I am a young girl from eastern part of Nepal, moreover I am very young in agriculture field although more than two third of Nepalese population depend upon agriculture to sustain their daily life.
When I meet with my neighbors and other people, they usually ask me what I am studying. My answer is agriculture, but their perception level is different and they assume my bachelor course is a JTA (Junior Technical Assistant) course. It means that agricultural graduates have not still good access to farmers and other people about what is different within these terms. Indeed what can they do more for farmers and farming system?
In fact, my path to study agriculture grew only when I have been selected in B. Sc. Agriculture entrance examination within hundred successful students over the 1500 applicants. Now I am somehow sure to lead my career towards agricultural activities but I still need more time to perceive a clear picture of agriculture and how I will be able to contribute to farmers's work and the nation; taking big dream in agriculture may not be true until and unless I have more precise knowledge and experience in this field.
It has been two month that I am pursuing my first semester agriculture academics in Agriculture and Forestry University. I am very much surprised with course syllabus and teaching strategies of teachers in classroom. Even more I am not getting good advices and guidelines in scope and opportunities in this sector as on being agriculturist in future. So I felt somehow uncomfortable with my studies. It may be due to the first batch of newly formed university where administrative and academic environments are not sound well. However, I left these feelings when I visited agricultural farms around the university with my colleagues where I rejoiced with nature.
The seminar organized at my university entitled, YPARD Awareness Campaign, last week, became very fruitful to me. I remember that university had organized an orientation program in the first day of the first semester but we were not able to get knowledge on agriculture broadly. So I got several informative points from the seminar and it made me energized in the field of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) and ARD (Agricultural Research for Development).
The YPARD session has provided me good information on internet browsing, more precisely the use of different web applications and related websites to agricultural academics, the use of social media in agriculture, and I highly appreciated the concept of YPARD which is anchored in promoting youth in agriculture.
So I am very excited and expressing keen interest in such type of network which could facilitate the exchange of information, knowledge and ideas of youth by broadening youth opportunities and making us more proficient by enhancing youth capacities and which could attract more youths towards scientific agricultural practices which is the need of present time to secure future for upcoming generation more sustainably.
Look at the pictures of the event.
Read Dinesh's blog post for more information about the event.
Picture courtesy: Jiwan Pandey