Country Node for L3 Farmers Project, India
The Objectives of L3 Farmers Project
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Following are the objectives of Lifelong Learning for Farmers project.
- Mobilise and enable the farmers to define their own needs.
- Link Farmers with all who are relevant to their needs, including educators, researchers, extension workers, financial services providers, and market professionals.
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Brief History
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| 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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Events
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Content Development Workshop Madurai-2008
COL in Association with Arul Anandar College and VIDIYAL has organized a Content Development Workshop on Open (Agricultural) Education Resources (as part of L3 Farmers Project) at Madurai, India from 16/05/2008 to 18/05/2008.
For further details of the Workshop please visit:
Content Development Workshop Madurai-2008
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L3F Partners in India
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Note: Please click on the related L3F Partner link to read the interactive lessons for the farmers and other information being developed by the project partners. Kindly be advised that these lessons are now in the development phase.
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Arul Anandar College,Madurai
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| VIDIYAL,THENI
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