Local | PANORAMA

North America

Humedales Urbanos Costeros: lugares que aporten al bien estar ciudadano o “basureros urbanos”

IRMA MARIA

Jurrius

Diagnostico participativo e interinstitucional de humedales urbanos costeros

Planificación participativo e interinstitucional de humedales urbanos costeros

Fortalecimiento de capacidades de humedales urbanos costeros

Gestión participativa de jornadas de cuidado comunitaria de humedales urbanos costeros

Integración de humedales urbanos costeros en procesos de políticas publicas

Concientización sobre humedales urbanos costeros

State Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy

tbd

Local

Assam State Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy

tbd

Local

Community Resource Person Model

Women sitting together supporting each other in learning on aquaculutre practices

Aquaculture farmer community support

GIZ, SAFAL/Baanyan Tree Productions Pvt Ltd

Aquaculture farmer sitting in class room attending a capacity building training on sustainable aquaculutre

Capacity building training for aquaculture farmer in Odisha

GIZ, SAFAL/Baanyan Tree Productions Pvt Ltd

Women from Self-Help Group sitting under tree to hold training with print material

Women Self-Help Group using SAFAL training material

GIZ, SAFAL/Baanyan Tree Productions Pvt Ltd

The Community Resource Person (CRP) model in India is a community-driven bottom-up approach to development and empowerment, particularly in rural areas. It involves identifying and training individuals from local communities to act as facilitators, educators, and mobilizers to address various socio-economic challenges and promote sustainable development.

Under the SAFAL project more than 143 CRP trainers and 500 CRPs and have been trained between 2021 and 2023 in Assam and Odisha. CRPs themselves are aquaculture farmer belonging to the local farmer institutions who are supporting up to 25 farmers by providing extension services advisory services to more than 6.000 farmers in rural areas on sustainable aquaculture practices to their communities.

The selection process of CRPs involves conducting a Participatory Research Appraisal within farmer institutions followed by an intensive capacity building course. The training, likewise, for CRPs and CRP-to-farmers, are conducted in tailored sessions conducted with the help of Knowledge Products (KPs) and Information, Education & Communication (IEC) material, such as the Farmer’s Handbook, the Farm Record Book and various training material. Those were co-created among scientists, government officials, experts in sustainable aquaculture practices, aquaculture operators and SAFAL technical to fit the exact needs of the local farmers.

The training cascade contains basic and advanced modules using the didactic methodology for easy adoption of adult learning. The program consists of 30 per cent classroom and 70 per cent hands-on training. Making it accessible to farmers all over the regions, it is designed in a way that it can be held in remote and rural areas using flipbooks, posters, and pamphlets to teach without access to electronics.

CRPs are based within their farmer institutions and are motivated by social, environmental, and financial incentives, including selling goods and services, and facilitating access to finance.

Through this self-financed CRP model, thousands of small-scale farmers are empowered with knowledge and resources. CRPs act as local knowledge centres, disseminating trainings. This ground-level approach boosts yields within planetary boundaries while ensuring nutrition and food security.

You can find more information about the training materials (knowledge products and Information, Education & Communication material) and download them in the building block: Knowledge Products and Information, Education & Communication Material.

Tailored Training: Offering training sessions tailored to the needs and capacities of small-scale farmers, with a focus on practical knowledge and skills relevant to their specific contexts.
Participatory Approach: Involving farmers directly in the learning process, allowing for a bottom-up approach that considers their perspectives, challenges, and needs.
Effective Extension Services: Utilizing a network of Community Resource Persons (CRPs) who act as extension workers, delivering training, knowledge, and support directly to farmers in their local areas.
Quality Course Materials: Providing high-quality course materials co-created among local stakeholder and experts, ensuring the content is accurate, relevant, and accessible to farmers.
Financial Incentives: Motivating CRPs through a combination of financial incentives, such as sales opportunities, as well as non-financial incentives like recognition and social impact.
Access to Finance: Supporting farmers in accessing finance through guidance, facilitation, and connections to relevant financial institutions and government schemes.
Local Context Sensitivity: Designing training models and materials that are sensitive to the local context, including cultural, social, economic, and environmental factors.
Multiplier Effect: Employing a Training of Trainers (ToT) approach to multiply the impact of training efforts, enabling CRPs to train and support a larger number of farmers.
Government Support and Alignment: Aligning with government priorities and policies, and demonstrating the effectiveness of these models to policymakers, which can lead to increased support, funding, and scalability.

Customization is Key: Tailoring training sessions and materials to the specific needs, challenges, and contexts of small-scale farmers enhances relevance and effectiveness.
Empowerment through Education: Providing farmers with practical knowledge and skills empowers them to make informed decisions, improve their practices, and enhance their livelihoods.
Local Ownership and Engagement: Involving farmers directly in the learning process fosters ownership, buy-in, and sustainability of interventions.
Importance of Extension Services: Utilizing a network of Community Resource Persons (CRPs) as extension workers effectively delivers training and support at the grassroots level.
Financial Incentives Drive Engagement: Offering financial incentives, such as salaries and profit-sharing opportunities, motivates CRPs and encourages their active participation and commitment.
Collaboration Amplifies Impact: Collaborating with Farmer Institutions, SHGs, and other stakeholders enables aggregation of resources, knowledge-sharing, and amplification of impact.
Access to Finance is Critical: Facilitating access to finance empowers farmers to invest in their businesses, adopt new practices, and improve productivity and profitability.
Local Context Matters: Sensitivity to the local context, including cultural, social, economic, and environmental factors, is essential for the relevance and success of interventions.
Training of Trainers Multiplies Impact: Leveraging a Training of Trainers (ToT) approach enables the multiplication of training efforts, reaching a larger number of farmers and communities.
Alignment with Government Priorities: Aligning with government priorities and policies can facilitate support, funding, and scalability of interventions, making them more sustainable and impactful in the long run.