Bangkok - Today, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presented FAO awards to four Asian farmers from Nepal, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and Timor-Leste for outstanding achievements.

Laxmi Tamang
a female model forester from the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal

Laxmi Tamang is a vivacious fighter who instinctively keeps her eyes on the prize. Born into a landless family from the foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal in 1977, she was sent to work at the age of seven in a handloom carpet factory with her half-sister. For nine years she wove carpets with no opportunity for schooling.

When Laxmi returned home at 16 her father asked her to get married. He was suffering from cancer and wanted to assure his daughter’s future. But, Laxmi had other ideas.

She learned to sew and soon opened a small tailoring shop in Charikot bazaar, not far from home. Soon she realized few women could afford her tailored clothes and life remained a struggle. Her father passed away when she was 21 and soon after, the thatched roof of the house she shared with her mother and six brothers and sisters caught fire and was seriously damaged.

Laxmi calls these hard times “my troubles” and remembers it was during these dark days that government extension workers came to the village to explain a new programme.

Previous forestry policies had left the landless villagers with no rights to local forest areas, which were claimed by another caste. This policy had resulted in deforestation, barren land and widespread poverty. Now, the extension workers explained the government was going to change the policy with help from FAO and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.

The government would lease deforested land to the villagers so they could grow grass, orchards and trees. The community came together and formed a group to manage the forest. They elected a Chairperson and Laxmi as their General-Secretary.

The group now harvests grasses from the forests. They make brooms and wicker baskets to sell, but mostly the grasses provide fodder to feed goats and other livestock.

“I see the forest becoming greener and the community is prospering and growing cash crops like ginger, cardamom and turmeric,” Laxmi says. “Some people are growing fruit trees and selling fodder and seeds.”

Laxmi has been able to replace her burnt thatch roof with a metal one. She has 100 chickens and earns 10 000 to 20 000 Rupees from selling chicks. She has also become a prosperous goat farmer and owns two buffalo.

The community group pooled their savings into a microcredit account that provides incentivized loans. A family borrowing to invest in farming activities, or to send their children to school can borrow more money at a lower interest rate than someone buying a television.

“My only regret is that I could not be educated at a young age,” says Laxmi. While she is now attending adult education classes, it is her dream to send younger brothers and sisters to schools too.

The award ceremony was part of today’s Asia-Pacific observance of World Food Day - the 65th anniversary of FAO’s foundation in Quebec, Canada on 16 October 1945.

HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presided over the ceremony. The Thai minister of agriculture and cooperatives, other senior Thai government officials, Bangkok based members of the diplomatic corps, UN organizations and civil society were in attendance.

A keynote address “United against hunger” was delivered by Dr Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

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Print quality photographs of the award ceremony are available from [email protected]

More information at:
http://www.fao.org/getinvolved/worldfoodday/en/