Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Workshop: WOMEN IN ORGANIC FARMING

A one day thematic  workshop was held for the project “Women for Greens - improving livelihood of marginalised rural women by providing training and support to cultivate their fallow land” for the trainers, field volunteers and supervisors of the project supported by ERM-India. This was held on September 1, 2019 at the Marwari Dharamshala Auditoriam at Ghatsila, East Singbhum, Jharkhand.

The participants arrived in the morning and the session began at 8.45 hours with a group song “Manush to ekdin jaagbei…tumi noy aaami noy…” (If all are socially aware and work on the development issues, there would be change… but we must work together in unity)

After the initial self introduction of the participants the first session was conducted by the experienced resource person Sri Diptendu Mukherji who is a renowned environment and rural development expert. He said “on simple term, organic way of agriculture means avoiding chemical fertilizer and chemical pesticides, and, instead use natural manure and pesticides. Plants and trees are providing us food for all, but they have lost their own food. Plants and trees get food from the earth- meaning the soil. But due to over use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides we have killed many natural food of the soil that the plant use for their own survival and growth. The only solution is to re-fill, rejuvenate and replenish the lost food to the soil. We will have to explain these issues to the villagers in simple terms in the language they understand easily, with using lot of pictures and other audio-visual media including songs, street theatres, posters, flash cards.

Ms. Saswati Roy Patnaik, Secretary Swadhina explained about the various aspects of the present project documents which was translated into local language and all participants were given copies. She explained that the project has the following components:
- training women leaders of the villages on the need for safeguarding environment by stressing more on organic farming so that various forms of pollution can be tackled.
- promoting compost pits in every house hold for preparing organic manure by using natural and easily procurable ingredients like cow-dung, dried leaves, kitchen waste and and anything that are degradable.
- reclaiming fallow land and bringing them under dry farming, fodder cultivation, fruit cultivation, sabai grass (used to make ropes)
- making full use of various Govt. Schemes that are geared to agro-development for which local Swadhina WRC (Womens Resource Centre) are to conduct awareness training on existing and the forthcoming various Govt. Scheme documents.

Ms. Smriti Sarkar, Swadhina senior trainer conducted a detailed training sessions with the help of 3 Study Booklets which were prepared for the use of this project in all the target villages soon.

Study Booklet 1: “Organic Farming: A Brief Orientation”
This is a nine page (A-4 size) documents in Bengali providing brief introduction to the subject. It  stressed that the basis of Organic Farming is to create cycle for plant nutrient, by using various  natural ways. The booklet also provided ideas on low cost manure and how to get rid of various pests in a most environment friendly. In our hurried attempt to kill pests we have contaminated our soil with harmful toxic materials, and, thus created long-term damage to the soil, and, thereby placed our plants to face the danger.

Study Booklet 2: “Organic Pesticide”
This is a seven page (A 4 size) document in Bengali which provides first hand idea of using locally available ingredients like Neem, Wood-apple and many locally available leaves and seeds in the forests. Use of every-day kitchen items like Garlic, Red Chilies and so on.

Study Booklet 3: “Organic Fertilizers” 
This is fourteen page (A 4 size) document in Hindi on organic fertilizers. It has a straight forward approach: chemical fertilizer & pesticides brings categorical harm: 
-it damages the soil, 
-the produce is less is taste and nutrition, 
-harmful for human health, 
-ever expensive for the farmers, and fore most
- harmful for environment. 
While chemical fertilizers and pesticides is a dependant system, for, one can not make it. Where as Organic way is easy, because the farmers can easily make organic fertilizers and pesticides at home. The booklet clearly explains ways to prepare several plant nutrients by using simple items like rotten fruits, jaggery, rice water, ginger, garlic and so on.

During the post lunch session, Sri Prabir Sarkar, experienced in organic farming, explained the know-how of making and use of compost pit.

Some of the village leaders present narrated their own limited experience in organic farming and showed keen interest in learning more through the forthcoming training programme to be conducted in their respective locations.

The programme came to a close with the participants singing together Tagore song “Aguner Parash Moni Chhoao Praney” ( Let the light glow on us).

Participants:

1. Ms. Alochana Mahato, Indatara, Poorvi Singbhum
2. Ms. Rupali Mahato, Kanku, Poorvi Singbhum
3. Ms. Jayanti Mahato, Hurumbil, Poorvi m
4. Ms. Daupadi Mahato, Hurumbil, Poorvi Singbhum
5. Ms. Papiya Sharma, Latiya, Poorvi Singbhum
6. Ms. Madhumita Sarkar, Mosaboni, Poorvi Singbhum
7. Ms. Tapasi Sahis, Kuchia, Poorvi Singbhum
8. Ms. Sarala Hembram, Layadih, Poorvi Singbhum
9. Ms. Basumati Mahato, Chirudih, Poorvi Singbhum
10. Ms. Rina Acharjee, Purulia, West Bengal
11. Mr. Banka Bihari Mahato, Geruala, Poorvi Singbhum
12.Mr. Laduram Mahato, Hurumbil, Poorvi Singbhum
13. Mr. Sanjay Mahato, Chirudih, Poorvi Singbhum
14. Mr. Prabir Sarkar, Resource Person, Mosaboni, Poorvi Singbhum
15. Ms. Saswati Roy Patnaik, (Secretary-Swadhina) Poorvi Singbhum
16. Mr. Diptendu Mukherji, Resource Person, Kolkata
17. Ms. Smriti Sarkar, Resource Person, Kolkata




Documentation
Diptendu Mukherji






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