PARIVARTAN-KIDS TO KIDS
CHANGE WITHIN OURSELVES WITH THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT.
ACTION,ADVOCACY AND NETWORKING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP.
INTRODUCTION:
As we are moving ahead in life, there are lot of challenges we face, be it social, economic or environmental. From a whole gamut of problems one that stands out is enabling our budding generation to avoid the perils of environmental catastrophe. An urgent action needs to be taken in this direction before it is too late. Keeping this in mind, PRAKRITI – SAVE NATURE, an NGO – embarked upon the responsibility of enlightening the young generation in schools of Jorhat district about Environmental friendly approaches in life in the year 2008. School children were taken to villages where they participated in Plantation programmes, Composting & Vermi- composting programmes, Collection of indigenous seed varieties etc. Interactive programmes were arranged between the children & farmers about need of organic farming. A 40 minute class every Thursday was allotted to the NGO by the Cinnamara Jatiya Bidyalaya for the Class 9 students, where the students were taught about environmental friendly agricultural practices in participatory manner. The inclination of these 20 students towards these practices & their voluntary involvement in mobilizing other children & farmers of their locality encouraged PRAKRITI – SAVE NATURE towards creation of “Change Agents” among the new generation & thus, the concept of “Parivartan” took birth to initiate change within ourselves to adapt to the changing environment. The programme envisages learning through community service & scientific investigation. This would develop life – long habits of active citizenship & environmental stewardship.
SALIENT ACTIVITIES:
The approach that the programme will adopt is provide opportunities to students to understand & improve the environment in their communities.
The key features of “PARIVARTAN “are:
(1) Systematic environmental quality assessment by a network of schools supported by NGO’s & validated by government & research institutions.
Students of member schools will be trained on scientific skills for monitoring the environmental quality like soil sample collection & testing, water sample collection & testing with field kits. This empowers them to learn more about the quality of the environment & use their findings to create or demand solutions. Systematic plans for monitoring other environmental attributes such as Herbal treasures, birding, Energy, Food adulteration, Eco consumerism/campaigns, Noise pollution, Bio-diversity, organic farming etc. will be taken up.
(2) The second component of the programme will be to generate awareness among the communities & other section of the society. The key features are:
Projection of assessed data to generate awareness & mobilize community members to initiate environmental improvement actions.
Bringing the data to the notice of local authorities/Pollution Control Board for necessary action.
Students spearheading campaigns of local relevance to enthrust local communities to change their attitudes, Campaigns against polybags, use of chemical pesticides & fertilizers in agriculture, emerging idols made with non-environmental friendly material, bursting of crackers during festivals & marriages using toxic colours during holi, nailing signboards to trees etc. will be taken up.
(3) The third component of “PARIVARTAN” is advocacy with the collective efforts of NGO’s & local government. This phase focuses on –
Involving students & NGO’s to convince civic agencies to take action against the degradation of their area’s environment.
Involving local authorities to bring about changes in policies & filing of Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
Introduce best management practices that will improve the environmental quality.
(4) Environmental assessment, awareness, advocacy culminate in community initiated action for environmental improvement. This phase focuses on:
Involving School groups & Community members to improve their local environmental conditions. Depending on local problems, students will initiate various programmes such as solid waste management including vermi composting, tree plantation, creation of herb corners, energy conservation, rain water harvesting, paper recycling, seed saving, stream cleaning, simple water treatment methods, preparation of homemade pesticide formulations etc.
Involving research & educational organizations in finding solutions to local problems identified by “Parivartan” members.
“PARIVARTAN Programmes”
(A) TREE FRIENDSHIP:
“Parivartan endeavours to make our future generation realize the value of trees & also actively take up greening of their surroundings & ensure their protection. The activities that will be undertaken by “Parivartan Schools” are:
(i) Tree Planting
(ii) Tree Walks
(iii) Tree Protection
(iv) Local Seed variety protection
(i) Tree Planting:
Schools in particular,have both a need & scope for planting trees. ”PARIVARTAN” motto is: “Wherever there is an open area, lets make it green.” It will aim in planting & nurturing a variety of trees, which will help in their scientific study & display apart from conserving them. Creation of mini-arboretum which would comprise medicinal plants, flowering trees, native trees etc.The students will be first briefed about the need of trees around us and the responsibilities that are required after planting to nurture the trees. The trees will be named after the student who plants it so that a sense of belongingness comes in the mind of the student. Prakriti- Save Nature will seek help from the District Forest Department in this regard and also the school authorities regarding this programme. The students will be taught about – spacing of trees, direction of planting trees, time of planting, planting climbers and bushes, after care and what species to plant.
(ii) Tree Walks:
There are thousands of species of trees & plants on our planet. To acquaint them with students, “Parivartan” will take students for tree walks in gardens, local parks, Agricultural Universities & even inside school campus. During the walks experts help students identify the different tree species along with simple tips on how to identify them, their important medicinal, aesthetic properties & characteristics. The students thus, comprehend the diversity in nature & its value. The students are then encouraged to identify & observe different tree species in their school & neighbouring parks, make leaf & flower herbariums etc.
(iii) Tree Protection:Each & every Parivartan member is a tree ambassador & has the responsibility of not only spreading awareness but also look for solutions & take suitable action. What is needed is both advocacy & action. The students will be trained for certain basic steps of tree protection like:
(1) Trees & plants have been worshipped in our culture since centuries. Let us respect them & refrain from plucking leaves/grass/flowers unnecessarily.
(2) Lets not use trees as a media for publicity & crucify them with advertisements. The rusted nails can cause cancer in the tree. Remove advertisements nailed on trees in your colony/village & fill the hole preferably with Bordeaux paste.
(3) Tree guards provide crucial support to trees in the initial years. But once the trees have grown, they hamper the tree’s growth, thus must be removed in good time.
(4) Do not allow leaves or wastes to be burnt under trees. Instead allow biodegradable wastes to mulch.
(5) Get your vehicle checked for pollution regularly.
(6) During intense Indian Summers, whenever you wash your vehicle, drain the waste water towards a tree/plants nearby.
(7) Digging near trees for laying repairing pipes & cables should be stopped. This cuts the roots of the tree, thus weakening them & they can get uprooted in mild storms.
(8) Concretizing or paving the soil around the trees suffocates the trees & they soon perish. This should be stopped.
(9) When you see a tree or its branches being cut or digging near the trees, check whether permission has been taken from concerned authorities.
(10) Protect the plant from pest & diseases the organic way with home made formulations.
(iv) Local Seed Variety Protection:
“Parivartan” will encourage student & other members to plant & conserve local seed varieties of different crops. “Parivartan’ members will collect local seed varieties & preserve them by creating local seed banks in different institutions like schools, panchayats, farmers club etc. “Parivartan”will also arrange certain local seed fares to promote the cultivation of these varieties. Hybridisation leads to environmental disbalance & that must be prevented.
(B) WASTE MANAGEMENT:-
“Parivartan” will help manage waste better –
(i) Natural Composting
(ii) Vermi Composting
(iii) Reuse society
(i) Natural Composting:In natural composting, the waste decomposes with the aid of other factors such as insects, worms & tiny microbes. This is possible in each & every school, irrespective of amount of waste they generate. “Parivartan “ student members will be trained on natural composting & they will in turn motivate people around them in their colony or village for natural composting with the help of PRAKRITI – SAVE NATURE.
(ii) Vermi Composting:
This is the process through which we can convert biodegradable waste into rich humus by using earthworms. After the earthworm ingests organic matter, the matter undergoes chemical changes & what comes out is a rich plant food. “Parivartan” students will be trained on low cost vermi composting which they in turn will mobilize their community to take up the activity. The bamboo structured low cost vermi composting unit promoted by PRAKRITI – SAVE NATURE has found its place in most of the govt. agricultural schemes of the district, for its easy replication among farmers. The members will also be trained on production of compost tea.
(iii) Reuse society:
What is waste for you, is a wealth for somebody else. There has been a tradition in India of finding an innovative idea for everything –tyres, battery cases, plastic bins etc. A similar thing will be started in schools which saves both environment & money in the bargain, in addition to inculcating in students a habit of not discarding things unthinkingly. Apart from making innovative things from discarded things in the crafts period, to major activities are suggested to school under reuse society. The first activity is to exchange books & even notes at the beginning of each academic session. This way lots of papers & trees can be saved. The next major activity in the reuse society is to donate books & outgrown cloths, toys etc. The books –story books/comics that have been read & re-read , the cloths & shoes that have outgrown are collected in schools & given to less fortunate children of the society. Such collection are presented to Child Welfare Organisations, slums, orphanages etc.
(C) WATER WATCH:-
(i) Importance of water in our life.
(ii) Economic uses of water.
(iii) Concept of safe water.
(iv) Water quality standards.
(v) Microbial contamination of water & their preventive measures-Water Sanitation.
(vi) Water pollution.
(vii) Rain water harvesting.
(viii) Practically creating simple RWH structures by students.
The above activities will lead to the formation of certain PARIVARTAN agents in schools who will in turn create a Network of similar people through motivation & lead to safe environment to live-in.
As we are moving ahead in life, there are lot of challenges we face, be it social, economic or environmental. From a whole gamut of problems one that stands out is enabling our budding generation to avoid the perils of environmental catastrophe. An urgent action needs to be taken in this direction before it is too late. Keeping this in mind, PRAKRITI – SAVE NATURE, an NGO – embarked upon the responsibility of enlightening the young generation in schools of Jorhat district about Environmental friendly approaches in life in the year 2008. School children were taken to villages where they participated in Plantation programmes, Composting & Vermi- composting programmes, Collection of indigenous seed varieties etc. Interactive programmes were arranged between the children & farmers about need of organic farming. A 40 minute class every Thursday was allotted to the NGO by the Cinnamara Jatiya Bidyalaya for the Class 9 students, where the students were taught about environmental friendly agricultural practices in participatory manner. The inclination of these 20 students towards these practices & their voluntary involvement in mobilizing other children & farmers of their locality encouraged PRAKRITI – SAVE NATURE towards creation of “Change Agents” among the new generation & thus, the concept of “Parivartan” took birth to initiate change within ourselves to adapt to the changing environment. The programme envisages learning through community service & scientific investigation. This would develop life – long habits of active citizenship & environmental stewardship.
SALIENT ACTIVITIES:
The approach that the programme will adopt is provide opportunities to students to understand & improve the environment in their communities.
The key features of “PARIVARTAN “are:
(1) Systematic environmental quality assessment by a network of schools supported by NGO’s & validated by government & research institutions.
Students of member schools will be trained on scientific skills for monitoring the environmental quality like soil sample collection & testing, water sample collection & testing with field kits. This empowers them to learn more about the quality of the environment & use their findings to create or demand solutions. Systematic plans for monitoring other environmental attributes such as Herbal treasures, birding, Energy, Food adulteration, Eco consumerism/campaigns, Noise pollution, Bio-diversity, organic farming etc. will be taken up.
(2) The second component of the programme will be to generate awareness among the communities & other section of the society. The key features are:
Projection of assessed data to generate awareness & mobilize community members to initiate environmental improvement actions.
Bringing the data to the notice of local authorities/Pollution Control Board for necessary action.
Students spearheading campaigns of local relevance to enthrust local communities to change their attitudes, Campaigns against polybags, use of chemical pesticides & fertilizers in agriculture, emerging idols made with non-environmental friendly material, bursting of crackers during festivals & marriages using toxic colours during holi, nailing signboards to trees etc. will be taken up.
(3) The third component of “PARIVARTAN” is advocacy with the collective efforts of NGO’s & local government. This phase focuses on –
Involving students & NGO’s to convince civic agencies to take action against the degradation of their area’s environment.
Involving local authorities to bring about changes in policies & filing of Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
Introduce best management practices that will improve the environmental quality.
(4) Environmental assessment, awareness, advocacy culminate in community initiated action for environmental improvement. This phase focuses on:
Involving School groups & Community members to improve their local environmental conditions. Depending on local problems, students will initiate various programmes such as solid waste management including vermi composting, tree plantation, creation of herb corners, energy conservation, rain water harvesting, paper recycling, seed saving, stream cleaning, simple water treatment methods, preparation of homemade pesticide formulations etc.
Involving research & educational organizations in finding solutions to local problems identified by “Parivartan” members.
“PARIVARTAN Programmes”
(A) TREE FRIENDSHIP:
“Parivartan endeavours to make our future generation realize the value of trees & also actively take up greening of their surroundings & ensure their protection. The activities that will be undertaken by “Parivartan Schools” are:
(i) Tree Planting
(ii) Tree Walks
(iii) Tree Protection
(iv) Local Seed variety protection
(i) Tree Planting:
Schools in particular,have both a need & scope for planting trees. ”PARIVARTAN” motto is: “Wherever there is an open area, lets make it green.” It will aim in planting & nurturing a variety of trees, which will help in their scientific study & display apart from conserving them. Creation of mini-arboretum which would comprise medicinal plants, flowering trees, native trees etc.The students will be first briefed about the need of trees around us and the responsibilities that are required after planting to nurture the trees. The trees will be named after the student who plants it so that a sense of belongingness comes in the mind of the student. Prakriti- Save Nature will seek help from the District Forest Department in this regard and also the school authorities regarding this programme. The students will be taught about – spacing of trees, direction of planting trees, time of planting, planting climbers and bushes, after care and what species to plant.
(ii) Tree Walks:
There are thousands of species of trees & plants on our planet. To acquaint them with students, “Parivartan” will take students for tree walks in gardens, local parks, Agricultural Universities & even inside school campus. During the walks experts help students identify the different tree species along with simple tips on how to identify them, their important medicinal, aesthetic properties & characteristics. The students thus, comprehend the diversity in nature & its value. The students are then encouraged to identify & observe different tree species in their school & neighbouring parks, make leaf & flower herbariums etc.
(iii) Tree Protection:Each & every Parivartan member is a tree ambassador & has the responsibility of not only spreading awareness but also look for solutions & take suitable action. What is needed is both advocacy & action. The students will be trained for certain basic steps of tree protection like:
(1) Trees & plants have been worshipped in our culture since centuries. Let us respect them & refrain from plucking leaves/grass/flowers unnecessarily.
(2) Lets not use trees as a media for publicity & crucify them with advertisements. The rusted nails can cause cancer in the tree. Remove advertisements nailed on trees in your colony/village & fill the hole preferably with Bordeaux paste.
(3) Tree guards provide crucial support to trees in the initial years. But once the trees have grown, they hamper the tree’s growth, thus must be removed in good time.
(4) Do not allow leaves or wastes to be burnt under trees. Instead allow biodegradable wastes to mulch.
(5) Get your vehicle checked for pollution regularly.
(6) During intense Indian Summers, whenever you wash your vehicle, drain the waste water towards a tree/plants nearby.
(7) Digging near trees for laying repairing pipes & cables should be stopped. This cuts the roots of the tree, thus weakening them & they can get uprooted in mild storms.
(8) Concretizing or paving the soil around the trees suffocates the trees & they soon perish. This should be stopped.
(9) When you see a tree or its branches being cut or digging near the trees, check whether permission has been taken from concerned authorities.
(10) Protect the plant from pest & diseases the organic way with home made formulations.
(iv) Local Seed Variety Protection:
“Parivartan” will encourage student & other members to plant & conserve local seed varieties of different crops. “Parivartan’ members will collect local seed varieties & preserve them by creating local seed banks in different institutions like schools, panchayats, farmers club etc. “Parivartan”will also arrange certain local seed fares to promote the cultivation of these varieties. Hybridisation leads to environmental disbalance & that must be prevented.
(B) WASTE MANAGEMENT:-
“Parivartan” will help manage waste better –
(i) Natural Composting
(ii) Vermi Composting
(iii) Reuse society
(i) Natural Composting:In natural composting, the waste decomposes with the aid of other factors such as insects, worms & tiny microbes. This is possible in each & every school, irrespective of amount of waste they generate. “Parivartan “ student members will be trained on natural composting & they will in turn motivate people around them in their colony or village for natural composting with the help of PRAKRITI – SAVE NATURE.
(ii) Vermi Composting:
This is the process through which we can convert biodegradable waste into rich humus by using earthworms. After the earthworm ingests organic matter, the matter undergoes chemical changes & what comes out is a rich plant food. “Parivartan” students will be trained on low cost vermi composting which they in turn will mobilize their community to take up the activity. The bamboo structured low cost vermi composting unit promoted by PRAKRITI – SAVE NATURE has found its place in most of the govt. agricultural schemes of the district, for its easy replication among farmers. The members will also be trained on production of compost tea.
(iii) Reuse society:
What is waste for you, is a wealth for somebody else. There has been a tradition in India of finding an innovative idea for everything –tyres, battery cases, plastic bins etc. A similar thing will be started in schools which saves both environment & money in the bargain, in addition to inculcating in students a habit of not discarding things unthinkingly. Apart from making innovative things from discarded things in the crafts period, to major activities are suggested to school under reuse society. The first activity is to exchange books & even notes at the beginning of each academic session. This way lots of papers & trees can be saved. The next major activity in the reuse society is to donate books & outgrown cloths, toys etc. The books –story books/comics that have been read & re-read , the cloths & shoes that have outgrown are collected in schools & given to less fortunate children of the society. Such collection are presented to Child Welfare Organisations, slums, orphanages etc.
(C) WATER WATCH:-
(i) Importance of water in our life.
(ii) Economic uses of water.
(iii) Concept of safe water.
(iv) Water quality standards.
(v) Microbial contamination of water & their preventive measures-Water Sanitation.
(vi) Water pollution.
(vii) Rain water harvesting.
(viii) Practically creating simple RWH structures by students.
The above activities will lead to the formation of certain PARIVARTAN agents in schools who will in turn create a Network of similar people through motivation & lead to safe environment to live-in.
Goal & Objectives:
The “Parivartan“ programme aims to mobilize community responsibility for environmental assessment & improvement in the state through a network of schools & NGO’s linked with government, business, academic & other institutions.“Parivartan“will aim at creating certain “Change Agents” among the community – be it students, farmers, businessmen, govt. employees etc., who will be the tool of “Parivartan “in respective areas.
The underlying realization is that “Each one of us is responsible for destruction of the environment in the country, & we cannot wait for someone else to solve it. “
ORGANIC FARMING PROMOTION AMONG FARMERS:
Upper Assam is a place dominated by monocropping of tea.The tea industry started by the British,earns a revenue for the state of Assam.The area is dominated by the presence of big tea gardens.Pest and diseases of tea is a major problem which pumps in lots of chemical pesticides and fertilizers to these gardens.Advent of the small tea growers in the villages assured a rotation of cash on weekly basis to the villagers,but now is leading to a cause of insecurity for all those assamese people living in the villages.The actual gainer in the run is the big pesticide companies,whose different brands of toxic chemicals are selling at new heights.The pests are becoming resistant and the soil is detoriating.Moreover,the people have taken this monocropping to their homestead gardens,and the whole village becomes a cocktail of different toxins used by different people.The air,water and the soil is contaminated and farmers are indebted due to increased cost of cultivation.The health of the people and mainly kids is at high risk.The use of pesticides in tea is also pumping its use into other crops grown in the villages.If it continues like this ,within a short period of time,assamese people will be an endangered species.Prakriti-Save Nature ,underscored the importance of promoting organic farming in those areas and is voluntarily leading a silent battle towards creating a green Assam.We are training the villagers regarding organic practices and creating awareness about the bad effects of chemical farming.
Few glimpses of our activities:
Upper Assam is a place dominated by monocropping of tea.The tea industry started by the British,earns a revenue for the state of Assam.The area is dominated by the presence of big tea gardens.Pest and diseases of tea is a major problem which pumps in lots of chemical pesticides and fertilizers to these gardens.Advent of the small tea growers in the villages assured a rotation of cash on weekly basis to the villagers,but now is leading to a cause of insecurity for all those assamese people living in the villages.The actual gainer in the run is the big pesticide companies,whose different brands of toxic chemicals are selling at new heights.The pests are becoming resistant and the soil is detoriating.Moreover,the people have taken this monocropping to their homestead gardens,and the whole village becomes a cocktail of different toxins used by different people.The air,water and the soil is contaminated and farmers are indebted due to increased cost of cultivation.The health of the people and mainly kids is at high risk.The use of pesticides in tea is also pumping its use into other crops grown in the villages.If it continues like this ,within a short period of time,assamese people will be an endangered species.Prakriti-Save Nature ,underscored the importance of promoting organic farming in those areas and is voluntarily leading a silent battle towards creating a green Assam.We are training the villagers regarding organic practices and creating awareness about the bad effects of chemical farming.
Few glimpses of our activities:
PILOT PROJECT ON WATER SECURITY:SPONSORED BY UNICEF IN COLLABORATION WITH PHED,ASSAM.
NATIONAL GOAL-TO PROVIDE SAFE DRINKING WATER 24*7 TO RURAL AREAS.
PRAKRITI-SAVE NATURE IS ENSUEING A PROJECT ON SAFE DRINKING WATER IN 2 BLOCKS OF JORHAT DISTRICT.BASELINE HOUSEHOLD SURVEY
OF THE VILLAGES IS BEING DONE WITH SANITARY SURVEILANCE OF THE GOVT. DRINKING WATER SOURCES.SAMPLES ARE BEING TESTED IN THE LAB AND COMMUNITY AWARENESS IS BEING MADE.A VILLAGE MAP OF THE DRINKING WATER SOURCES USING THE GIS TECHNOLOGY IS BEING DONE.
THE NGO IS AIMING TO INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY IN DESIGNING THE VILLAGE ACTION PLAN FOR DRINKING WATER AND CREATING AN ATMOSPHERE IN THE VILLAGES WHERE PEOPLE TREAT THE WATER SOURCES AS THEIR OWN AND TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OPERATION AND MAINTAINENCE.
NATIONAL GOAL-TO PROVIDE SAFE DRINKING WATER 24*7 TO RURAL AREAS.
PRAKRITI-SAVE NATURE IS ENSUEING A PROJECT ON SAFE DRINKING WATER IN 2 BLOCKS OF JORHAT DISTRICT.BASELINE HOUSEHOLD SURVEY
OF THE VILLAGES IS BEING DONE WITH SANITARY SURVEILANCE OF THE GOVT. DRINKING WATER SOURCES.SAMPLES ARE BEING TESTED IN THE LAB AND COMMUNITY AWARENESS IS BEING MADE.A VILLAGE MAP OF THE DRINKING WATER SOURCES USING THE GIS TECHNOLOGY IS BEING DONE.
THE NGO IS AIMING TO INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY IN DESIGNING THE VILLAGE ACTION PLAN FOR DRINKING WATER AND CREATING AN ATMOSPHERE IN THE VILLAGES WHERE PEOPLE TREAT THE WATER SOURCES AS THEIR OWN AND TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OPERATION AND MAINTAINENCE.
INSTITUTE OF SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT(ISARD),LAHOWAL COLLEGE,DIBRUGARH.
PRAKRITI-SAVE NATURE on 30th october,2011 started its Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with Lahowal college in Dibrugarh of Assam,India.The Institute was inaugurated by Honourable Minister for Labour and Employment of Govt. of Assam Mr.Prithibi Majhi.Prakriti-Save Nature is also pioneering with Lahowal College to introduce a six month vocational course on 'Sustainable agricultural practices' to the undergraduate students in Arts stream so that they can have self-employment oppurtunity when they graduate.The young generation must be retained in villages to develop the strongest part of our economy-Agriculture.Lots of agripreuners can be developed and save environment by promoting sustainable agricultural practices. A CERTIFICATE COURSE ON-
‘ SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES’
Course duration-6 months
Course offered by-
Lahowal College,Dibrugargh
A recognized name for quality education
Course coordinated by-
Prakriti-Save Nature,Jorhat
An organization for sustainable agriculture,environment and socio-economic development of rural InDIA
About the course:
A six months certificate course on sustainable agricultural practices for self-sustainability of the Bachelor of Arts students of Lahowal college.The main aim of the course is to attract them towards earning livelihood through agricultural and allied activities in a sustainable manner maintaining harmony with the natural resources and thus removing unemployment from society by guiding them towards self employment.
Context:
The growth of overall Indian economy depends on the comprehensive development of rural India. Agriculture is the backbone of Indian economy. The whole economy will flourish if the young generation in the villages retain interest towards agriculture and consider it as the source of their livelihood. As India embarks on a path of higher growth, it is imperative that Assam and all its people be enabled to improve their quality of life and standard of living.
This is possible only if we will be able to retain the interest of the rural educated youths in farming and utilizing their land resources and also promoting sustainable agricultural practices to the farmers. While many formal studies has been prepared to assess the growth and employment potential in India’s formal private sectors less attention has been given to the condition and strategies to promote rapid expansion and job creation in rural and informal sectors. So emphasis must be given on creating employment in India’s informal sector, with emphasis on agriculture, agro – industry, rural services and related vocations. The students in rural areas pursuing graduation in Arts, are noticed to be landing up in situations where they remain unemployed and are heritant to go back to villages and take up agriculture and allied activities as professions. The self employment opportunities, they have in the agricultural sector does not match the expectations of many educated job-seekers, which reflects inadequacies both in type of employment generated and type of education being imparted. Economically, employment generation is determined by how fully and productively society utilizes the material, technological, organizational and human resource at its disposal. The more productive the society is the greater the quality and efficiency with which it produces goods and services in the market places, the more employment opportunities and purchasing power created. This increased purchasing power then acts as additional stimulus to the creation of new demand and employment opportunities. In today’s world this must be done in a sustainable manner keeping harmony with the rich natural resources with the mindset of environmental stewardship. Every year lakhs of students graduate and many become frustrated due to unemployment.
The course is a small initiative taken by Lahowal College, Dibrugarh and a brain child of NGO- Prakriti-Save Nature of Jorhat to impart a six months certificate course on sustainable agricultural practices and self-sustainability to the students to the students of “Bachelor of Arts” programme to enable them to develop skills in the field of agriculture and allied activities along with their routine programme. This will lead to generate interest in the part of young educated youths to take up agricultural activities and the course content will create many “agripreneurs”, in rural areas, which will remove unemployment from society and take Indian agriculture to a new height.
Thus, Lahowal College is pioneering the course by including it to the curriculum of B.A students from 1st of November, 2011. The course is designed and coordinated by Prakriti-Save Nature. Nintyfive classes of 1 hour duration have been designed, which will include both theoretical and practical parts of agriculture and allied subjects. Much emphasis will be laid on the skill development of the students regarding sustainable agricultural practices.
About the Organizations
Lahowal College:-
Lahowal College, a premiere institute situated at Lahowal, an industrial Enclave, 13 km far from the Dibrugarh town and surrounded by large number of tea gardens, villages and paddy fields. Majority of the people are dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. The college is satisfactorily supporting the students from remote villages for ensuring their higher studies and providing quality education in its environment friendly beautiful campus. Before, the establishment of the college, it was difficult for the students of this economically backward place towards achieving higher education in far away urban colleges. Thus with the zeal and enthusiasm of the founder and present principal Mr. J.P. Dutta and with the valued suggestions and support from environment educationalists and well wishes of the area, Lahowal College took birth on 17th July’1995 to enlighten the poor rural student of the area with quality higher education. The newly built own building of the college came to existence in the year 1996 with the generation donation from the well wishes and non government organization of the area. The main aim of the college is to impart and promote both theoretical and need based technical/applied education. The college is a co-educational institute. Moreover, with the view to develop and upgrade the technical skill of the students, the college organizes time to time job oriented vocational training programme as a part of the college education. After a long innings of catering quality education to the students, Lahowal college is going to put another step ahead by pioneering to introduce a 6 months certificate course on sustainable agricultural practices, which is the need of the hour along with its General B.A course, so that the gradually students can have skill development regarding sustainable agricultural practices and can have the option of self-employment and thus, contribute towards developing Nation’s economy by strengthening its most important component Agriculture.
Prakriti-saves nature - an introduction:
Prakriti-save nature is an organisation located at Jorhat, Assam consists of technical elites, progressive farmers, extension specialists, retired bank officials devoted for the socio economic upliftment of rural people since last six to seven years.
Address:
Prakriti-Save Nature, Sonarigaon no.1,
Tarajan, Jorhat-785001, Assam
Phone: +91 98540 49583
E Mail: [email protected] ,
Website-http://www.prakritisavenature.weebly.com
Registration: A registered society under the societies registration act XXI of 1860 vides reg.no.RS.JOR/238/D/03.
About the organization:
Prakriti-Save Nature is a registered agricultural, environmental and socio-economic development nonprofit organization that focuses on overall improvement of quality of life of the farmers through sustainable, environment friendly agricultural practices with regards to soil, water and air. The organisation promotes livelihood opportunity to the rural people. It aims to strengthen the agricultural extension mechanism through developmental activities, imparting trainings, volunteering with farmers in their activities and promoting agri clinics. The organization has underscored the importance of organic farming to reduce the cultivation cost and ensure environmental, social and economical sustainability. The organization focuses on ensuring safe food to the people through organic farming. The organization promotes conservation of local varieties of seed and tries to create a market of our indigenous varieties of seed. Farmer must be protected from the harmful effects of chemical fertilizer and pesticides and his ever increasing financial burden due to the secondary outbreak of pests and cost of those chemicals. Our mission is to protect this most important member of the society by imparting him training about the importance of the natural resources around him and use them in his agricultural activities. Farmer suicides must be stopped. Soil fertility management trainings like composting, vermicomposting, biofertilizers must be imparted to the farmers and Prakriti-Save Nature is well equipped with those trainings and has strategic tie-up with Canadian NGO Fertile Ground who also volunteers for those trainings. In all such trainings organic farming practices,livelihood opportunity in agri and allied fields, integrated project preparation, and sustainable livelihood of poor people is the prime concern. The organization train the indigenous people of Assam to work together by forming SHGs, Federations, CBOs, Farmer’s clubs, JLGs etc to grow together and create a sustainable market of their produces. Farmers’ club, SHSs, JLG etc members those who are member of ‘Prakriti-save nature’. So, the organization is well equipped to train rural people in sustainable agricultural practices. Our organization further strongly believes on development through the abundant natural resources we have which is much sustainable and groups taking such activities may create impact in the society. Our trainees are successful as we mobilize forward linkages like marketing etc before the backward linkages are put into action. The organization is well versed in training methods and materials for value addition and market development of those indigenous resources.
Design Brief:-
The course is designed to:-
1. Benefit the students in gathering knowledge and skill about sustainable agricultural practices.
2. Benefit the students to take up their own ventures in these fields, thus, creating self employment generation.
3. Benefit the economy of the state as well as the nation as the course will retain its strongest, educated workforce in agriculture.
4. Benefit the country as its abundant land resources and natural resources will be utilized in a sustainable manner.
5. Benefit the people towards food security and environmental protection.
6. Benefit the community in villages as these students will transfer technologies to the community. They can act as extension agents.
7. Benefit the students to become “agripreneurs” and the certificate will play an important role in their rapport building with the financial institutes and other supporting organizations.
Course objectives:
At the end of the 6 months course the students shall be able to:-
1. Generate self-employment in agriculture and allied areas. Will no longer stay unemployed.
2. Understand that agriculture is the most flourishing industry and their growth in this sector is sustainable.
3. Understand to respect the environment and practice sustainable agricultural practices and contribute towards food security by adopting organic farming methods.
4. Work in groups by forming SHGs, Farmers clubs, CBOs and achieve new professional heights.
5. Prepare their own Bankable projects and learn about credit and credit management in agriculture.
6. Help in bringing social change and attitude of people through disseminating their learnings to the community.
7. Contribute towards the overall development of the state as well as the nation.
Materials/Resources:-
1. Reading materials to be collected and prepared.
2. Pictorial booklets, leaflets, brochures etc prepared by different organizations.
3. Books and CDs on sustainable agricultural practices will be procured.
4. LCD projector and laptop must be procured.
5. Materials needed for different practical classes must be procured.
Duration and Timing:-
The course duration will be six months.
Trainers:-
In addition to in-house faculty of both the organizations, competent, experienced resource persons with requisite creditability shall be invited.
Method of teaching:-
1. Interactive lecture method will be followed.
2. Presentation, role play, short videos, case studies, group discussions etc, shall be made from time to time.
3. At the end part of each class, discussion will be generated in the topic through question answer to enable the students to clear their conception.
4. Provision for recapitulation of earlier classes in every class will be there.
Course kit for students:-
The students shall be provided the following materials:-
1. Hard-copies of lectures.
2. Pen and note book.
3. Chart paper for role play.
4. Soft copy of training materials, short films, videos, PPT etc.
‘ SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES’
Course duration-6 months
Course offered by-
Lahowal College,Dibrugargh
A recognized name for quality education
Course coordinated by-
Prakriti-Save Nature,Jorhat
An organization for sustainable agriculture,environment and socio-economic development of rural InDIA
About the course:
A six months certificate course on sustainable agricultural practices for self-sustainability of the Bachelor of Arts students of Lahowal college.The main aim of the course is to attract them towards earning livelihood through agricultural and allied activities in a sustainable manner maintaining harmony with the natural resources and thus removing unemployment from society by guiding them towards self employment.
Context:
The growth of overall Indian economy depends on the comprehensive development of rural India. Agriculture is the backbone of Indian economy. The whole economy will flourish if the young generation in the villages retain interest towards agriculture and consider it as the source of their livelihood. As India embarks on a path of higher growth, it is imperative that Assam and all its people be enabled to improve their quality of life and standard of living.
This is possible only if we will be able to retain the interest of the rural educated youths in farming and utilizing their land resources and also promoting sustainable agricultural practices to the farmers. While many formal studies has been prepared to assess the growth and employment potential in India’s formal private sectors less attention has been given to the condition and strategies to promote rapid expansion and job creation in rural and informal sectors. So emphasis must be given on creating employment in India’s informal sector, with emphasis on agriculture, agro – industry, rural services and related vocations. The students in rural areas pursuing graduation in Arts, are noticed to be landing up in situations where they remain unemployed and are heritant to go back to villages and take up agriculture and allied activities as professions. The self employment opportunities, they have in the agricultural sector does not match the expectations of many educated job-seekers, which reflects inadequacies both in type of employment generated and type of education being imparted. Economically, employment generation is determined by how fully and productively society utilizes the material, technological, organizational and human resource at its disposal. The more productive the society is the greater the quality and efficiency with which it produces goods and services in the market places, the more employment opportunities and purchasing power created. This increased purchasing power then acts as additional stimulus to the creation of new demand and employment opportunities. In today’s world this must be done in a sustainable manner keeping harmony with the rich natural resources with the mindset of environmental stewardship. Every year lakhs of students graduate and many become frustrated due to unemployment.
The course is a small initiative taken by Lahowal College, Dibrugarh and a brain child of NGO- Prakriti-Save Nature of Jorhat to impart a six months certificate course on sustainable agricultural practices and self-sustainability to the students to the students of “Bachelor of Arts” programme to enable them to develop skills in the field of agriculture and allied activities along with their routine programme. This will lead to generate interest in the part of young educated youths to take up agricultural activities and the course content will create many “agripreneurs”, in rural areas, which will remove unemployment from society and take Indian agriculture to a new height.
Thus, Lahowal College is pioneering the course by including it to the curriculum of B.A students from 1st of November, 2011. The course is designed and coordinated by Prakriti-Save Nature. Nintyfive classes of 1 hour duration have been designed, which will include both theoretical and practical parts of agriculture and allied subjects. Much emphasis will be laid on the skill development of the students regarding sustainable agricultural practices.
About the Organizations
Lahowal College:-
Lahowal College, a premiere institute situated at Lahowal, an industrial Enclave, 13 km far from the Dibrugarh town and surrounded by large number of tea gardens, villages and paddy fields. Majority of the people are dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. The college is satisfactorily supporting the students from remote villages for ensuring their higher studies and providing quality education in its environment friendly beautiful campus. Before, the establishment of the college, it was difficult for the students of this economically backward place towards achieving higher education in far away urban colleges. Thus with the zeal and enthusiasm of the founder and present principal Mr. J.P. Dutta and with the valued suggestions and support from environment educationalists and well wishes of the area, Lahowal College took birth on 17th July’1995 to enlighten the poor rural student of the area with quality higher education. The newly built own building of the college came to existence in the year 1996 with the generation donation from the well wishes and non government organization of the area. The main aim of the college is to impart and promote both theoretical and need based technical/applied education. The college is a co-educational institute. Moreover, with the view to develop and upgrade the technical skill of the students, the college organizes time to time job oriented vocational training programme as a part of the college education. After a long innings of catering quality education to the students, Lahowal college is going to put another step ahead by pioneering to introduce a 6 months certificate course on sustainable agricultural practices, which is the need of the hour along with its General B.A course, so that the gradually students can have skill development regarding sustainable agricultural practices and can have the option of self-employment and thus, contribute towards developing Nation’s economy by strengthening its most important component Agriculture.
Prakriti-saves nature - an introduction:
Prakriti-save nature is an organisation located at Jorhat, Assam consists of technical elites, progressive farmers, extension specialists, retired bank officials devoted for the socio economic upliftment of rural people since last six to seven years.
Address:
Prakriti-Save Nature, Sonarigaon no.1,
Tarajan, Jorhat-785001, Assam
Phone: +91 98540 49583
E Mail: [email protected] ,
Website-http://www.prakritisavenature.weebly.com
Registration: A registered society under the societies registration act XXI of 1860 vides reg.no.RS.JOR/238/D/03.
About the organization:
Prakriti-Save Nature is a registered agricultural, environmental and socio-economic development nonprofit organization that focuses on overall improvement of quality of life of the farmers through sustainable, environment friendly agricultural practices with regards to soil, water and air. The organisation promotes livelihood opportunity to the rural people. It aims to strengthen the agricultural extension mechanism through developmental activities, imparting trainings, volunteering with farmers in their activities and promoting agri clinics. The organization has underscored the importance of organic farming to reduce the cultivation cost and ensure environmental, social and economical sustainability. The organization focuses on ensuring safe food to the people through organic farming. The organization promotes conservation of local varieties of seed and tries to create a market of our indigenous varieties of seed. Farmer must be protected from the harmful effects of chemical fertilizer and pesticides and his ever increasing financial burden due to the secondary outbreak of pests and cost of those chemicals. Our mission is to protect this most important member of the society by imparting him training about the importance of the natural resources around him and use them in his agricultural activities. Farmer suicides must be stopped. Soil fertility management trainings like composting, vermicomposting, biofertilizers must be imparted to the farmers and Prakriti-Save Nature is well equipped with those trainings and has strategic tie-up with Canadian NGO Fertile Ground who also volunteers for those trainings. In all such trainings organic farming practices,livelihood opportunity in agri and allied fields, integrated project preparation, and sustainable livelihood of poor people is the prime concern. The organization train the indigenous people of Assam to work together by forming SHGs, Federations, CBOs, Farmer’s clubs, JLGs etc to grow together and create a sustainable market of their produces. Farmers’ club, SHSs, JLG etc members those who are member of ‘Prakriti-save nature’. So, the organization is well equipped to train rural people in sustainable agricultural practices. Our organization further strongly believes on development through the abundant natural resources we have which is much sustainable and groups taking such activities may create impact in the society. Our trainees are successful as we mobilize forward linkages like marketing etc before the backward linkages are put into action. The organization is well versed in training methods and materials for value addition and market development of those indigenous resources.
Design Brief:-
The course is designed to:-
1. Benefit the students in gathering knowledge and skill about sustainable agricultural practices.
2. Benefit the students to take up their own ventures in these fields, thus, creating self employment generation.
3. Benefit the economy of the state as well as the nation as the course will retain its strongest, educated workforce in agriculture.
4. Benefit the country as its abundant land resources and natural resources will be utilized in a sustainable manner.
5. Benefit the people towards food security and environmental protection.
6. Benefit the community in villages as these students will transfer technologies to the community. They can act as extension agents.
7. Benefit the students to become “agripreneurs” and the certificate will play an important role in their rapport building with the financial institutes and other supporting organizations.
Course objectives:
At the end of the 6 months course the students shall be able to:-
1. Generate self-employment in agriculture and allied areas. Will no longer stay unemployed.
2. Understand that agriculture is the most flourishing industry and their growth in this sector is sustainable.
3. Understand to respect the environment and practice sustainable agricultural practices and contribute towards food security by adopting organic farming methods.
4. Work in groups by forming SHGs, Farmers clubs, CBOs and achieve new professional heights.
5. Prepare their own Bankable projects and learn about credit and credit management in agriculture.
6. Help in bringing social change and attitude of people through disseminating their learnings to the community.
7. Contribute towards the overall development of the state as well as the nation.
Materials/Resources:-
1. Reading materials to be collected and prepared.
2. Pictorial booklets, leaflets, brochures etc prepared by different organizations.
3. Books and CDs on sustainable agricultural practices will be procured.
4. LCD projector and laptop must be procured.
5. Materials needed for different practical classes must be procured.
Duration and Timing:-
The course duration will be six months.
Trainers:-
In addition to in-house faculty of both the organizations, competent, experienced resource persons with requisite creditability shall be invited.
Method of teaching:-
1. Interactive lecture method will be followed.
2. Presentation, role play, short videos, case studies, group discussions etc, shall be made from time to time.
3. At the end part of each class, discussion will be generated in the topic through question answer to enable the students to clear their conception.
4. Provision for recapitulation of earlier classes in every class will be there.
Course kit for students:-
The students shall be provided the following materials:-
1. Hard-copies of lectures.
2. Pen and note book.
3. Chart paper for role play.
4. Soft copy of training materials, short films, videos, PPT etc.
MINISTER FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT MR.PRITHIBI MAJHI,INAUGURATING THE INSTITUTE.
The Institute shall work towards promoting sustainable agricultural practices in the region.The institute shall work towards conservation of local seed varieties and promote their cultivation.The Institute shall provide Research oppurtunity regarding traditional agricultural practices and sustainable agricultural practices.It will also offer courses on these practices to students,farmers and women members of the society.
The Institute shall work towards promoting sustainable agricultural practices in the region.The institute shall work towards conservation of local seed varieties and promote their cultivation.The Institute shall provide Research oppurtunity regarding traditional agricultural practices and sustainable agricultural practices.It will also offer courses on these practices to students,farmers and women members of the society.