Joint Forest Management (JFM)

INTRODUCTION :

Ramakrishna Mission Lokasiksha Parishad proposed sustainable Rural Development through bio-diversity conservation in early 80’s . This was initiated through generation of awareness among the rural population and training the youths in the fields of afforestation , watershed management and wasteland development . RKMLSP undertook implementation of these ideas along with West Bengal Forest Department in ARABARI and achieved responsible success .

Encouraged with this success , West Bengal Forest Dept. wanted to institutionalized this effort and promote people participation in managing the forest thus Joint Forest Management (JFM) was formed.

Ramakrishna Mission Lokasiksha Parishad got associated with this effort with an aim to make the rural people self reliant by developing necessary skills , leadership qualities and so on .

In order to meet the objective , Green Colleges were set up in rural areas with abundance of natural resources in the year 2016 by Ramakrishna Mission and started imparting skills trainings and various workshops so as to enable the rural youths to acquire requisite skills to prosses these natural resources and derive economic benefit on sustainable basis .

Currently following Green Colleges are in operation –

• Gosaba Green College , Arampur , Gosaba , Pin- 743370
• Ajodhya Green College , Ajodhya hill , Baghmundi , Pin- 723152
• Santuri Green College , Santuri , Purulia , Pin- 723156
• Motgoda Green College , Raipur , Bankura , Pin- 722134
• Support Micro/Small entrepreneurs in Sundarbans- South & North 24 Parganas

Activities of Green Colleges:

As started earlier , the motto of Green College is to develop skills among rural youths on Green-trades i.e- Sustainable farming , Animal husbandry , Processing of forest products , Agro food processing etc.

Following tread based skill training are presently being imparted-

• Lac cultivation , maintenance of host plants and lac seed production
• Tasar cultivation , seed production and processing
• Sal leaf product making and marketing
• Goat and Sheep rearing and its management
• Commercial agriculture and seed preservation
• Bio compost preparation and its marketing
• Poultry keeping and its management
• Cultivation of medicinal plant and marketing
• Mushroom cultivation and marketing
• Fish cultivation and fish feed production
• Basic and advance course on tailoring
• Solar system repairing and maintenance
• 2-3 wheeler repairing and maintenance
• Computer hardware and software training
• Mobile phone repairing and servicing
• Electrical wireman ship training etc.

Those training are of varied duration span over 1 month ,3 month and up to 6 month for certain trades . Green Colleges provide accommodation to those who are form remote places . Besides above tread based skill trainings , Green Colleges provide followings advanced training to deserving candidates mainly to the would be entrepreneur .

Advance trainings :

• Business skill training for High Potential Rural Youths (HPRYS)
• Capacity building of the project implementation sraff members
• National exposure and exchange visit both for staffs and trainees
• Training of the trainers
• Training of mentors
• Awareness creation workshop
• Marketing activities
• Visibility
• Advocacy and marketing