| Commonwealth of Learning's L3 Farmers programme helps rural communities find appropriate technology-based open and distance education to improve their livelihoods.
The programme is a response to a critical need: the wealth of information resulting from agricultural research and development often fails to travel the last mile to the villages of the developing world where it is most needed. While governments face challenges in funding adequate agricultural extension, globalisation is creating increasing competition for poor rural farmers.
Lifelong Learning for Farmers was introduced as a pilot project in four villages in southern India in 2004. Following the success of Lifelong Learning for Farmers in two rural areas in South India, COL launched the programme in Sri Lanka. The programme is also being adapted and introduced in Jamaica, Kenya, Mauritius and Papua New Guinea.
The programme involves four key partners:
1) Farmers
2) Learning institutions
3) Information and communications technologies (ICT) kiosks and
4) Banks
One of the most interesting of these initiatives is happening near Madurai in southern India. Here, farmer associations, self-help groups, NGOs, Internet kiosks, banks, agricultural and veterinary universities and colleges are coming together to harness information, knowledge and ICTs for agricultural development.
One of the key results of the L3 Farmers project is the way it has encouraged banks and NGOs to pay more attention to this mobilizing role, even hiring people to do work with community groups and do it properly. As an example, in Kannivadi, an hour and a half by road from Madurai, the ‘Reddiarchatram Seed Growers Association’ got together and invested in a ‘knowledge centre’ to help document and share their knowledge.
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