NESFAS receives grant from REC

Staff Correspondent

SHILLONG, April 30: NESFAS signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) to receive a Rs 9.41-crore grant from REC’s CSR fund to support a three-year project –No One Shall Be Left Behind – on Monday. The agreement was signed between Dr. PV Ramesh, Chairman of the REC and Mr. Phrang Roy, Chairman of the NESFAS.

The overall goal of this project is to enhance indigenous food systems to significantly contribute to improve nutrition, food security and sustainable livelihoods of about 3,000 households in 130 remote indigenous communities of Meghalaya and Nagaland focusing on adolescent girls, school children, youths, women’s groups and community elders.

The partners involved in executing this project include North East Network, Nagaland; Society for Urban and Rural Empowerment, Jaintia Hills; Social Service Centre, Shillong and a network of Garo Self Help Groups.

The project is a follow-up to the International Mei-Ramew held in Shillong in November 2015. It was developed through interaction with 30 communities in Nagaland and Meghalaya and the technical support was provided by Bah Phrang Roy, Chairman NESFAS and his international associates. The unique aspects of this project are the promotion of community seeds banks for local under researched food species, the mapping of nutrient rich and climate resilient local species, advocacy of ‘eat your rainbow’ approach to food consumption and promotion of innovation and capacity building at community level.

NESFAS has been experimenting with some school cooks for Midday meals by making innovative meals to encourage children to eat more local and wild edible vegetables.  NESFAS served snacks prepared by Mrs. Anita Roy with millet, maize and wild edibles for the refreshments after the grant signing.