NSS students of Government Higher Secondary School, Marathamkode, Thrissur, in a paddy field. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
In an encouraging amalgamation of sustainable agriculture and social commitment, the National Service Scheme (NSS) unit of the Government Higher Secondary School, Marathamkode, reaped not only a bountiful harvest of rice but also the joy of turning it into a meaningful act of compassion.
Students undertook all phases of cultivation, from land preparation to harvesting, at Eyyal padashekharam in Kandanassery panchayat. By using the Uma paddy variety, they adopted a fully organic farming method and achieved an impressive yield.
Labor process
The process reflected careful planning and traditional wisdom. The seeds were germinated in a mixture of cow dung slurry and moringa leaves. 35 cent land was prepared by plowing chopped Seema Konn leaves as green manure while a separate bed was prepared on one side. After plowing, fresh cow dung was applied to enrich the soil. Fifteen days after planting, a mixture of bone meal, neem cake and powdered cow dung was spread. After 45 days, ash was applied to further nourish the crop.
Trees planted on October 18 were harvested on February 9. From the harvested paddy rice, the students processed 280 kilograms of rice and 30 kilograms of flat rice (aval). Organic matta rice packed under the brand ‘Marathamkode Mahima’ in 2 kg and 5 kg packs and aval was taken directly to households for sale.
But the most touching chapter of the story unfolded during their door-to-door campaign. When the students reached the home of Greeshma, a former student of the school, they learned that her 20-day-old baby was undergoing an emergency heart surgery. The family struggled to raise the substantial amount needed for the procedure. Deeply moved, the students decided to donate the entire profit from the sale of rice, ₹15,000, to the child’s treatment.
Director Smitha V. said the initiative once again showed how experiential learning can shape socially responsible citizens. “The profit obtained from organic farming has become a lifeline for the child,” she noted.
Landslide victims
It is the second year in a row that the NSS unit has turned agricultural achievements into social service. Last year, the students donated ₹25,000, the profit from their previous harvest, to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund for the victims of the Chooralmala landslide in Wayanad.
For Marathamkode students, agriculture is no longer just about cultivation. It is about fostering empathy, responsibility and hope, proving that when young hands sow carefully, they reap much more than grain.
Published – 04 March 2026 20:32 IST
