When we say farmer, a picture of an aged man in his soiled clothes toiling hard in the field emerges in our mind. This image of a farmer was broken by the young people of Mawiong village under the Umling Block of Ri-bhoi district in Meghalaya. These young people are full of energy and enthusiasm to bring a change and make agriculture a life-sustaining occupation.

Mawiong is one of the new Caritas India’s FARM project village consisting of 56 households with a total population of 224. Majority of the village people earned their livelihood from farming and daily labour.

SSC has taken initiative to form youth group at Mawiong village to conserve the environment, wild edibles, medicinal plants, practising organic farming through the kitchen garden. 25 young people joined this group with a majority of students. The youth group have taken the first step to promote kitchen garden in Anganwadi centre along with the Anganwadi worker. They planted the vegetables like radish, carrot, mustard and beans etc. The youths have worked hard by bringing the indigenous seeds, manure and the other required inputs. They put proper fencing to prevent the kitchen garden from cattle that destroying the vegetables.

Covid-19 pandemic has brought enormous challenges to the people in Mawiong village especially the poor people. The closure of the local market and the skyrocketing vegetable cost led the people to suffer on buying the food items to fulfil the family needs. During the peak of the crisis, these youth distributed vegetables cultivated from the kitchen garden at Anganwadi centre to the malnourish children, the pregnant women and to the lactating mothers. There were about 60 beneficiaries who benefitted from the Kitchen-garden. Since food sovereignty and security is what FARM programme stands for, these young people have set a good example of sharing at Mawiong village to ensure that all the farmers have food security without depending on others especially in hard times like this, to be able to depend on themselves for their livelihood.

The hard work of the youth has been exemplary to inspire other youths. The work done by the youths was highly appreciated by the people of the village as they gave free the vegetables to the malnourished children, the sick, the poor, the pregnant woman and the lactating mothers based on their vulnerability. They needed proper food and vegetables especially during the lockdown as they foud it difficult to get from the market. Beside the kitchen garden, the youth was active involvement in other activities of the village. They have been volunteering in many programme and activities in the village such as world environment day, cleaning drive etc

According to Mr. Precious Maring “the President of the youth group has shared that I never knew that the small kitchen garden that have taken up was benefited to the malnourish children, pregnant women and the lactating mother especially during the pandemic”

“Ms Regina Maring expressed her gratitude to the youth who provide her these vegetables and also she is inspired to start the kitchen garden on her own”.