United States and India help improve farming in Africa

NEW DELHI: The United States Government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), announced three new partnerships to share successful low-cost agricultural innovations and technologies with African countries.

USAID has granted financial awards to three Indian organizations through its India-Africa Agriculture Innovations Bridge Program, aimed at sharing Indian innovations with African countries for increased food security and nutrition under Feed the Future, the U.S Government's Global Hunger & Food Security Initiative.  The technologies to be shared were developed by Indian innovators and include a low-cost tractor, an organic fertilizer, and a solar dryer.  All were devised to increase farmers' agricultural yields and incomes by mechanizing their operations, fertilizing depleted soils, and preventing post-harvest losses.

USAID, in partnership with Indian non-profit organization Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions (SRISTI) will transfer three types of low-cost mechanization and processing equipment to Kenya.  Indian and African organizations will demonstrate new technologies and promote local manufacturing to ensure long-term sustainability.

In partnership with Indian company AquAgri Processing Private Limited, USAID will improve agriculture production by promoting African farmers’ use of organic fertilizer made out of a seaweed extract.  Over the next three years, the company will develop a fertilizer concentrate and powder to export and market to at least seven African countries.  Public and private sector entities in Africa will conduct trials to ensure the fertilizer’s effectiveness on African crops. 

USAID is also partnering with Indian non-profit organization Science for Society to introduce Solar Conduction Dryers (SCD) in Africa for reducing post-harvest losses.  SCD is a solar powered food dehydrator that reduces moisture content in food crops and extends their shelf-life up to one year.  This drying process allows better retention of nutrients, color, flavor, and hygiene than open-sun drying.  This unique low-cost Indian innovation provides an electricity-free solution to preserve food in some environments where there is not ready access to electricity.

United States Promotes Safer Cities for Women

NEW DELHI: The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has announced a $250,000 grant to the organization UN Women, which is a part of the United Nations’ Women’s Global Safe Cities Initiative.  The grant is for the ongoing program “Delhi Safe City – Free of Violence against Women and Girls,” that will be implemented in partnership with Indian civil society organizations.  This announcement comes in the same month as the International Day of the Girl Child and on the eve of the international community’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence beginning late November.

U.S. Ambassador to India Nancy J. Powell said, “The United States recognizes gender-based violence as one of the most debilitating factors impeding a woman’s active participation in any economy in the world and her ability to access resources and services.  We are pleased to partner with UN Women to help promote safe cities and reduce gender-based violence, which plagues every country in the world.”

Working with local urban civic planning, public transport, education, urban infrastructure authorities, and civil society, the Delhi Safe City program focuses on increasing safety among women and girls.  It also works to help prevent and reduce violence, including sexual harassment, in public spaces.  The program encourages municipalities and their partners to take action, such as improving lighting on streets and designing new public safety plans that focus on women and girls.  It also engages men and boys as critical partners in preventing violence, and partners with schools and colleges to create awareness and to organize campaigns for safer cities for women and girls.

Dr. Rebecca Tavares, the UN Women Representative covering India, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka, welcomed the grant saying “Such a grant will go a long way in ensuring women's right to the city and the right to be free of fear.  The Safe Cities program is working towards creating a greater sense of safety and increased comfort of women and girls in public spaces.  By changing mindsets and improving urban infrastructure, we can surely turn the tide.  Violence against women is preventable and not inevitable.”

Students' Unions polls today

BJB College students welcoming their candidate

--Campuses echo with ‘What I stand for’ pledges

BHUBANESWAR: The colleges in the city echoed with speeches of candidates contesting students’ union poll on the occasion of ‘What I stand for’ meeting held in the campuses on Monday.

As the polling will be held on Tuesday, the candidates left no stone unturned to motivate their friends by their speeches. Along with their continuous approach, they made their last-ditch effort to woo the voters.

In the BJB College, Ramadevi Women’s College, Kamala Nehru Women’s College, Rajdhani College and other colleges, candidates came with their supporters with  grand pageant to attend the ‘What I stand for’ meeting. All the candidates promised to solve college problems and gave assurance like politicians to woo the student voters.

“I’m confident about my win in the elections. Our candidates along with me have almost completed campaigns in the campus. Now, we will ask for votes through mobile messages and social networking sites which are accessible to reach them,” said president candidate of the BJB Autonomous College Tanmay Rout.

“I will unitedly work with the students of the college to address various problems. I hope all my friends in the college will support me to win,” said president candidate of Ramadevi Women’s College Ipsita Sahu.

According to the Government notification, the polling will be held from 8 am to 2 pm on Tuesday and the results would be declared on the same day by 5 pm after counting of the votes. The oath taking ceremony will be conducted on October 9, it added.