The Record begins Caritas’ annual Project Compassion series during Lent
Week 1 – Nepal
“It is a strict duty of justice and truth not to allow fundamental human needs to remain unsatisfied …”
– Pope John Paul II, Centesimus Annus (1991)
KALURAM, 33, lives with his wife and three children in Nepal’s densely populated south west plains, near India.
Nepal is one of South Asia’s poorest countries, with around ten million of its 28 million people living in poverty. Most people depend on farming but small land holdings, long dry seasons and lack of irrigation mean more than half of Nepal’s districts are food deficient. Few paid employment opportunities, lack of roads in rural areas and migration compound these difficulties.
Caritas Australia has supported local partner Caritas Nepal to run Farmer Field Schools in rice and vegetable farming since 2004. These schools improve the food security and livelihoods of poor farmers from disadvantaged ethnic groups and castes.
Like most people in his village, Kaluram lives and farms on a very small piece of land. His rice and vegetable productivity were low and his crops badly damaged by pests. His land lay empty for months. “We had no regular income,” explained Kaluram. “Sometimes I did labouring in the next village but had headaches and vomiting from the heat. We often couldn’t pay school fees and our house [made from sticks and straw] was a fire hazard.”
In 2006 Kaluram heard about Caritas Nepal’s programme and with 25 other poor farmers began training in early season rice and vegetable production. They had never accessed any training before – and their land lay largely empty.
“I had no idea about planting in a new way,” Kaluram explained.
“We learnt about land preparation, nursery raising, making compost, planting and managing pests and disease for different crops.”
Twice a week for the whole crop season, Kaluram’s group met with a Caritas Nepal trainer in a community field.
On different plots traditional practices were compared with trials in techniques such as seed selection, staking, composting, spacing and pest control – experiments too risky for poor farmers to otherwise try. Each week the group reviewed the results of their trials.
‘Learning by doing’ promoted skills that were easy for farmers to remember and apply at home:
“These were really new practices for us,” explained Kaluram.
“At first our community had big doubts on how the trials – like spacing rice seedlings further apart, using fewer seeds and no chemical pesticide – could get better yields and plant health but soon it was clear to everyone.”
Kaluram embraced the training and began implementing the new practices on his home garden. With Caritas Nepal also supporting construction of foot-operated water pumps for irrigation in his community, Kaluram’s rice and vegetable garden soon fed his family.
After completing Farmer Field School training, Caritas Nepal encouraged Kaluram and the other farmers to stay motivated and increase their incomes by forming a Farmers’ Cooperative for group farming. Caritas helped the Cooperative to lease land, and provided support and money for seeds and equipment. Group farming means Kaluram and the other farmers can pool their labour and share profits from their vegetable sales.
Kaluram’s Farmers’ Cooperative now provides savings facilities and loans to members, who are otherwise unable to access financial services.
They have also supported two more Farmer Field Schools for other poor farmers in their community.
Thanks to the support of Caritas Australia, Kaluram is now able to save for his family’s future. “For my family there have been so many changes,” he explained.
“We’re not dependent on others for income now. We have no need to take loans for school fees. We’re producing more vegetables and rice to eat and also sell.
“We can manage our everyday expenses. Last year I started to lease land for growing rice and wheat to sell at the markets.”
More than 12,000 farmers like Kaluram across Nepal have benefited from Caritas Nepal’s Farmer Field Schools. Having improved food security and incomes, their families have hope for a more stable future.
“Our house now has mud walls. All my family’s health is better. Sometimes I can give the children money when they ask for it – they are happy,” Kaluram said.
“To the people in Australia – your support has given me opportunity to learn and improve. Please continue supporting Caritas Australia to help small farmers.”
Your donation to Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion helps subsistence farmers like Kaluram achieve food security for their families and increase their income for a brighter future.