The economic significance of local agriculture is great. It is therefore logical to look for ways to improve the yield, so that the economic situation grows (and therefore also the possibility that more families can pay the school contribution themselves).
Agriculture is almost the only source of income for the population and the choice of crops and cultivation methods is passed on from generation to generation. This leads to a limited variety of crops with a low production. One-sided nutrition and meager harvests are the result. It is therefore not surprising that in the discussions in Sailung modernizing agriculture emerged as a great wish. We would like to help fulfill this wish because we are convinced that sustainable agriculture forms the basis for a sustainable society and will eventually make our involvement superfluous. And that is ultimately the ultimate goal!
An initial consultation for this project took place in 2021 between Rotary Kathmandu Mid Town, Rotary Uelsen-Coevordden and chairman of local development council Krishna Shrestha. They, like us, aim to take the well-being of the local community to a higher level. Their view is that something like this should start with a strong social/economic boost. And that that impetus must come from a local specialized agency. Contacts were subsequently developed with the Nepalese institution ISARD, www.isard.org.np. ISARD specializes in the social/economic development of rural communities through agricultural modernization. They do this by providing multi-year guidance and helping local farmers step by step in:
• Forming cooperative groups with their own management of savings funds;
• Improving current cultivation methods;
• Stimulating good soil use through composting, fertilization;
• Increasing the area of crops grown;
• Using tools (from greenhouses to forms of mechanization)
The results of ISARD are spectacular, both the improvement in the harvest and the great support among local farming families. A first step has now been taken and this offers the opportunity for around 200 families to receive intensive guidance in the coming years on their way to a new level of farming. What is special is that the Nepalese approach is very similar to what we are trying to implement in the Netherlands with great difficulty: circular agriculture, or agriculture that is freed from external input of nitrogen through artificial fertilizer and heavy 'crop protection products' in order to support the immensely high production to keep getting it. The project has been given the title: SATSh: Sustainable Agriculture Transformation Shailung. Support for this project will be sought from Rotaries in Germany and the Netherlands in the first months of 2024, supported by Rotary Kathmandu and possibly the (international) Global Grant from the Rotaries.
The SATSh program is worked out in detail. At the beginning of 2024, a delegation from the board was in Nepal to consult with various parties involved and help prepare the start.
We are in consultation with a number of sponsors, but we can certainly use your support.
For more details you can contact us at info@sailung.nl.
