In the quiet village of Jotorghu in Birganj Upazila, Dinajpur, the rhythm of life was once dictated by scarcity. For years, Shefali Khatun and her family lived on the edge of survival. Their small piece of land, dependent on uncertain rainfall and natural water sources, produced little. Farming without irrigation meant low yields, unstable income, and a constant struggle to cover even the most basic needs. The financial strain weighed heavily on the family. Schooling for her children was irregular, and the hope of securing their future seemed like a distant dream.

Everything began to change nearly a decade ago when the Bright Green Energy Foundation (BGEF), founded and chaired by Dipal C. Barua – the first Zayed Sustainability Prize winner, introduced a solar irrigation pump in her community. The installation of this SIP-1 system marked a turning point, not only for the farmers in the area but for Shefali personally. Chosen as the pump operator, she stepped into a role that gave her steady employment for the first time in her life.

With reliable irrigation, her once-barren fields began to flourish. Crops grew consistently, providing food for her household and surplus to sell at market. The steady income allowed Shefali to send her children to school, free from the burden of contributing to farm labour. For the first time, education became a reality rather than a luxury.

The changes extended beyond her immediate family. When Shefali’s eldest daughter married a motor mechanic, the celebration carried an added meaning: Shefali was able to provide her daughter with gold, silver ornaments, and furniture to begin her new household. These were more than wedding gifts – they symbolized dignity, pride, and the resilience her family had built through the opportunity provided by BGEF.

The impact of the solar irrigation pump quickly rippled across the community. Farmers no longer had to hire labour to draw water, nor did they need to borrow money to prepay for irrigation. Shefali’s careful management of the pump ensured that water reached the fields at the right times, enabling farmers to cultivate year-round and increasing both the quantity and quality of harvests. As crops improved, buyers began coming directly to the village, offering better prices and strengthening the local economy.

Beyond financial relief, the solar system which is operated by Solar Power that can cultivate around 80-100 Bighas of land by replacing 4-5 Diesel run pumps and saving 40% cost of the farmers reshaped their social life. With children free from farm duties, school attendance rose. Families gained stability, no longer forced to choose between survival and education. Farmers discovered the freedom to invest in the future rather than worry about immediate survival. All of this was possible without the fuel costs and emissions of diesel pumps, making the change not just economically and socially transformative, but environmentally sustainable as well.

Shefali’s journey reflects the broader potential of clean energy solutions in rural Bangladesh. Her story is proof that a single solar irrigation pump can do more than irrigate fields – it can irrigate futures. It can lift families out of poverty, protect the environment, and create lasting opportunities for the next generation.

As Shefali herself says, the solar pump brought “a fundamental change in my life and that of many people in the area.” Her testimony is one among many, but it highlights the heart of BGEF’s mission: to create sustainable, people-centered solutions that empower families, strengthen communities, and nurture resilience in the face of climate change.

With the right support, this impact can scale to thousands more households across rural Bangladesh. Each pump is more than a piece of technology – it is a lifeline, a bridge from scarcity to sustainability, and a testament to the power of renewable energy to transform lives.