Building Capacity and Empowering Communities project launched in 2013 aims over a period of 3 years to improve sustainable food security and livelihoods of vulnerable communities of Khulna and Bagerhat, through capacity building programmes and effective climate change adaptation strategies and interventions. The project is a cooperation between BASD, Gaia Education, CIFAL Scotland and funded by the Scottish Government.
Its second year saw a group of previously trained community leaders enrolling in a ToT aimed to deepen their food production, leadership and facilitation skills.
Through permaculture and ecovillage design approaches, the course provided community-led strategies to improve the economic and social stability of the villages, while preparing for and coping with climate change.
Participants were drawn from some of the most vulnerable communities in the region and included some of the most marginalised members within the villages. Over intense 12 days, 14 women and 7 men have learnt and deepened practical and social skills and returned to their villages to practice and share learning with their neighbours
The ToT was conducted by Pradyut Nayek with over 2 decades of experience as a permaculture practitioner and a consultant of sustainable living. Mr Nayek, considered one of the top permaculturalists of the region, is a resource person of the successful Siddharth Village project in India and has collaborated in other project-based learning activities of Gaia Education.
Participants of the ToT EDE learnt the following approaches to food growing over the 12 days:
• Round Compost
• Vermi Compost
• Vermi Wash
• Fish Tonic
• Raised Bed
• Diamond Bed
• Liquid Compost
• Nursery Bed
• Pitcher Bed
• Floating Vegetable Cultivation and
• Potato Cultivation
“I am very much fortunate to participate into this ToT training. Now, I have learnt how to overcome my inertia and how to train my community people more effectively.” Poly from Mongla.
“The twelve days designed programme was well planned, organised and it delivered to the requirements of the participants. It helped me to gain more practical knowledge on the concept of permaculture and ecovillage and improved my practical skills how to cultivate saline prone vegetables thorough the application of raised bed, diamond bed and so on.” Bishnu from Sutarkhali
“ToT training provided me with practical learning on how to cultivate organic vegetables through the application of liquid compost, vermi compost, raised bed and diamond bed. It was very much effective for me, indeed. I am going to teach all that I have learnt to my Machmara village community.” Usha from Mongla
“I have learnt how to cultivate mixed fish cultivation through this ToT training. This training was very much needed for me and for my community.” Francis from Banishanta
“The teaching of our trainer, Mr Pradyut Nayek was outstanding. He taught us how to conduct training, how to manage huge number of people, and how to train community people effectively. I am very grateful to BASD to have selected me as a trainee of this valuable training.” Anjoli from Sutarkhali.
