Traveling often leads to enriching experiences, and my recent vacation in Bengaluru was one such experience. I met exceptional people who are fully committed to conserving the environment and promoting sustainable agriculture. The highlight of my trip was meeting Sameer Shisodia, CEO of the Rainmatter Foundation, and P. Srinivas (Soil Vasu), founder of the Sustainable Organic Initiatives for Livelihood Foundation (S.O.I.L. Trust). These encounters provided me with insights into the world of soil health and its critical importance for our planet’s future.
Meeting Sameer Shisodia
During my stay in Bengaluru, I had the privilege of meeting Sameer Shisodia, the CEO of the Rainmatter Foundation. Rainmatter is a non-profit organization that supports organizations and projects for climate action, a healthier environment, and livelihoods associated with them. Sameer’s dedication to these causes was clear, as he passionately discussed the work that Rainmatter does.
Embracing Education and Expertise
Sameer Shisodia stressed the importance of education for effective environmental solutions. I shared NPK Sensor Prototype demo videos with him, and he advised me to thoroughly understand soil composition and processes. The NPK sensor was just the beginning of my soil exploration journey, emphasizing the need to comprehend issues before solving them. I appreciate his advice and I plan to shape my future work around it. Sameer was also kind enough to provide me with the contact of a fellow environmentalist, P. Srinivas, a.k.a “Soil Vasu”.
Meeting Soil Vasu
My introduction to P. Srinivas (Vasu) proved to be a pivotal moment in my vacation. Vasu is the founder of the Sustainable Organic Initiatives for Livelihood Foundation (S.O.I.L. Foundation), an organization dedicated to promoting sustainable agriculture, organic farming, and soil health. My uncle arranged a breakfast meeting with Vasu, during which he shared his vast knowledge and experiences of soil health with me. When he walked into the restaurant, he was excited and genuinely interested in teaching and supporting me. We conversed in my mother tongue, Kannada for most of the meeting.
A Treasure Trove of Knowledge
Vasu’s passion for soil health was immediately apparent during our meeting. He entered with a bag full of informative posters detailing key factors that affect soil health. His ability to convey complex concepts in a simple yet impactful manner was remarkable. Our relaxed breakfast turned into a lengthy discussion involving even the restaurant staff! Vasu shared his insights, sparking our curiosity and motivating us to delve deeper into the realm of soil health.
Hands-On Learning and Enthusiasm
The following day, we invited Vasu over to my uncle’s house, where he demonstrated his hands-on experiments. One of his colleagues, Harshit, accompanied him as well. Harshit works to bring farmers and consumers closer by helping them understand each other. We analyzed soil composition, measured carbon concentration, and identified indicators of soil health. Vasu’s experiments offered a comprehensive understanding of soil’s intricate dynamics. Vasu travels to villages and farms to educate farmers about soil health via these citizen science experiments. Vasu even sang a beautiful Kannada song he composed about the importance of soil carbon. This was easily the highlight of our second meeting. Listen to him sing in the video below.
Mentorship and Future Endeavors
I am grateful to Sameer Shisodia and Vasu for giving me their invaluable time and guidance. The advice they provided was priceless, as they emphasized the significance of continual learning and collaboration in addressing environmental challenges. They encouraged me to keep in touch and use their resources to support my environmental work. I plan to keep working with them and developing my knowledge of soil.
My vacation in Bengaluru was a journey of learning and inspiration. I learned more about the soil health and sustainable agriculture through my interactions with Sameer Shisodia and Vasu. They are passionate about the environment and inspire me to help safeguard Earth’s future. My vacation gave me new knowledge and motivation to keep studying the soil and our natural resources. In Vasu’s words, “Know soil, know life, and no soil, no life!” And a special shout-out to my dear uncle, Mandar, for introducing me to Sameer and Vasu, and in general supporting me in my quest to study soil.
My meetings with Sameer and Soil Vasu have given me plenty of things to consider while building up my campaign as part of the Mike Yarrow Peace Fellowship (MYPF). I will follow up this article with another that details my goals for this campaign and my other work related to soil health. Here is my previous article on my journey towards building the NPK Sensor.
