Rural youths, who have been selected as Entrepreneurs for Rural Access (ERAs) from Karnataka, India, were recently empowered with digital skills and tools during a 4-day training workshop to help them embark on their journey as e-extension service providers to support agroecological transition in their local communities.
The training kicked off officially with the ceremonial handover of solar-powered digital extension toolkits, called Smart Projectors, to the ERA teams by Sri S. Cheluvarayaswamy, Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Government of Karnataka, during the World Soil Day 2024 celebration, organised jointly by the Karnataka State Department of Agriculture (KSDA) and GIZ-India in Bengaluru on 5 December 2024.
The training workshop was conducted as part of the GIZ- SuATI project (Support to Agroecological Transformation Processes in India) by Access Agriculture, in partnership with the GIZ-SuATI team under the aegis of KSDA. A major objective of this project is to strengthen the resilience of rural communities and promote agroecology by engaging rural youth as change agents.
“This is indeed a huge honour for us. As this toolkit contains nearly 100 farmer training videos in Kannada language, we can bring valuable knowledge on good agroecological practices from around the world to marginal farmers living in remote areas,” said Poornima Hiremath, ERA team leader from Uttara Kannada district. “With the Smart Projector, the videos can be shown without the need for electricity and internet connection.”
Sri Y. S. Patil (I.A.S.), Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture, Karnataka, congratulated Access Agriculture for its rich multilingual video library and for the ERA initiative as it is empowering rural youths to harness digital technology to promote agroecology in a cost-effective way. He expressed a keen interest in the development of a strong and well-thought-out partnership strategy to ensure maximum benefit across the state.
Access Agriculture will continue to train and coach all members of the four selected ERA teams, who were selected after a rigorous and competitive process. The teams are associated with the following nongovernmental partners: Sahaja Samrudha (Dharwad) and SCODWES (Uttar Kannada) as well as with Kalike Trust (Yadgir),an associate organisation of Tata Trusts.
“This project aligns with the Karnataka Government’s vision to scale agroecology and organic farming in the state,” said Namerta Sharma, National Senior Advisor of GIZ-India. “The training will strengthen the ERAs’ skills and knowledge and build their confidence so that they can contribute meaningfully to their communities.”
The meticulously designed hands-on training workshop covered the following topics ● Introduction to Access Agriculture resources and the ERA initiative ● Components and functions of the Smart Projector ● Facilitation skills to organise video shows and guide farmer discussions ● Cultivation of the entrepreneurial mindset ● Mapping of ERA business using the business model canvas (BMC) ● Data collection and reporting ● Communication and sharing of information, and ● Monthly target setting by each ERA team.
The programme included a practical simulation training at the University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU) in Bengaluru, where the ERAs facilitated video screening using the Smart Projector for farmers, who were mobilised from nearby villages. The new ERAs were able to successfully apply all the knowledge and skills they acquired in the classroom to a real-world scenario.
They also had an opportunity to interact via a Zoom meeting with three existing ERAs - from Andhra Pradesh (Vanthala Matsyaraju and Vathala Abhishekam) and Madhya Pradesh (Devendra Kumar), who shared with them valuable advice and insights based on their experience as ERAs.
Giving their feedback on the training workshop, the participants appreciated the efficient organisation as well as the quality and relevance of each component of the programme. They enjoyed especially the practical sessions and the brainstorming exercises on enterprise development as well as the experience sharing and interactions with the existing ERAs. “All the sessions were pertinent and easy to understand and we are very thankful to our Coaches as they have taught us how to grow as ERAs.”
The training programme was facilitated by Access Agriculture Entrepreneur Coaches from India (Nandini Pakki and Mounica Lingireddy) with support from R Raman, Savitri Mohapatra and Phil Malone.
As an implementing partner of GIZ-SuATI, Access Agriculture is helping strengthen farmers’ capacities in agroecology and natural farming in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Assam in collaboration with local partners.
