A STEP TOWARDS PROMOTING RURAL LIVELIHOODS: A•BANI

*A•bani* which means "Of the Farm" in the Garo language and "Earth" in Sanskrit, is aptly named to represent the community that is closest to Nature - our farmers, and also the organic produce that the state of Meghalaya is known for. A few months ago, when the Covid – 19 crisis hit the world, it trickled into our cities, towns, villages and our homes. Everyone has been impacted in one way or another and we continue to see its devastating effects even today. Our governments and non-government organizations, including concerned individuals have joined hands to fight this global disaster in their individual capacities and to ensure that no one is left behind in the efforts to help those affected.

In contribution to the collective efforts, this initiative has been launched to help the farmers’ community of Meghalaya, especially those in interior villages, whose livelihoods depend on the sale of their produces in the markets. With the lockdown on all activities including markets, the farmers face the dangers of going into huge losses and losing their main source of income.

This initiative has been designed to not only ensure that fresh farm produces do not go to waste for lack of markets and that the farmers are not exploited especially during the Covid-19 crisis, but also to create livelihoods related to the local agro-businesses. This includes non-farming jobs opportunities such as food processing and packaging, transportation and logistics, media and marketing among others. Keeping in mind that Meghalaya has one of the largest numbers of unemployed youth in the country, this initiative strives to transform the community and create a big impact by acknowledging the inter-dependent collective of all members of the community through its various activities.

A•bani promotes organic produces and supports local agro businesses.

Project implementation partners: Anant Foundation for Innovation and Social Inclusion, The Hill Farmers Union, Jaljeevika-Center for Aquatic Livelihoods and Australian Dairy Advisory Consortium, Anant Learning and Development Pvt Ltd, Ashoka Innovators for Public