In Unnao, North India, a group of schoolgirls rides to class not in a bus, but on a goods transporter—an unconventional start to a day at an unconventional school. The Good Harvest School is redefining education for rural girls by blending academics with hands-on agricultural training. Here, students like Niharika Yadav learn not only English and Math, but also how to grow crops, preserve native seeds, and use online resources to keep learning.
Empowering Girls Through Education
The school’s mission aims to educate girls on sustainable farming and empower them to achieve more for themselves and their communities. Co-founder Ashita Nath explains that many girls in rural India don’t dream big—because they’ve never seen those dreams realized. By teaching them to farm, use digital tools, and think critically, the school helps them imagine futures beyond early marriage and domestic chores. This shift is vital in a region where women do most of the agricultural labor but rarely own land or share in the profits. Through education, girls are gaining the confidence to become decision-makers in farming and beyond.
From Fields to Value Chains: Building a Sustainable Future
The ripple effect of this education is already visible. Pooja Nishad was once confined to domestic life, now she work at Nutty Village, processing peanuts into market-ready products. Her story of newfound confidence mirrors the transformation happening in Unnao’s fields, where farmers are adopting crop diversity inspired by the school’s model farm, abandoning former practices of monocropping. As students preserve traditional seed varieties and share knowledge with their families, they’re not just learning—they’re becoming agents of change in sustainable agriculture.