When I visited the Tumapudi Rythu Seva Kendra (RSK) in Krishna district, I wasn’t expecting to walk away with a story that would stay with me.

That day, I met Divya, a young RSK assistant working in the animal husbandry centre. My first impression was of a quiet young woman. She looked gentle and reserved, almost a little hesitant. As we began to speak, she looked somewhat intimidated, probably assuming we had come from the government for an inspection.

I reassured her that we were only there to learn.

As she began to open up, she told me about her daily work, assisting farmers with artificial insemination, pregnancy diagnostics, animal health issues, and providing advisory support. As she spoke, it became clear that she knew her work very well. She was confident with the subject and deeply involved in the everyday realities of the farmers she worked with.

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The real story, however, unfolded only after I stepped outside the centre.

I met an elderly male farmer who told me briefly that Divya was “very helpful.” I thought that was the end of it but just as we were about to leave, four women farmers approached me near the car.

They assumed I was a government official.

“Madam,” they said, almost pleading, “please don’t transfer this girl. Keep her here.”

RSK assistants are typically transferred every few years, and the women were worried that it is Divya’s turn to be transferred.

Curious, I asked them why they felt so strongly for her.

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Their answer stayed with me.

They told me that before Divya arrived, raising cattle was extremely difficult. If an animal fell sick or needed care, they had to travel far to find veterinary support. By the time they reached help, the situation would often get worse. Many of them had even given up keeping cattle altogether because it felt too risky.

Things changed after Divya started working in the village.

“She is always there for us,” one woman said.

If an animal is sick at night, they knock on her door. If there is a problem, she comes to their home. If she cannot solve it herself, she immediately connects them with veterinary doctors.

It is because of this support that women who had once stopped keeping cattle began rearing them again. One farmer told me she had expanded from two buffaloes to eight over the past couple of years. This had not only increased their incomes but also boosted their confidence in their own plans. For this transformation, it was Divya that they credited.

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When I later told Divya what the women had said, she looked almost surprised. To her, she was simply doing her job.

By giving her time, her knowledge, and her availability, she had helped these women regain the confidence to invest in their livelihoods again.

Sometimes empowerment doesn’t arrive in big announcements or large programs. Sometimes it looks like a young woman quietly doing her work in a small village, and in doing so, helping other women rebuild their confidence, income, and independence. When someone offers dedicated support, strong knowledge, and an empathetic presence, entire communities stand to gain. Often, the person creating that change may not even realize the impact they are creating.

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About the Author

Soumya Alamuru is a Senior Consultant in the AI and Digital Public Infrastructure (AI+DPI) practice at Athena Infonomics. With a background spanning economics, journalism, and technology, she works on building inclusive, data-driven solutions and is particularly interested in how AI and digital tools can be localized to empower communities and strengthen participatory governance.

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