RESILIENT AGRICULTURE INITIATIVES FOR NATURE (RAIN)

KEY PROJECT OUTCOMES:

INTRODUCATION

The Resilient Agriculture Initiatives for Nature (RAIN) project aimed to promote climate-resilient, sustainable agricultural practices in vulnerable communities across Pakistan. Implemented in Mehr Jabal Goth (Karachi), Village 37/DB (District Khushab), and Killi Hassan Jaat (District Sibi), the project focused on increasing food security, enhancing climate adaptation, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

ORIENTATION AND PLANNING MEETING

Project orientation and planning meetings were organized at the national level in Lahore and diocesan offices in Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Quetta, which were attended by the respective Diocesan Executive Secretary and project staff. The project objectives and activities were discussed in detail and formed an implementation plan for the project. The diocesan Caritas Pakistan teams also had meetings with respective parish teams and community leaders so that all stakeholders are able to understand project objectives and participate in project implementation. The parish teams and Caritas Pakistan staff discussed the situation of target areas and finalized methodologies for the implementation of project activities.

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES

• The objective of the kitchen gardening activity was to promote the production of healthy, chemical-free vegetables for self-consumption to improve the health and nutrition of those who cannot afford pricy basic commodities. It also aimed at the productive involvement of women proper use of kitchen waste. Three (03) kitchen gardening training sessions were organized with the target beneficiaries, who were attended by 120 women. The training covered the following contents: –
• Need and importance of vegetables
• Nutritional and medicinal value of vegetables
• Benefits of home-grown vegetables
• Components of a kitchen garden
• Planning for a kitchen garden
• Preparing your garden
• Calendar of vegetables
• Cultivation of vegetables in flower pots
• Tools required for kitchen gardening

Vegetable seeds of different vegetables like bitter gourd, bottle gourd, green pepper, coriander, radish, turnip, brinjal, spinach, and tomato were distributed among women.

• To further promote organic farming, composting training was conducted for 90 farmers across the three project villages. These trainings introduced farmers to the process of recycling organic waste into nutrient-rich compost, helping reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers and improve soil fertility. Government officials from the Agriculture Extension Department were involved to provide technical guidance. In parallel, the project supported green manuring practices by distributing seeds of lentils and Jantar to 100 farmers. These crops play a crucial role in enhancing soil structure, increasing nitrogen content through biological fixation, and suppressing weeds and pests naturally.
•  Six awareness sessions on leguminous crops were organized in the target villages. The District Project Officers conveyed useful information about the importance of leguminous crops and revealed that legumes are important in agriculture for many reasons, including:
• Soil improvement: Legumes improve soil structure, water retention, and drainage. They also increase soil biodiversity.
• Nitrogen fixation: Legumes have a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which enrich the soil with nitrogen. This is a low-cost way to replace nitrogen in the soil, which is essential for plant growth.
• Pest and disease management: Rotating crops with legumes can break the life cycles of pests and diseases.
• Sustainable agriculture: Legumes promote sustainable agriculture by reducing the need for synthetic inputs and improving soil health.
• Greenhouse gas emissions: Legumes release 5–7 times less greenhouse gases per unit area than other crops.
• In areas affected by salinity and waterlogging, the project implemented land reclamation strategies. Activities included awareness sessions, the plantation of eucalyptus trees to absorb excess water, and the distribution of gypsum to treat saline soils. These interventions aimed to restore the productivity of degraded lands and expand the area available for cultivation.
• To enhance farming efficiency and productivity, 80 poor farmers were provided with small agricultural hand tools such as hoes, spades, sickles, and baskets. These tools enabled farmers to carry out essential farming tasks more effectively without the need for expensive machinery or fuel, making them especially suitable for women, elderly farmers, and those in remote locations.

LOCAL CONTRIBUTION

Local communities played a vital role in the success of the project. They contributed spaces for training, land for plantation and reclamation, and supported daily implementation and monitoring through volunteer committees. Parish priests and catechists assisted in identifying beneficiaries, while Caritas Pakistan covered the cost of social mobilizers involved in the project.

RESULTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

• The project imparted skills to 120 women on kitchen gardening techniques, enabling them to grow their fresh vegetables for domestic consumption. The women participants gained skills to grow vegetables and herbs at home, ensuring a continuous supply of fresh produce.
• Six (06) awareness sessions on the promotion of leguminous crops helped farmers realize the need to regain soil fertility. The participants gained knowledge about different types of leguminous crops (e.g., lentils, chickpeas, beans, peas, and soybeans) and their cultivation requirements. The participants also understood the role of legumes in reducing greenhouse gases through improved soil organic matter.

• Over 100 farmers received different agricultural hand tools, making it easier for them to do multiple tasks such as planting, weeding, harvesting, and soil preparation.
• One hundred (100) farmers received seed for green manuring. Green manure crops, such as legumes (e.g., clover, Jantar), will fix atmospheric nitrogen into the soil, enhancing nitrogen availability for subsequent crops.
• Three training sessions on composting were organized, one in each village, which were attended by 90 farmers. These trainings helped farmers learn to produce and apply compost, enriching the soil with organic matter and improving its structure
• Different drought-tolerant, flood-resistant, and pest-resistant crops, ensuring stable production despite climate variability, were introduced to the farmers
• Various project activities encouraged knowledge sharing among farmers, creating networks that foster collective problem solving.