Inauguration / workshop on "Establishment of community seed bank"
- Umathel, Kakching, 6th to 7th April 2024 :: Happy In Khol -

*

Workshop on "Establishment of community seed bank" at Umathel on 6th to 7th April 2024

A community Seed Bank was inaugurated on 6th April at Umathel, Kakching Khounou Under "The Maru Project". The Project is a collaborative endeavour between Happy In Khol and Midas Touch, marking the initial stride towards fostering a resourceful and resilient community.

Along with the inauguration of the Community Seed Bank (CSB), a two-day workshop was conducted on 6th to 7th April 2024, on the establishment of CSB with a theme on Ecological Restoration and Climate Resilience. At the workshop, invited resource persons stressed the significance of the ‘act of planting and cultivation’ of local seeds in the process of saving one’s indigenous seeds from disappearing.

The workshop was supported by Henry Martyn Institute (HMI) Hyderabad, International centre for Research, Interfaith Relation and Reconciliation.

The first day of the workshop was led by Sagolsem Sumangol Singh Retd SMS , Plant Breeding and Genetics, Potshangbam Devakanta , Yumnam Ranjit and Sapam Lukhoi who are pioneers and have been seed guardians for many years. Followed by activities such as Film screenings on related issues along with (Khulang esei ) a traditional folk song, based on planting paddy were presented by the women folk of Umathel.

Over the two days, the technical sessions of the workshop deliberated on Seed and its importances, Challenges and way forward to efficient ways of community seed banking, approaches for more efficient way of promoting the indigenous seeds. The Workshop ended with an exchange of seeds amongst the participants and the distribution of seeds from the community seed Bank. About 30 participants from different walks of life, farmers , students , professional consultants, academic associations and environmental NGOs attended the workshop.

Workshop on "Establishment of community seed bank" at Umathel on 6th to 7th April 2024

About the Workshop : The workshop is centered on ‘Seed saving and Sharing of Collective Knowledge’. Furthermore it will address the imperative of conserving plant genetic diversity, the necessity for local food security and enhancing community resilience through grassroot initiatives. The workshops aims to underscore the significance of seed preservation and the practice of seed storage.

The Maru Project : It is a collaborative endeavor between Happy In Khol and Midas Touch. Within the scope of this project, a community seed bank will be inaugurated at Umathel, Kakching Khunou, Manipur, marking the initial stride towards fostering a resourceful and resilient community.

The establishment of seed bank stands as a testamenent to our unwavering dedication to collaborating with farmers and individuals who embody profound cultural, ecological and traditional wisdom. We anticipate that the seed bank will assume pivotal roles in fostering a culture of conservation, restoration and the exchange of traditional agricultural and ecological wisdom.

Midas Touch is an Environmental Conservation Organization which was established in 2009, headquartered in Imphal, Manipur. We work in partnership with community towards sustainability challenges by empowering people to live a respectable, sustainable life, using nature’s assets, while also protecting them.

We are built on a strong foundation of science and partnership, empowering individuals and communities to be self-reliant, while caring for nature, biodiversity, and working for the overall well-being of humanity and the planet. Scientific intervention for societal impact also plays a key role in our organization. Self-reliance is at the core of Midas Touch

Happy In Khol is a social enterprise , working on small scale, holistic, and energy efficient that are intensive contributing to the regeneration of the earth. The enterprise is working on conservation and preservation of ecology broardly focus on Waste Management and Value Addition of aromatic herbs and agro products.

See a full photo gallery here

Premananda Nongthombam
Co Founder, Happy In Khol

Happy In Khol
Lalambung Makhong,
Imphal West-795004, Manipur