Dr. Steven Solnick, Director of Ford Foundation visited Mushroom Development Foundation (MDF), Guwahati with the objective to look into the efforts undertaken by MDF in the field of poverty alleviation in connection with a project supported by Ford Foundation through The Foundation for Social Transformation (FST). The meeting was attended by the mushroom farmers from Sonapur (SAKKS) as well as MBA students from Don Bosco Institute of Management, Guwahati working as interns and Mass-Com Students from Guwahati University.
The meeting began with a 7 minutes informational video/film which shows the 17 years work of MDF and how it have been working with the farmers to alleviate poverty. The farmers shared their experience that they had through the years with MDF and the benefits they reaped from cultivating mushroom. The gathering was further carried out with a presentation by the Management interns where they spoke about the issues they will be handling during the internship which will have a positive impact in the lives of the small and marginal farmers organized by MDF. Pranjal Baruah (Ashoka Fellow), the head and founder of MDF in his presentation gave a brief about MDF’s activities and its mission, which led to a healthy interaction thereafter. Dr. Steven Solnick, in the meeting was surprised to know that some of the farmers through mushroom cultivation have tripled their annual income and asserted to make a study into this impact at large.
The initiative & efforts of MDF in implementing comprehensive employment activities has brought a significant contribution to the lives of the farmers who have volunteered with sincerity to be a member of the foundation. The main focus which Dr. Solnick cited during the meet was to promote livelihood project and on poor people scale up. The primary objective of Ford Foundation is to assist the poorest of the poor and towards sustainable development. He mentioned that the livelihood option from the learning’s from the work of MDF needs to be properly documented so that it can be replicated to a larger audience at a much faster rate. He has asked MDF and the students to come up with a strategy from the learning on the impact on peoples’ lives and how the quality of lives can be improved in a holistic way from this additional income generated by the small farmers. A probable collaboration of Ford Foundation with MDF in the near future has been the outcome of this meet. Kateki Bardaloi the Director of FST was also present in the meet providing valuable inputs.
9 Jan 2008 - 12:57pm | editor
Large scale violence in the form of booth capturing marred the third phase of panchayat polling in Nagaon district on Wednesday. The incident took place in the early hours at the two booths at the...
7 Jul 2008 - 2:47am | editor
The Manab Adhikar Sangram Samiti is doubtful of a fruitful peace process following the recent unilateral ceasefire by the A and C companies of ULFA’s 28th battalion.Addressing a press...
18 Oct 2015 - 10:08pm | Madhurjya Saikia
A senior OIL officer died at a road mishap Duliajan leaving a pall of gloom in the entire area on Sunday. The accident took place at Barpathar in Bhadoi area where chief residential officer of...
30 Apr 2014 - 8:42am | AT News
After a brief halt, poachers have struck again in Kaziranga where a full grown rhino was killed on Wednesday.The incident took place at Borghop in Burhapahar range of the national park in the wee...
Arrested media baron Manoranjana Sinh is undergoing tretment at a local hospital in Kolkata. CBI officials probing Saradha scam rushed her to the hospital when she complained breathing difficulties during the custodial interrogation.She was to be produced before a special court in Alipore on Tuesday as the CBI remand expired. CBI officials were expected to seek her in their remand for a few again.
Assam Don Bosco University and Educational Leadership are hosting a national conference in collaboration with Mizoram University department of Mass Communication. Dr. K. V. Nagaraj, Professor at Mizoram University and Former Pro Vice Chancellor addressed ADBU students of mass communication and educational leadership on Wednesday.The conference is being organized in collaboration with Mizoram University Mass Communication department and ADBU Departments of Educational Leadership and Mass Communication from November 2 and 3.A Pre-conference Colloquium for students and research scholars is scheduled for October 31 on ‘Media, Culture and Society.’
The city based media persons are suffering from various pain related ailments relating to their neck, shoulder and backs. It was found during a daylong physiotherapy camp, which was organized at Guwahati Press Club on 12 September 2015.Organized by the College of Physiotherapy and Medical Sciences Rehabilitation & Research Centre, Bamunimaidam (a unit of Purbanchal Educational Welfare Society), the camp covered more than 50 scribes who were offered on spot treatment and consultancies.Attended by physicians Dr Trailokya Saikia & Dr NN Sarma with physiotherapists Dr Ujwal Bhattacharya, Dr Abhijit Kalita, Dr Pooja Saikia and Dr Kritika Boruah, the camp also helped the scribes to check...
A NDFB-S rebel identified as Buddhiram Basumatary alias Birkw of Amteka Debrabil in Chirang district was apprehanded from Karigaon area in Kokrajhar by security forces belonging to the Army on Sunday morning. One factory made 7.65 mm pistol with three live rounds amunitions was recovered from him. He was later handed over to Kokrajhar police.
Congress is gearing up to form the Tiwa Autonomous Council after the ruling party won 15 out of 31 seats. The party is trying to get the support of one candidate to complete the formality. “We are in touch with several candidates who have assured us support to form the council,” said a senior Congress leader. The party needs 16 seats to formally form the council. The ruling party falls short of one seat. A senior party leader told ne24 that it would be a problem for the party since several candidates are in touch with them. The ruling party got 15 seats while the Ramakanta Deori-led Tiwa Aikya Manch got 10 seats. BJP had to remain satisfied with only 3 seats while AGP got 2 seats.
The Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) in association with Indian Women’s Press Corps, Delhi Union of Journalists, Press Club of India (New Delhi), Mumbai Press Club and Indian Federation of Working Journalists have organized a two day national consultation on media freedom and the law on 8 & 9 August next.To be held at New Delhi Press Club, the national meet is expected to highlight the burning issues relating to the frequent attacks on journalists, sexual harassment and criminal defamation cases against the media persons and also appropriate response to those attacks on press freedom including legal measures.Senior journalist and media commentators like Paranjoy Guha Thakurtha, Bharat...
Former President APJ Abdul Kalam passed away at Shillong on Monday. He collasped at a function in Indian Institute of Management Shillong duering a lecture. He was rushed to the ICU of Bethani Hospital where he was declared dead. He was 83. Condolence from variuosusection of people and leaders are pouring in.Deeply saddened at the sudden demise of the former president of India Dr. APAJ Abdul Kalam. He was an inspiration to an entire generation.— Rajnath Singh (@BJPRajnathSingh) July 27, 2015Death of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam is a great loss to the country. He was a common men's President and an icon of the young generation...— Tarun Gogoi (@tarun_gogoi) July 27, 2015RIP #APJ...
A non resident Indian (NRI) has taken upon himself the mission of paying back to society by spending his annual vacation and home visit giving motivational lectures to school and college students. He has been doing this for the past 33 years.“I do not do it for the money. It is my way of paying back to society for the many blessings which I have received over the years,” confessed Dr. George Kallingal a Professor Emeritus at University of Guam (USA) who visited East and northeast India spending time in schools and colleges in Bengal, Assam and neighbouring Meghalaya.His hour-long presentation combined academic achievement, spirituality, and realities of young people into sharp perspective....
As many as 3600 BJP leaders and workers are waiting to be contested from 126 assembly constituencies early next year. State BJP president Siddharth Bhattacharya on Wednesday submitted before the party’s central leadership the list of the ticket aspirants in New Delhi.BJP sources told Assam Times that the state unit has forwarded all applications to the party leadership for finalizing 126 candidates. The party leadership is believed to have been deploying a panel of top leaders to study the winning ability of the applicants.
Prime minister Narendra Modi is facing flak across the state for not appointing Rupsikha Bora as OIL chief. Even after the public enterprises selection committee shortlisted the name of the senior finance director three months back, the prime minister’s office did not prefer the first one chartered accountant from the north east as OIL chairperson and managing director.In his letter, Chief minister Tarun Gogoi urged prime minister Narendra Modi to confirm Bora’s appointment in the helm of OIL.Many local organizations in the state staged dharna in front of the OIL headquarters in Duliajan alleging PMO’s discrimination.A section of the protesters further burnt the effigy of the prime...
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