By Sangita Iyer | Founder & Managing Director
About 300 dedicated tribal partners have undertaken the hard manual labour of planting, watering and nurturing 13,000 elephant-friendly saplings across Pallahara, Susab and Balasore, replacing young trees charred by forest fires, so that elephants will have the food, water and habitat they need to thrive.
In deep forests it is difficult to water the plants, especially during dry season. Making it even more challenging are the terrains, so treacherous that even heavy duty vehicles, such as water tankers cannot be driven. This is where our amazing tribal people step in to play a critical role. Women carry saplings and heavy pots of water on their head, while men fill up water from water tanks parked at the forest edge, and walk nearly three kilometres deep into the forest, carrying 30-40 liters of water on their shoulders—giving each fragile plant the care it needs to survive. (check out the collage of images I've compiled for you...)
And their extraordinary efforts are paying off: bamboo has soared to nearly 10 feet, while mango, guava and other native fruit-bearing species we planted in the last three years are flourishing, even as our waterholes are overflowing after the monsoons.
Most exciting of all, elephant footprints (in the center of the collage) tell us something extraordinary: THEY ARE FEELING SAFE ENOUGH TO RETURN HOME. As per latest report from our local partner, PARIBARTAN, around 79 elephants are not only moving across this safe corridor frequently, but have also made it their home.
Together, we have transformed 52 acres of farmland into a safe passage for elephants, restoring habitat where there was once fragmentation, and helping these magnificent beings find food, water and freedom once again.
YOU MADE THIS POSSIBLE—but we simply cannot stop now. This is actually just the beginning. There are 900 more elephants that need food, water and a place to call 'home'. But we cannot do it alone. So please continue to donate and help us keep this corridor flourishing for generations of elephants to come. Feel free to share our reports, and project with your family, and friends, and invite them to join our global movement to protect the endangered Asian elephants.
Meanwhile, on a different note, yours truly and her elephant photography was featured on National Geographic India on World Photography Day, on August 19, 2026. Check out the link below - VFAE Media Coverage :)
With heartfelt and unending GRATITUDE for your support!
Yours truly...
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