By Emma Brown | Project Manager
Dear Friends, Namaste!
We are excited to share our first report with you and update you on the progress we have made on our Biochar Kiln project with our partners in Nepal; Field Ready, Nepal Communitere and Sanskriti Farms.
As you may be aware, Nepal suffered a devastating second wave of Covid earlier this year between April and June. Thankfully all our project partners came through this period safe and well. Of course it meant no field work could begin until the country emerged from lockdown but we used this time to meet online and plan together.
During the period from May to July, we held several Zoom meetings with our partners to clarify team roles and responsibilities and develop our project plans. Our long term partners Field Ready introduced us to Shree Krishna Dhital who runs Sanskriti Farms: Sanskriti Farms will be our test centre and will run pilot testing with farmers in communities in the Banepa region of the Kathmandu valley.
Shree Krishna brings a wealth of experience running training sessions with communities and has worked on biochar interventions before as he specialises in sustainable agricultural practices. In recent years, he has constructed a demonstration farm to share these practices with his local communities. Sanskriti also offers eco-friendly accommodation to tourists. (More info on Phoolbari Homestay can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/homestayphoolbari)
Our design innovation partners Field Ready and Nepal Communitere have evaluated the materials and processes required for the kiln production and updated all costs relevant to current import tariffs. They are now busy preparing materials! You can see two of our team, Bipin and Pradita, in the photo above. Our Irish partners Farm Social have shared their experiences with Bipin and Pradita to help them with their planning and production.
We hope to commence kiln production over the coming months, when the Covid situation allows it. We are all very excited to move forward with the project and look forward to introducing communities in Banepa and Kathmandu to biochar kiln technology and getting the kilns into their hands.
We want to extend our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to you all for your generous support in making this project possible. As we say in the Irish language, “Ní neart go cur le chéile”; there is no strength without unity. United we can support farming communities in Nepal to become more resilient and tackle the food security challenges they face, challenges which we will all face this century.
Stay safe and take care
The EWB Ireland team
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