In January 2019, with funding from Marr Munning Trust, we worked with EcoHimal Nepal to establish Mandan Deupur ‘Agro Forestry Resource Centre’ (MD AFRC) in Kavre, Nepal. MD-AFRC is second of its kind in Nepal and is replicating the success of Deusa AFRC in Solukhumbu.
In 2020, year 2 of a three year set up phase, MD AFRC trained 405 people across 32 events and distributed 1,622 seedlings were distributed to local farmers.
One of those farmers was Mr. Hari Prasad Bajgain; he has enjoyed and appreciated the arrival of MD AFRC so much that he felt moved to tell us his story. It is a powerful account of the impact of the climate change adaptation work we are enabling.
Here is Hari’s story in his own words, translated from the original Nepali:
From an early age, I went abroad in search of better earnings and a better standard of living for my family. I have invested 10 young energetic years of my life in the Middle East, but it was not worth mentioning in terms of the income I could generate or save. I was not satisfied with my progress there and returned back to my motherland in 2018 with a strong determination to work for my own nation and not to invest further energy overseas.
I wanted to seek an opportunity to improve my living standard through improved agriculture in my own mother land so I could stay together with my beloved family members. However, in my own country Nepal, the situation never seemed preferable to start a new livelihood, and I was always in confusion. Finding no choice, I continued the traditional farming methods but I was never able to gain benefits that satisfied my requirement or expectations.
So yet again, two more unproductive years went past - in those two years, I consulted the agriculture section of local government many times, hoping to receive technical guidance and resource support to initiate an improved agricultural system, but never found any solutions that suited me.
However, on one visit I was told about the newly opened Mandan Deupur Agroforestry Resource Centre (MD-AFRC), which I immediately visited and where I had a wonderful opportunity to observe climate resilient improved agriculture and new tree crop practices, and to discuss with the personnel there about all their improved farming technologies. Following a guided tour of all the MD-AFRC demonstration sites, I was impressed with the improved techniques and learnt a lot about the benefits of agroforestry and sustainable farming.
I requested for an opportunity to enhance my knowledge and skills by any means, and just a few days later, I was called to participate in a training on bio-intensive and climate resilient farming techniques. In line with my interest, MD-AFRC provided me with the pathway that I had long looked for, and I have been able to move ahead utilizing the limited resources that I have.
Right after the training and strong motivation, I invested my money, labour and time to follow this new and improved farming system, using all the knowledge and skills provided to me by the MD-AFRC staff. I started cultivation of fruits, nuts and other high value tree crops in my farm, using bio-intensive techniques. I have definitely made progress, and in a relatively short space of time, I can see that the survival status and growth of the planted fruit and nut seedlings, is very satisfactory compared to the traditional techniques I was using before.
Together with five of my neighbours, I have also started organic vegetable farming through a system of sharing our land.
My connection to MD-AFRC changed my perception of farming and showed me the right way to improve my livelihood. I acknowledge that though it takes some time to reap real benefits from the new agriculture techniques that I have learnt and adopted, it definitely facilitates in the optimal utilization of resources for the maximization of crop, fruit and nut production. I have now successfully utilized the barren areas on my farm, deemed useless before, for tree crops and vegetables.
As I consider myself a progressive farmer, I am now optimistic towards a better livelihood from agriculture in the near future. I see that my family is on a path toward prosperity from the farming activities I have initiated, and I am hopeful for the future and want to flourish to my fullest potential.
If Hari’s story has inspired you, please consider making a donation to The Glacier Trust.
Just £10 a month will enable us to supply a farmer like Hari with a years supply of plant seedlings - giving them the head start they need to put what they’ve learned at a training hub like Mandan Deupur AFRC into action.