I am Janet S.K. Yegneswaran, President of Rajanet Yegneswaran Charitable Trust – Reforest India.

Namasthe,

I was born to Kannadiga parents — W.E. Albert, Finance Secretary, Government of Kodagu, and Felicitas Thedosia, a teacher.

Following State reorganisation, our family moved to Bangalore, where I completed my schooling at Rashtreeya Vidyalaya and Rani Sarala Devi High School, Jayanagar. I later joined Vijaya College and completed my Diploma in Secretarial Practice from the Polytechnic for Women.

Like many young women of my generation, I began my professional journey by working with organisations such as HMT, MCF and L&T.

In 1980, I married R.S. Yegneswaran, a remarkable man who found a place in the Limca Book of Records for holding the highest number of university degrees, with 30 Master’s to his name.

After marriage, I became a homemaker. But nature had already found a special place in my heart.

Gardening slowly became my passion. I began participating in horticulture competitions and was fortunate to win several prizes from the Mysore Horticulture Society for my home garden.

Very soon, what began as a hobby slowly became meaningful work. I started rotating indoor plants in corporate offices, designing and developing gardens for friends and factories, and eventually had the opportunity to landscape the gardens at Kanteerava Stadium for the National Games in 1998, which I continued to maintain for five years.

Life changed in 2003, when I lost my husband. Around the same time, Bangalore was changing rapidly. Road widening, Flyovers, underpasses and with them, the cutting of countless trees.

Like many people, I felt deeply disturbed. But one thought stayed with me. Instead of crying over a felled tree, why not plant more trees? And that thought became the beginning of a journey.

In 2005, along with a group of like-minded volunteers, We started  Rajanet Yegneswaran Charitable Trust TreesForFree.org with a simple mission to bring greenery back to Bangalore.

The early days were not easy. Every weekend, our volunteers and I knocked on doors, requesting people to care for the trees we planted. Some welcomed us warmly. Many refused. Some did not want dry leaves littering their front yards. Others preferred parking space. At that time, awareness around environment and tree planting was limited. But we continued. One tree at a time. One road at a time. One neighbourhood at a time. Slowly, people began noticing. Newspapers , TV9 and Real Estate TV covered our work. Later, an interview with Mr. H.R.Ranganath of Public TV, with our Trees For Free board displayed prominently, reached many more people. Something beautiful began to happen People started coming to us to plant trees for birthdays and anniversaries.

In memory of loved ones to celebrate promotions or simply because they wanted to leave behind something meaningful. Soon, Defence, Air Force, CISF, Railways, government institutions and residential schools began inviting us to plant trees across their lands.

As our work grew, so did our dream. We expanded into agroforestry in rural areas, planting 10 fruit trees each for marginal farmers to help augment their income.

When Cyclone Gaja devastated the coastal belt of Tamil Nadu in 2018, destroying crores of coconut trees, we travelled to Thanjavur  with volunteers and planted 2,000 saplings, supported by Cycle Agarbathi.

When Kodagu experienced landslides, we planted 1,000 fruit trees at Sainik School, Kodagu, again with the support of Cycle Agarbathi.

One of our proudest efforts today is the Food Forest at Mulbagal. Many farmers, affected by drying borewells, drought and lack of infrastructure, are forced to abandon farming and migrate to cities in search of jobs. Four years ago, with the support of corporates and philanthropists, we took up an abandoned five-acre land and developed it into a sustainable food forest from fencing and watchman facilities to planting a variety of fruit trees and vegetables.

We introduced beekeeping and flowers for bees, while also creating opportunities for management interns to experience farming first-hand and learn modern agricultural practices.

Corporates now send employees for engagement activities, where they help till the land, clear weeds and support farm maintenance.

For women empowerment, we provide training in apiculture and mushroom cultivation.

Our hope is that this farm becomes a model — a place where other farmers can visit, learn and replicate similar ideas in their own lands.

During Covid-19, when many Vulnerable communities were struggling, we worked with the support of Deccan Herald, Prajavani, Himalaya, WOW and many philanthropists, distributing 2,500 ration kits, toiletries and sanitary pads to villages in interior Karnataka, to transgender communities, grave diggers, dhobies, tailors and families of hospital patients.

We are also proud that many of the trees planted over a decade ago continue to thrive.

Of the 500 trees planted in JP Nagar in 2008, 468 survive even today, creating a beautiful green canopy and bringing down temperatures along the stretch from Bannerghatta Road to Kanakapura Road. At 75 years of age, I continue this journey with the same belief I began with.

Age does not matter. Purpose does.

Because every tree planted today is shade for tomorrow.

And every small effort, done with sincerity, has the power to grow into something much larger than ourselves.