SHILLONG: NESFAS has activated its “No one shall be left behind” project supported by the Rural Electrical Corporation Ltd, with a three- day workshop in collaboration with the North East Network (NEN) Nagaland, Social Service Centre (SSC), Shillong Arch diocese and Society for Urban and Rural Empowerment (SURE) Jaintia Hills, in the city on Wednesday.
Over a three-year period, the project will promote indigenous food systems that will contribute to improving nutrition, food security and sustainable livelihoods.
The project aims to establish biodiversity for food, nutrition and energy security for 3000 households( in 130 remote indigenous communities of Meghalaya and Nagaland.
The objective of the workshop is to finalise a plan of action for the implementation of the project with a focus on adolescent girls, school children, youths, women’s groups and community elders.
The project is intended to give a boost to the landscapes of Meghalaya and Nagaland and its indigenous food systems and rural renewable energy indicators to offer suitable and sustainable models for change.
Opening the session, Melari Nongrum, Executive Director, NESFAS, shared how her academic research had shown traditional food is still very much relevant and needed a shift in mindsets.
NESFAS associates Pius Ranee and Janakpreet Jassal shared the details of the project proposal and the expected outputs for increase in production of micro-nutrient rich and climate resilient species and how the average income of the community members can be improved.
Phrang Roy, Chairman NESFAS said the task may be herculean, but he encouraged the participants to overcome the difficulties.
H H Mohrmen who came with his colleague A B M Shullai shared the work done by his organisation SURE Jaintia Hills, and the impact it had on the villages they have worked in.
Wekoweu Tsuhah from NEN spoke on behalf of her organisation and her colleague Gina Phanbuh shared the legacy of education, festivals, weekly markets, annual biodiversity fairs, product developments and wild edibles.
Fr. Bernard Laloo and his colleagues A Lyngdoh of SSC set the table for connecting the dots between the ambitions of the project, the coordination between partners, implementation strategies and a larger purview to making it a success story.
