bird and wildlife diversity, providing more shade, cooler climates, a higher water table, and improved soil quality. This will lead to a more stable local economy, quantifiable improvements in people's health, and empower farmers, women, and children. 

The planting of trees will also benefit the planet as a whole by reducing CO₂ emissions and providing cleaner air. Green Sakthi aims to reduce carbon by up to 1,800 tons through their restoration efforts.

Part of the vision to plant five million trees

Through Green Sakthi’s partnership with the Government of Tamil Nadu Forestry Department, this project is part of the long-term vision to reforest land across the state and green all villages throughout the Vellore district with fruit, flowering, and shade trees.

It exists under the 5 Million Trees Program umbrella, which aims to plant five million trees in the Tamil Nadu region of South India.

One tree at a time, the immediate project and its broader goal help connect local communities to the land and heal the Earth.