LocationsBy Tazeen Qureshy / UNDP India
From an Odisha Village to Community Leadership: How Chameli Moved Forward When Her Family Backed Her Choices
November 30, 2025
Chameli Jena had the confidence and the voice. What she needed was space. With her family sharing responsibilities, she built a new role in her community through the ECRICC project in Odisha. Her story captures the core of UNDP India’s campaign ‘Ghar Se Shuru’: when homes support women’s choices, their worlds expand — and so do their communities.
Where ambition waited quietly
Chameli lives in Alupatna, a coastal village in Puri district. She finished school till Class X and ran her home with precision - cooking, cleaning, caregiving, managing the daily rhythm of a family. She was confident, outspoken in her Self Help Group, and naturally comfortable leading conversations. But like many women, her abilities had no outlet beyond the home.
“I was the perfect bahu, always busy for everyone else,” she says. “I never imagined I could do something for myself.”
A nomination - and a hesitation
Her SHG saw potential. They urged her to apply to become a climate champion under the Enhancing Climate Resilience of India’s Coastal Communities (ECRICC) project, supported by the Green Climate Fund, the Government of India, the Government of Odisha and UNDP.
Chameli wasn’t sure. Climate change was a term she remembered from school but never engaged with. Still, the nomination meant her community believed she could do more.
Chameli's father-in-law Dharanidhar Jena encouraged her to become a climate champion
Her father-in-law, Dharanidhar Jena, a retired teacher of a local government school, recognized her strengths. “She is vocal and has the power to grab attention of people. I thought why not utilize it for something important,” he says. His confidence helped her take the first step. She attended the meetings, listened, asked questions and found herself absorbing information quickly.
She was selected as a climate champion and began training on climate concepts, community mobilization and adaptation practices. While learning came naturally to her, the concerns at home were real. Her husband, Prakash Chandra Jena, who runs a dolphin-sighting boat in Chilika, was uneasy at first.
“I was fine as long as it was about attending a meeting in the village. But somehow the thought of her going to different places made me request her to reconsider her decision. She had never travelled alone before. I was worried about her safety,” he says.
#GharSeShuru: When Support Begins at Home
Chameli was ready to work. What she needed was reassurance and an enabling environment. Her father-in-law stepped in again. “She was being encouraged by most villagers to apply for the position, which convinced me that she definitely had talent. I was worried about her safety too, but didn’t want it to be a barrier for her work. I spoke with my son and asked him to lend his support,” he explains.
Chameli with her husband Prakash
Prakash agreed. He started by driving her to and from her work site in the neighbouring village of Nuagaon so she could settle into the role safely. He met the project team members, observed the environment and slowly grew comfortable with her new routine.
Chameli faced some local gossip as she began travelling more. “There were some local villagers who would comment on my frequent outings for training and tried to dissuade my husband,” she says. This time the hesitation did not stop her. With her family’s backing and her own growing confidence, she continued.
As she took on more responsibilities, Prakash’s support shifted inward to the home. “My husband has basic cooking skills so would help me cook rice,” Chameli says. Her mother-in-law managed tasks whenever she could, and as her health fluctuated, Prakash began taking on more work. Their support didn’t define Chameli’s journey. It simply removed barriers that could have held her back.
A role built on skill, not chance
As a climate champion, she is taking care of 40 farmers who are practicing climate-friendly System of Rice Intensification (SRI method) of agriculture
Today, Chameli is one of the 304 climate champions under the ECRICC project. Her work is central to how the programme connects with communities. She engages with 40 farmers who practice the System of Rice Intensification, a climate-friendly farming method that improves productivity. She also coordinates activities linked to plantation, awareness campaigns and cattle vaccination in convergence with other departments.
Her father-in-law remains a sounding board. “Whenever I return from field work or training, my father-in-law would wait for me to fill him in with all the details of what I have learned. If I am unable to understand anything, he helps clarify my doubts,” she says. His local stature sometimes helps her navigate resistance. But the work, the outreach, the mobilization and the communication on climate practices are her’s.
Villagers now address her with respect and turn to her for guidance. Prakash has seen this shift closely. “There is no prouder feeling to see my wife gain so much knowledge and train others,” Prakash says now, his perspective utterly transformed. “Once confined to the walls of our house, today, she has given our house an identity,” he says.
The strength of being seen
Chameli Jena at her home in Alupatna
The transformation has also empowered her within her family, profoundly impacting her son. He studies in Bhubaneswar and earlier felt hesitant to ask for money. Now he reaches out to her directly. “When I was paid my first remuneration as a climate champion, he was so happy that he asked me for some money to treat his friends,” she shares. “The financial independence and the ability to take care of the small needs of my family has given me so much satisfaction.”
Chameli’s journey proves that equality is stronger when everyone takes part. “The first step was difficult and took a lot of effort, but once I took that, it was easier to climb the rest,” she reflects. “I wanted to work and see the world and also wanted the world to see me.”
About ECRICC: The Enhancing Climate Resilience of India’s Coastal Communities (2019–2027) initiative is a collaboration between the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, the Department of Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Government of Odisha, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It strengthens the ability of vulnerable coastal populations, particularly women, to cope with and adapt to climate change and extreme weather events, using an ecosystem-based and community-led approach. The project operates in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha. For more information, visit www.ecricc.org.
Related
content
content
