- Spowdi Stories India
SEWA sisters train in Spowdi Smart Farming
- June 8, 2022
Spowdi has initiated the ‘Train the Trainer Programme’ in collaboration with the SEWA-supported Grassroot Trading Network for Women and SHL Medical. The program aims to provide education and training for SEWA grassroots members to be expert trainers in ‘Smart Farming’ and thereby enabling them to become economically independent micro-entrepreneurs. women’s independence.
SEWA or the Self-Employed Women’s Association is the world’s largest association of informal workers, with 1.9 million women as members across India. SEWA works to ensure that its members are collectively self-reliant and economically independent. Grassroot Trading Network for Women (GTNfW) is a Section 8 company promoted by SEWA working towards green energy access at affordable prices for creating sustainable green livelihoods for SEWA members.
Small-hold farming contributes to one-third of global food production. To make our food systems sustainable, small-hold farmers must be able to grow more food using less water and move away from fossil fuels. Towards this effort, the ‘Water Drop Initiative’ was initiated to enable a shift towards regenerative farming, with a dual aim to enable women micro-entrepreneurs to be economically independent. Phase 1 of the initiative began in November 2021 and is being rolled out in five states of India.
Under this initiative, Spowdi, in collaboration with the SEWA-supported Grassroot Trading Network for Women, has initiated the ‘Train the Trainer Programme’. The program aims to provide education and training for SEWA grassroots members and enables them to become experts in ‘Smart Farming’. To support these women, SHL Medical has made an initial USD 100,000 contribution to buy Spowdi irrigation systems and training hours available to the SEWA grassroots members. The goal is to provide them with tools and knowledge for ‘Smart Farming’.
“Such result-oriented collaborations are crucial to create a climate positive impact. The SEWA sisters are optimistic that this initiative will propel small-hold farmers towards green farming, higher yields, climate-resilient sustainable livelihood and greater self-reliance.”
Devesh Shah, CEO of Grassroot Trading Network for Women (GTNfW), the SEWA-backed network which is leading the initiative on the ground.
Higher crop yields, lower costs
Increase crop yields on existing farmland with our drip irrigation system. It’s proven that crops grow faster and better with less water. The system has low operating costs due to pure solar energy instead of diesel or electricity.
Save water
The energy Spowdi Mobile Pro system combined with drip irrigation can, by applying the water directly to the plant drop by drop, at the right time, save up to 80% of water compared with traditional irrigation, like flooding.
Save time
Using our system for drip irrigation instead of traditional irrigation, often done manually and sometimes at night, saves a significant amount of time for the farmers and their families, giving them the possibility to engage in other life-enriching activities, including education.
Discover other Spowdi stories
Small-hold farmers play a crucial role in driving an agricultural evolution that is fossil-free and regenerative. Spowdi’s fossil-free irrigation system enables them to secure higher crop yields, greater profitability, and with it, greater independence. Read more about Spowdi adopters and ambassadors below.
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