“There is no greater joy than to share what you love with those who appreciate It.” and in the 21st century, you can share what you love with the world through the internet. Meghalaya’s farmers are doing just that sharing their year’s worth of knowledge with the world via YouTube.
Kimson Lipon, a fish farmer from Khliehtyrshi village in West Jaintia Hills District, is one of the farmers who had started a YouTube channel. Lipon does not own a smartphone, but he is keen to pass on the knowledge he has gained over the past 30 years through his 22-year-old son.
“I had heard of YouTube but I wasn’t sure of how it exactly worked. My son then explained to me that if we put this video, farmers not just in the West Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya and possibly the rest of the world would be able to see it,” Lipon told The Indian Express.
Although Kimson only has 96 subscribers on his channel and has various problems filming his videos his effort in expounding his experience is something that has helped multiple people who have watched his videos.
And some have also reverted back and spoken about how Kimson’s deep knowledge on the subject has helped them develop their own in the past.
Kimson is not the only success story of Meghalaya’s YouTube farmers.
Midalis Lyngdoh, another example of an aged person wishing to impart her experience and wisdom to the world. Midalis Lyngdoh is a farmer who has extensive experience in growing kiwi fruits she started with just 12 kiwi samplings and now three years later has a farm from which she is able to harvest 100 kgs of kiwi fruit.
This would never have been possible without MEGHALAYA LIVELIHOODS AND ACCESS TO MARKETS PROJECT ( M-LAMP) projects that are trying to look for innovative ways to help farmers to accumulate extra income.
According to an official note, Megha-LAMP aims to improve the incomes of families and the quality of life in rural areas of Meghalaya by creating and improving income-generating activities that are based on the local produce and then developing markets for these products so that opportunities for sustainable livelihoods can be created.
If other farmers like Kimson and Lyngdoh would rise up in other states too, farmers would be able to absorb their wisdom and help themselves to achieve better market prices.
