Both boys and girls participated during the implementation of the project and even lady teachers cooperated throughout the project. In fact among the schools selected all were co-ed schools except for one girl?s school. Village women also participated under the program during the awareness camps. They have been instrumental in raising home gardens and nurseries.
Capacity building was a key component in the project. The teachers, schools students and community were trained on the importance of conserving the rare species of fruit plants. Local capacities were enhanced through awareness camps. With their contribution the garden on rare fruits were raised successfully. the eco-clubs formed in each school under the project were gathered for a meeting every month to build-up their capacities and discuss the progress of the project. They were engaged in raising the gardens and maintaining them. 13 awareness camps was conducted in 6 schools.8 eco-clubs were created in 6 schools. The school visits were done twice in a month. The agency is publishing a book on conservation of rare fruit plants in Assam to be distributes among the students, teachers and local people for generating consciousness among the people of Assam. The community has shown a keen interest in minor fruits gardens. They have already formed a maintenance committee compromising of 13 members from amongst the students, teachers and the local people for post project maintenance with one member representation from CARD as ex-officio member in the body. The number of awareness camps were limited to aware the community. More number of camps are required.
Notable Community Participation
Conservation of Bio-diversity of fruit tree species through community awareness.This is a community driven project. Teachers and students along with community were engaged for conserving and planting of these rare varieties of species in the school gardens and at homes. The people also contributed by way of providing saplings for the nursery and bamboos for fencing of the plant gardens in the schools. The beneficiaries can be held responsible for the success of the project as they had been protecting these plants through social fencing. 6 gardens were raised in the six schools and the students along with their teachers are maintaining the gardens. Few students have also started their own medicinal gardens at home. Some of the local people were reluctant to participate in the awareness camps during the start of the project but realizing the importance of the project they joined the implementing agency and also extended their help by providing bamboos and working voluntarily. The people from the area helped the agency by informing them about the possible location for finding these rare fruits and even provided the seeds and cutting of the plants to the agency. The SHGs participated in the project by supplying fencing material and also working voluntarily. They also made a wide spread awareness in the area about the importance and necessity of the objectives of the project.
Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment
Leaflets and brochures on rare minor fruit plants were published and distributed during awareness camps to increase public awareness. The students and teachers were made aware of the present conservation status of these plants hence they contributed much to the project by helping in collecting these rare plants and raising them in the school gardens and home gardens. The villagers also collected seedlings from the agency and planted in their own gardens. Link have been established with Bega & Dimakutchi NWDPRA project under Agricultural Department to raise these seedlings in their nursery for their afforestation project. Survey was done on 18 species of minor fruits. 36000 rare fruit plants like Panijamu, Bogajamu, Teportenga and also having medicinal properties were raised in two nurseries. 18 species have been planted in 6 schools and 19000 seedlings were distributed to the communities. The agency has also been receiving request from schools from many districts to implement similar kind of project in their school. The implementing agent has been nominated as a member in the district Swarnajayanti Gramin Swarojgar Yojna implementing committee.
Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods
The project addressed only the component of conservation of rare species of fruit plants and creating awareness among the masses for conserving such species/ however, plantation of such species can be a source of income generation at a later stage if planned out properly. In fact the schools where the plantation works have been undertaken have the opportunity to source income out of it for post project maintenance of the project. Since most of these minor fruits are seasonal, there is high demand at the season time and all these fruits are easily sellable at he local markets. By processing these fruits jam, squash, pickles can be prepared which after processing finds good market demand.
Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples
The project is community driven and owned by the local community. According to the local traditions and culture every household must have a garden at their front or backyard. Similarly, the project was designed in such a way that each school has a garden in their campus. Following this the beneficiaries have also established their own gardens at their homes.
Project Results
The project focussed on raising nurseries and medicinal plant garden in the schools by motivating the students, teachers and rural community on the importance of conserving rare minor fruits. The two nurseries housed around 36000 seedlings of rare varieties of fruit plants like Panijamu, Bogajamu, Teportenga (local names) and also having medicinal properties. Six gardens were raised in the six schools and the students along with the teachers are maintaining the gardens. Few students have also started their own medicinal plant garden at their homes. The NGO is still in the process of collecting plants of medicinal importance and raising in their nursery. Some of the local people were reluctant to participate in the awareness camps during the start of the project but realising the importance of the project they joined the implementing agency and also extended their help by providing bamboos and also working voluntarily. The people from the area helped the agency by informing them about the possible locations for finding these rare fruits and had even provided seeds and cuttings of the plants to the agency. The SHGs participated in the project by supplying fencing materials and working voluntarily and also made wide spread awareness in the area about the importance and necessity of the objectives of the project. The agency is publishing a book on conservation of rare fruit plants in Assam to be distributed among the students, teachers and local people for generating consciousness among the people of Assam. The implementing agency has been nominated as a member in the District Swarnajayanti Gramin Swarojgar Yojna (SGSY) implementing Committee. They have also been selected as District NWDPRA steering committee. The agency has also been receiving requests from schools from many districts to implement similar kind of a project in their school. They have also received requests from the Assam Agricultural University, Assam to supply saplings of medicinal importance as they intend to raise a garden in their campus.
The project comes under the 3rd Operational Program of GEF that is conserving rare and endangered species of flora and fauna. The project envisaged conserving rare and extinct minor fruit varieties, collection of germplasm for conservation and propagation through nursery raising and plant gardens. Some of them were Red Data Book species. This has direct bearing to the provisions of Biodiversity Act of Government of India.
Though the commercial viability of the project was not addressed but the school authorities feel that this project can be an income generation program in the long run if well maintained. The implementing agency is trying to generate funds from other sources to sustain the project. A number of other schools and institutions are also keen to take up such activities in their schools through the help of the implementing agency. The agency has received several requests from these organizations to establish gardens in their campuses. Free distribution of the rare plants to the people, schools, clubs etc. made a wide spread awareness to grow more plant in their locality.
Wide spread publicity in the local and regional newspaper about the success story of the project also enhanced the importance of the project.
The implementing agency received donations from local people and students in terms of labour, bamboo etc. Students and other people also supplied some rare planting materials to them. SHG like Swagata of CARD supplied vermicompost to CARD on credit. The agency and local contributed an amount of USD 2717. The co-financing supported the project components Equipment, Salary, and wages, awareness camp, manure and biofertilizer, Medicine/biopesticide, Printing and Publishing, Transportation, collection of planting materials, Lease of land, Auditing etc. Co-financing was obtained through the membership fees, donation etc.
This project has influenced the afforestation programme of DRDA as a result of which DRDA plans to take up rare varieties of minor fruit plants into their afforestation program. Infact DRDA was unsuccessful with their plantation program undertaken in one of the SGP project school, but after the success of the SGP program it is felt that community are not much inclined towards government programs. As per the SGP agreement the agency has contacted National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources to submit samples of collected germplasms in order to provide a list of conserved germplasm to support the national policies.
