Nari Development Organization
NDO is managing scalable model “Better Cotton Promotion Programme (BCPP) in 16 Union Councils covered 200 villages in Tehsil Johi District Dadu. The project started in 1st April 2019. The project is aimed to transforms markets and creates tangible impacts at scale, reduces pesticide and water use, improve yields and ultimately the livelihood of farmers. NDO is encouraging farmers to implement Better Cotton Principles and criteria, good agricultural practices by providing participatory training to small, medium and large-sized farmers and their farm workers in ‘Learning Groups’ and medium farmer’s fields.
NDO has so far establish 200 Learning Groups (LG) in 200 villages. Each of these Learning Groups (LG) comprises over 25-40 farmers. 25 is minimum criteria. LG is formed at village level and 100 LGs form a bigger forum “Producer Unit (PU). One Lead Farmer (LF) is selected in each LG. NDO has reached and organized 8291 farmers through BCPP. NDO promotes seven cotton production principles which are included i) crop protection, ii) water stewardship, iii) soil health, iv) biodiversity management, v) fibre quality, vi) decent work and vii) MIS. NDO has designed a curriculum (non-formal education/capacity building training manual for LG members.
So far, NDO has enhanced the capacity of 200 medium-sized farmers to implement the Better Cotton Standard System. The focus of the training addressed the field issues and capacity to protect the cotton crop from harmful insect pest and diseases. Moreover, NDO has organized 5 Pesticide Applicators Trainings, 10 LG Worker’s Training, and 10 Trainings organized for Cotton Pickers. NDO trained these farmers to make better use of available water resources by ridge sowing and water sourcing. More than 800 farmers have also been trained on proper cotton picking, health and safety, female empowerment and prevention of child labour. The team trained farmers in the biology of pests and their ecological management on-site mass production of natural enemies and their conservation. The training also covered the disadvantages of pesticides, crop maintenance, conservation of natural resources like proper irrigation and soil fertility, decency in work, contamination-free picking, packing, storage and final transportation to ginners.
NDO has established Farm Advisory Centre and conducted an agro eco system Analysis and developed Locally adapted and time-bound IPM plan based on agro-ecosystem that provides the specific practices to implement the 5 principles of Integrated Pest Management. Some 360 farmers participated in this exercise.
Accomplishments
- Strives to address the issues of gender inequality in order to reduce poverty and marginalization of women and children. Together with building assets of women, the NDO aims to bring changes in attitudes, roles and behaviour that are essential for gender equality to be achieved.
- Organized 20 Women Artisan Groups and provided handicrafts kits. Each group contains 20 member artisans.
- Trained 30 young girls on bright ideas of small business and enterprise development. This project was sponsored by Government of Pakistan’s initiative Small & Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA).
- Established a Vocational and Skill Development Centre to provide vocational training to young girls from rural and remote areas. The centre is sponsored by Government of Sindh’s initiative The Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Human Resource, Research and Development Board (BBSHRRDB).
- Increased Resilience of Community Women to Future Shocks through Gender and Community Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Practices and Mechanisms.
- Uplifted Economic Status of Fisherwomen by introducing improved technology of cage culture. Fisherwomen provided cages and training on usage of improved cages.
- Promoted advocacy and awareness for Pro Woman Legislation at district and provincial level.
- Educated rural women on mother & child healthcare and personal hygiene through seminars, workshops, trainings, doo-to-door awareness campaign, and IEC material.
- Organized women-specific farmers groups and educated them on improved better cotton cultivation techniques.
- Celebrates international women days, Universal Human Rights Days, and 16-days Activism on violence against women.
- Educated rural women on consequences of early child marriages.
- Builds capacity of rural women on democracy, good governance, leadership, and political and fundamental rights of women.
- Provided emergency relief to 15,000 impacted during floods 2010 and heavy rains 2011.
- Currently, NDO is implementing a Better Cotton Promotion Programme (BCPP) in rural areas of District Dadu to train women farmers in improved cotton-picking techniques, safety measures, and use of pesticides.
- The BCCP has improved livelihood of women cotton pickers, enhanced women influence in decision making, increased access of women cotton pickers to the local market, promoted importance of education of girl child among women cotton pickers, and ensured adaptation of health, hygiene, and safety measures.
- Pakistan CSOs Coalition for Health and Immunization (PCCHI).
- Pakistan Humanitarian Forum (PHF).
- National Humanitarian Network (NHN).
- Women Action Forum (WAF).
- Dadu NGOs Net Work.
- Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).
Partners
