Sunshine Story of a Woman’s Journey to Becoming a Chief Sustainability Officer

Ram Ramprasad presents an inspirational fictional story with factual information of a girl who devoted her life to the cause of promoting sustainability, renewable energy use, and safeguarding biodiversity. Read about her tryst with sustainability.

- Ram Ramprasad

Sunshine, was born to a humble farmer couple in a remote village of India. Her parents named her so because they believed that the rays of the sun supported all life on earth. Sunshine went to the local school and worked with her parents most days on the farm. She learned from her father that ideal soil contained 3–5 per cent organic matter or soil organic carbon. At an early age, she understood that soil was a great carbon sink; microbial diversity flourished when soil had a diverse variety of trees, crops, and minimal or zero use of chemicals. Her parents were wise and believed in emulating the wisdom of a rainforest by growing a variety of crops nestled between a plethora of fruit-bearing trees. They had six cows that fed the family and neighbours with nice organic milk. Sunshine often helped her parents prepare “panchagavya,” a special fertilizer prepared with cow milk, cow dung, cow urine, cow ghee or clarified butter, yogurt, and other natural ingredients mixed in the right proportions. The entire village knew this was an excellent elixir for the soil. Researchers published papers on the salubrious living and the quality of health of this small remote village. Sunshine was aware of the inner wisdom of her parents. She was inspired to spread the wisdom of her parents who led a simple and sustainable lifestyle. They mostly lived on fruits, grains, and vegetables produced on their own farm.