CCNFE II

Aqui teniu la segona part:

"Dr. Makino va fundar fa 30 anys el Centre of Continuing and Non-Formal Education (CCNFE). El CCNFE forma part del Allahabad Agricultural University, i el seu objectiu ha sigut sempre promoure el desenvolupament sostenible a les arees rurals.

A l’actualitat, una vintena de persones treballen en diversos programmes de desenvolupament a nivell rural. Aquest se centren en la formacio de liders rurals, serveis extensius vers l’agricultura organica, formacio i organitzacio de grups a les comunitats, millora de les infraestructures, educacio per als infants i promocio del paper de la dona. Aquests es concentren en les necessitats de la poblacio rural. CCNFE anima als membres de les comunitats a ajudar-se mes els uns als altres i a aprofitar els recursos de que disposen. Els objectius del CCNFE son: mes desenvolupament integral i sostenible, mes participacio de la dona i mes educacio per tal d’assegurar un futur mes esperencador per als nens.

Una de les activitats principals del centre es el Curs Especial en Agricultura Sostenible (SCSA). Dia a dia durant els deu mesos que dura, el curs intenta transmetre la visio i els ideals de CCNFE a un grup de liders rurals. Els seus continguts se centren al l’agricultura integrada a traves de teoria practica. Aquests homes i dones enviats per ONG’s aprenen tecniques d’agricultura organica, cultiu de vegetals, silvicultura, cria a d’aus de corral i porcs, lleteres, tractament dels aliments, moviltizacio de comunitats i altres asignatures. L’objectiu es dotar-los d’eines perque puguin transmetre aquests coneixements als membres de la seva comunitat a la tornada.

CCNFE tambe ofereix cursos d’agricultura organica per a dones per tal que puguin generar ingresos de manera sostenible. Dones de zones rurals tenen l’oportunitat d’apuntarse a un curs de costura i aprendre a fer uniformes escolars i d’altres productes com ara bosetes de salts de bany, produides pels grups de joves dels pobles.

El centre tambe ha organitzat cooperatives per tal d’enfortir i millorar la situacio dels pagesos que practiquen agricultura organica. Ells mateixos dirigeixen les cooperatives, i CCNFE els ajuda en la promocio i marqueting dels seus productes.

El dret a l’educacio dels infants es esencial per al futur de la societat. Pero avui en dia a Allahabad gairebe la meitat dels nens no tenen acces a una educacio basica. A mes a mes, l’alfabetitzacio entre les noies es un 10% mes baix que entre els nois. Actualment CCNFE ja ha obert 10 escoles per a 500 nens I nenes a arees remotes on l’educacio no es massa accesible. Les escoles s’anomenen “Asha Vidyalaya”, escola d’esperanca. Educar els nens tambe aporta esperanca a les seves families.

Als pobles no hi ha gaire estructures sanitaries. La gent encara true l’aigua de pous i rius. Com a consequencia a vegades pateixen enfermetats greus com el colera, la febre tifoidea o la disenteria. Per tal de prevenir aquestes enfermetats I millorar les condicions sanitaries el CCNFE ha anat instalant bombes manuals I lavabos a centenars de pobles.

El nostre camp
Our field
Allahabad, India, 09/07

Pollets i nens
Chicks and children
Allahabad, India, 08/07

Here you have the second part:

"Dr. Makino founded this CCNFE 30 years ago. CCNFE is officially a department of Allahabad Agricultural University, and its mission has always been to promote sustainable rural development.

At present, twenty staff are working in a variety of development programmes at grass-roots level which focus on rural leaders training, extension services for organic farming, formation and organization of community-groups, improvement of village infrastructure, child-education and women empowerment.

These programs focuse on the needs of rural people. CCNFE tries to empower communities, and encourage them to help one-another and maximize their resources.

The mission of CCNFE aims: more sustainable holistic development, more participation for women, more education, providing a more hopeful future for children.

One of the main activities of the centre is the Special Course on Sustainable Agriculture. Every year this 10 month course tries to pass our vision and ideals to a group of rural leaders.

The contents of the SCSA course are focused on integrated farming through practical theory. These selected NGO men and women learn about organic farming techniques, vegetable farming, agroforestry, small-scale poultry and pig raising using fermented floors, dairy farming, food processing, community mobilization, and a number of other key subjects to equip these leaders to be trainers of their own communities.

CCNFE also offers organic famring training short-courses for rural women, with goals of to empower them, through sustainable, appropriate, income-generating activities. Women coming from rural areas have the chance to join a stitching training course and learn how to make school uniforms and other saleable cloth products, such as kilt bags used for bath salts, produced by village youth groups.

CCNFe has organized cooperatives to strengthen and improve the situation of farmers practicing sustainable, organic agriculture. The farmers manage the cooperatives, and CCNFE assists in the promotion and marketing of their foods.

The children’s right of receiving an education is essential for the future. But in today’s Allahabad district, basic education is still not accessible to nearly half of the kids. Furthermore, literacy among girls is 10% lower than among boys. Now CCNFE is running 10 schools for 500 children in remote areas where little alternative education is available. The schools are named Asha Vidyalaya, which means “school of hope”. Educating the village-children will also bring hope for the children’s families.

In rural areas there are seldom any sanitary structures set up. People are still taking water from rivers or open wells. Because of this they sometimes suffer from serious diseases like cholera, typhoid fever and dysentery. In order to prevent these diseases and improve health conditions, CCNFE has been installing hand pumps and toilets in hundreds of villages.·"

CCNFE I

CCNFE es el centre on treballo, el Centre of Continuing and Non-Formal Education. Una de les tasques que he dut a terme darrerament es la traduccio d'un video sobre el centre. L'original estava en japones. I no, la traduccio del japones al angles no l'he fet jo, que mes voldria. Jo m'he encarregat de l'adaptacio al angles i la grabacio de les veus dels narradors (ho hem doblat en comptes de posar subtitiols).

El penjo aqui perque crec que algu podria tenir curiositat per saber que fem. M'hi incloc perque vull formar part d'aquest lloc, encara que la meva aportacio hagi estat petita i la meva estada curta. A mi treballar-hi m'ha ajudat a entendre mes les motivacions de les activitats que fem i el perque de tot plegat. Encara queden molts caps per lligar. I la gran pregunta: "Es util tot plegat?" El text es una mica llarg, per aixo l'he dividit en dues parts.

"El 70% de la poblacio India es viu al camp. Avui en dia a les arees rurals homes i dones es desesperen al veure com disminueix el seu poder adquisitiu i augmenten les diferencies economiques vers la gent de la ciutat.

La dona del camp pateix des de fa molt de temps una forta discriminacio a causa del seu baix estatus social. A les families pobres les noies han de fer les feines de la casa, cuidar dels seus germans i germanes petits aixi com del bestiar, sobretot de les vaques. Les antigues tradicions matrimonials continuen fortament arrelades. Tot i que algunes costums estan perdent forca, casarse als 14 anys no es estrany. De resultes d’aquestes perjudicials diferencies, moltes no poden anar a l’escola i acaben sent analfabetes. A Allahabad mes de la meitat de la poblacio femenina es incapac de llegir o escriure. Aixi es com les tradicions accentuen i perpetuen la discriminacio de la dona i la baixa posicio social.

Pel que fa als nenes, 57 milions de menors de 5 anys tenen un pes inferior als minim recomanat. Pateixen malnutricio. Un de cada cinc nens no menja prou com per garantir un creixement saludable.

Per tal d’incrementar la productivitat, cada vegada mes pagesos dependen de fertilitzats quimics i pesticides. Les consequencies negatives d’aquest us intensiu no paren d’apareixer: el sol s’empobreix, la produccio s’estanca i els beneficis disminueixen. Cultius que abans resistien les plagues ara no suporten l’atac dels insectes, ja que estan perdent la seva resistencia a enfermetats i plagues. A mes, molts predadors han estat eliminats pels productes quimics. Molts pagesos temen per la supervivencia de les seves granjes i el nombre de suicidis entre ells augmenta.

A la India hi ha cent milions de vaques. Cada dia es produeixen muntanyes de fems. La majoria d’aquest adob s’usa a les cuines com a combustible, en comptes de ser aprofitat al camp com a fertilitzant organic. Si es vol assolir un desenvolupament sostenible es molt important trobar un combustible alternatiu als fems per al les cuines indies."

Lletra a lletra
Letter by letter
Allahabad, India, 08/07

Tornada de l'escola
Comeback from school
Allahabad, India, 09/07

El meu camp, la meva suor
My field, my sweat
Allahabad, India, 09/07

CCNFE is the place where I am working, the Centre of Continuing and Non-Formal Education. One of the works that I have been doing lately is the translation of a promotional video about this place. The original was in japanese. Sorry to let you down but no, the translation is not mine. I did the adaptation to english and the recording of the narrators voices (we dubbed the interviews instead of using subtitles).

I am posting this here because I thought somebody may want to know about what we are doing here. I am including myself as a part of this places, even if my contribution was small and my stay too short. Working in the video made me understand more the motivations of the activities we are doing. There are still a lot of open questions. And the big question: "Is all this useful?"

The text is a little bit long, that's why I divided it in two parts.

"70% of Indian population is rural, and now, these villagers are becoming more and more desperate as the economic gap between them and the urban citizen widen, and their purchasing power decreases.

Women in rural areas have long suffered from their low status in Indian society. In low-income families girls have to do the housework, look after their younger brothers and sisters and manage the livestock such as cows. Ancient marriage traditions still remain strong. Although some customs are loosing power, marrying at 14 years old is not uncommon. As a result of this gender bias which disadvantages girls, many cannot attend school and end up being illiterate. In Allahabad more than a half of the female population is not able to read or write. This is how traditions accentuate and perpetrate female discrimination and works towards maintaining their low social status.

The weight of 57 million Indian children under 5 years old is below the minimum requirements line. They are suffering from malnutrition. One in five children in India does not have enough food for healthy development. That’s a third of the world’s malnourished population.

In order to increase productivity, farmers for the past generation have become more dependent on agrochemicals. The bad consequences of this practice are showing one after another: soil is becoming poorer, production is stagnant and profit is declining. Crops which were once resistant to pests now perish under the attack of insects, as they are losing their natural disease and pest resistance qualities, and as good predators have been killed by the agrochemicals. Suicide-rates of farmers increase as they fear for the survival of their farms.

In India there are a hundred million cows. Everyday a huge amount of dung is being produced all over the country. Most of this manure is used as fuel in the kitchen, and not as organic fertilizer in the field. To achieve sustainable development it is very important to find an alternative fuel to replace manure in Indian kitchens."

Dixit: "Inconvenience makes us realize the importance of small things"

Sabun

Fem sabo!!

A mes a mes de fer de "teacher", paparazzi i secre, aqui a Allahabad he apres a fer sabo casola. El proces es senzill pero una mica perillos. Es interessant de probar i totalment recomanable, pero cal prendre algunes precaucions. La sosa caustica no es de fiar, mes val tenir-li respecte. A continuacio teniu parell de receptes senzilles per familiaritzar-vos amb el proces. No he posat les quantitats, si voleu mes informacio us recomano consultar les fonts que adjunto al final.

Fem Sabo

Ingredients
Greix animal (o qualsevol oli vegetal)
Sosa caustica
Aigua

1. Desfer el greix per separar-lo de qualsevol resta de carn o fibra.
2. Fer servir nomes el greix pur. Descartar la resta.
3. Preparar l'aigua, la sosa, el greix desfet o l'oli i una llauna gran d'estany.
4. Treballar a fora amb guants i mascareta, els fums que emet la sosa caustica son molt toxics. Abocar la sosa caustica a la llauna i afegir l'aigua. Afegir l'aigua a la sosa, i no al reves.
5. Remoure la barreja amb un pal de fusta fins que la sosa estigui completament disolta. Pujara la temperatura a la llauna per la reaccio quimica. Anar amb compte, evitar que la barreja toqui la pell o la roba.
6. Deixar que la sosa es refredi. Mentre es refreda es poden preparar els motlles. Afegir el greix o l'oli. Abocar-ho lentament, no tot a la vegada.
7. Remoure mentre s'aboca. Despres barrejar fins que esdevingui espes, durant uns 20 minuts o mitja hora. Si es triga mes els ingredients eren probablement massa calents. Cal anar amb compte de no respirar els fums toxics durant el proces.
8. Abocar la barreja ja mes espessa al motlle. Vigilar amb el material dels motlles, alguns materials reaccionen en contacte amb la sosa. Millor si son d'acer inoxidable.
   
9. El sabo esdeve estable en una o dues hores, pero sera completament dur al cap de 24 hores. Aleshores es pot tallar en barres.

Sabo d'oli de mostassa
Mustard oil soap
09/07, Allahabad, India

Let's make soap!

Appart from being a teacher, paparazzi and secretary, here in Allahabad I learned how to make homemade soap. The process is easy but a little bit dangerous. It's interesting to try and I totally recommend it, although you must be careful. Caustic sosa is not to be trusted, better be respecful. Here you have a simple recipe to become familiar with the process. I didn't write the amounts. If you want more information you can look in the resource list below.

Let's make soap

Ingredients
Animal fat (ex. Clean tallow)
Caustic soda or lye
Water

1. Melt the fat to separate it from any remaining flesh or fiber.
2. Use only the clear melted fat. You will need 3 Kg. Discard the rest.
3. Prepare 0.87 L of water, 450 g of caustic soda, 3 Kg of melted tallow and a large tin can.
4. Work outdoors and wear rubber globes. Pour 450 g of caustic soda, lye, into a large tin can. Add the water (0.87 L). Be sure to add the water to the caustic soda, not the other way round.
5. Stir with a wooden stick until the lye is completely dissolved. It will get hot from the chemical reaction. Be careful not to get this lye and water on your skin or clothing.
6. Let the lye cool to go for the next step. While it is cooling you can prepare your molds. Now add 3 Kg of clean melted tallow. Pour it slowly, not all at once.
7. Stir while you are pouring. Stir until it becomes thick. This may take from 20 minutes to half an hour. If it takes longer your ingredients were probably too hot when you began. Be careful with the toxic fumes, not to breath any of them. A squared can be difficult to stir in. A round tin is easier.
8. Pour the thicken stuff into the mould. Be careful with the material of your moulds. Some materials react when they are in contact with caustic soda. Its's better to use stainless steel moulds.
9. The soap will set up in 1 to 2 hours, but it will be completely hard in 24 hours. Then you can cut it into bars.

Links:

. Teach Soap
. TLC Soaps
. Soap Making
. Soap making basics in about.com

Dixit: "Please wear these gloves and mask..." "Is this cheese?"