Oct 3, 2025 • 2 min read

80+ Year Old Man Learn Self-Sustainability

You’re never too old to learn new things to improve your life.

“My name is Mahes.* I am a widower, over 80 years old, and my family consists of just two members. Before Transformational Community Development (TCD) came to our village, life was extremely difficult for us. We lived in poverty for many years. Because of my age, I was unable to work as a laborer. To survive, I would go out and glean leftover ears of corn from the fields for our daily food.

“Things became worse when my daughter fell and broke her leg—she could no longer work either. We had no steady income and lived in a tiny, broken house without a door. Many times, stray dogs would eat the food I cooked and we didn’t have anything else to eat. We went to bed hungry on many days. Our lives were full of pain and suffering.

“When TCD came to our village, I became a registered member and began attending their classes. I started learning new things. Sometimes I would laugh to myself in amazement and think, “What a wonderful life this is!” Even at this age, I felt proud and happy to be learning so many new things.

TCD gave me my first financial opportunity in life. Their support helped remove my loneliness and poverty. With the seed money they provided, I bought a pig. After saving some money from the pig, I leased two kathas (0.03 acres/670 meters2) of land and planted rice. Now, we have enough food every day, and I no longer need to go out gleaning corn at my age.

“The knowledge I gained through TCD has been very useful. Seeing how my life and the condition of my family has changed, many others in the community have been inspired. I’ve become an example to them. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to GHNI for showing me the path to financial freedom and helping me come out of poverty.

Transformational Community Development (TCD) Update

TCD© is GHNI’s coaching-based process for helping villages transform themselves and break the cycle of extreme poverty.

Water

This month, TCD taught community members important hygiene practices, especially due to the rain and intense heat. People were advised not to bathe in unclean or dirty water. Because many homes lacked proper facilities, they were also taught not to use frozen spring water for daily water-related work and to use hand pump water instead.

Education

I personally met with the children in the community to talk about the importance of education. I found that many children were interested in studying and attending kindergarten. Through small TCD activities, we’ve seen a high percentage of children attending school and increased awareness among parents about the value of education.

Food

This month, I taught community members about the vitamins found in fruits and vegetables. Even if people don’t have much money, they can still benefit from eating fruits and greens according to their ability. I shared information about vitamins in pomegranates, papayas, and grapes. We also discussed the benefits of local wild green vegetables that grow naturally and are nutritious.

Income

Since this is the rice planting season, TCD provided training on how to improve rice production. Community members learned how many days to wait before applying fertilizer, and how hard work, and timely planting can lead to higher yields. This way, families can grow enough food for the whole year and save money.

Wellness

This month, we educated community members about health—specifically blood pressure, sugar levels, and how to manage them. With help from TCD, the local government arranged free health checkups for the elderly in the village. Everyone was happy to hear that even at 80 years old, one mother’s blood pressure and overall health were normal. This was a moment of joy and encouragement for all of us.