Sumi Khatun, the eldest daughter of a struggling family, began producing vermicompost fertilizer in Mymensingh during the COVID-19 pandemic after losing her low-paying NGO job. Guided by agricultural officer Alamgir Hossain, she started with only ten rings and three kilograms of earthworms, using vegetable waste and cow dung to create organic fertilizer. Despite initial setbacks and six months without sales, she persevered and produced 15 maunds of fertilizer, later gaining market access with help from the Upazila Agriculture Officer Shakura Nambir.

Over time, Sumi expanded her farm to twelve chambers and added a nutrition garden and pineapple plantation, cultivating fruits like papaya and malta alongside companion crops such as chili, mustard, and banana. She is also an active member of Transparency International Bangladesh’s YES group and local blood donation organizations. In 2025, she survived a severe road accident that claimed two fellow activists but continued her work after recovery.

Sumi received the Joyeeta Award in 2024 at both upazila and district levels for economic self-reliance and earned regional agricultural productivity awards in 2024 and 2025. She now studies for a master’s degree at Anand Mohan College and plans to expand production and create jobs for local youth.