The growing disconnect of youth from their indigenous food and farming systems, is a serious concern to deliberate upon, to ensure a sustainable future. The increased alienation of young people from farming is visible through the high rates of rural to urban migration even in Nagaland. The reverse migration substantially consisting of youths during the 1st wave of COVID-19 pandemic is a testament of the crisis.
It is in this context that North East Network (NEN) has initiated the “NEN Farm School”, to engage youth in Nagaland with their environment and ecology, to understand just and sustainable food systems, and inspire them to take positive actions. Registrations are now open for NFS 2022 that will be held at Chizami village from 30th June to 3rd July 2022. It is a 4-day residential training programme for enthusiastic, open-minded young students at NEN Resource Center, Chizami village.
The program curriculum is designed to give participants an experiential and holistic learning opportunity, wherein they learn how to grow food, identify and forage uncultivated edibles through biodiversity walks, learn about seed systems, pollinators, soil and others. Upon successful completion of the 4-days session, NEN will help the participating students from designated institutes in developing an action plan, to enable the students to put into practise their learnings at their respective colleges and communities.
NEN will follow up on the progress of the action plan, and also provide guidance and inputs to the participants’ projects. Overview of the programme content:
- Understanding Local and Ecological Food Systems
- Indigenous Knowledge & practices in relation to Food Politics
- Agrobiodiversity Walk & Foraging Uncultivated and Wild Edibles (Jhum, Terrace & Forest)
- Understanding soil/Pollinators
- Practical session – Biodiversity for Food, Nutrition and Livelihood Security – Food Processing demonstration/Paddy transplantation
- Story-telling with community elders at a Mapumo (stories of creation, seeds, water, forests, folk songs)
- ‘Seeds’ – Visit to Community Seed Bank, Chizami and interaction with seed keepers
FAQs:
Who can participate: Urban Youth (18 – 25 years)
Limited seats: 15 (first-come-first basis)
To Register contact @ Email: nagaland@northeastnetwork.org
Phone: 9791416780 / 8730054276
(Participants to bear own travel expenses)
REGISTRATIONS ARE CLOSED FOR NOW AS THE SEATS HAVE BEEN FILLED.
NEN Farm School (formerly Summer Farm School) was launched under the theme “Bridging the Farm-to-Plate Gap” in 2016 and since then it has brought together young students from diverse backgrounds, institutions, subject experts and community elders.