Rural income generation through organic farming in Taprang

Alternatives started Organic Farming in Taprang, Kaski. Through Rural Youth Entrepreneurship Development Center, Taprang, Alternatives established the Organic Farming Demonstration Center (OFDC) in about 6 Ropani of land for practical training on organic farming. The organic farming is started to increase the economic status of rural youth through off-seasonable organic vegetable production. Its theme is also to work and to inform and make conscious the farmers about advantage of organic farming.

Through RYEDC, Alternatives conducted 4 days training on "Seasonable, Off-seasonable Organic Farming" on Taprang from July 17-20, 2009. Total 15 youth member of OFDC participated on the program and work for the first phase of the farming. Alternatives has also started Youth Enterprise Micro-Finance Program. Currently, all the 15 members of Youth Enterprise Micro Finance Program are involved in this OFDC.

After one year, Alternatives is planning to micro financing for all members to start organic farming in Taprang. OFDC is established to practically train members, rural youth farmers on how to prepare compost, organic manure and cultivation and production of organic vegetable.

OFDC's focused its effort to promote organic farming principles for improving quality of life of local youth/ farmers. RYEDC's entire effort remains for the pioneering of rural youth entrepreneurship development through organic farming and other entrepreneurial activities in rural areas. Alternatives consider that organic farming is essential to keep ecologically and environmentally balance in the nature as well as entrepreneurship development for rural youth.

On 4 days Practical Organic Farming Training, Chief Trainer Mr. Biswanath Parajuli, Retired Agricultural Officer, encourage youth farmers adopting organic farming system bringing radical changes in traditional agriculture method. He said "It is important to create awareness among the local farmers and rural youth about the positive impact of organic farming." Mr. Shiva Paudel, Intern, Alternatives, and Mr. Gangadhaar Baral, Coordinator, RYEDC and OFDC shared views regarding Organic Farming.The training was moderated by Mr. Samundra Paudel, Secretary, Alternatives.

Schwab Social Entrepreneurs of the Year Award - Asia

The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship honored five Social Entrepreneurs as leading social entrepreneurs in Asia. Three are Asia regional winners, and two are country winners from Singapore and Indonesia from year-end 2008. “We need new ideas, new initiatives on the micro as well as the macro level. All attempts to rethink, redesign and rebuild the world on the macro level will have to be paralleled by positive change on the local and individual levels.”, said Hilde Schwab, Co-Founder and Chairperson of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. “Social entrepreneurship is a key factor in helping us work through the financial crisis, especially today with Asia playing such a critical role in economic progress and development.”