Dimapur, July 2: The NEN Summer Farm School, organized by North East Network (NEN) Nagaland concluded at Chizami today. Altogether 21 students including 12 girls and 9 boys aged between 14-16 years participated in the six-day workshop held from June 27.
At the valedictory session that was attended by both the students and their parents, Seno Tsuhah, Project Team Leader NEN stated, ‘Summer Farm School is an effort to connect young people to their roots – to their natural resources that include forest, land, water and biodiversity; to their local food and sustainable farming systems; and traditional knowledge systems, so that young people learn to value the resources and show the way towards a sustainable development’.
Wetshete Thopi, Lecturer, Patkai Christian College in his short speech asserted that ‘real education lies not in the degree but in the understanding of our environment’ and encouraged both parents and students to value the learning that was received from the summer school. Certificates of participation were given away to students by Welhite Naro, Chairman, Village Education Committee Chizami.
The workshop covered topics such as ‘Understanding the natural world – resources & threats; Revisiting sustainable food and farming systems, pollinators, agro-biodiversity, soil health and pest management.’ Activities included field visit to millet based bio-diverse jhum land and terrace fields, paddy transplanting, gardening, visit to seed banks and bee farm, vermi-composting, biodiversity walk, documentation of herbal medicines and wild edibles, interaction with community elders, film screenings, story-telling, and quiet-time.
Resource persons included custodian farmers Khenemvu L.Mero, Dikhwetso-u Wezah, Keneile Thopi, Ezekote Naro, Kekhrowe Tsido; scientists from KVK –ICAR T. Esther Longkumer and Liza B. Bharali; theology students from OTS Mesaseno and Imlienla; Educator Wetshete Thopi and NEN Nagaland team.
