PRNewswire
Ludhiana (Punjab) [India], April 4: Nature Conservancy India Solutions (NCIS), under its PRANA (Promoting Regenerative and No-burn Agriculture) project, is conducting a series of workshops in Punjab on Smartphone Storytelling for regenerative agriculture in Punjab. Conducted by PRANA's behavior change communication partner, Vertiver, these two-day intensive training sessions are designed to provide hands-on experience to participants in scripting, storyboarding, shooting, and editing. Providing participants an understanding of how filmmakers around the globe are using smartphones for sophisticated storytelling to change behavior, the workshops are enhancing the capacities of PRANA's field teams to create compelling stories of famers who're driving change by adopting regenerative agriculture practices. Such storytelling is key to inspiring farmers around the state to adopt practices that are a boon for the soil and water in Punjab.
A total of 50 field team members from 18 districts--Ludhiana, Malerkotla, Moga, Jalandhar, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Shri Muktsar Sahib, Faridkot, Barnala, Mansa, Sangrur, Bathinda, Tarn Taran Sahib, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Ferozepur, and Fazilka--are being upskilled through this initiative. These teams, actively working in 6,259 villages across these districts, play a crucial role in amplifying PRANA's mission.
"In 2024, we participated in the Basic Smartphone Storytelling Workshop, which significantly enhanced our ability to create informational content. Building on that foundation, I have now completed the two-day Advanced Storytelling Workshop, which has further deepened my understanding of storytelling, scripting, and storyboarding. I look forward to applying these learnings to capture stories from the ground," said Rashpreet Kaur, Agriculture Supervisor at Manav Vikas Sansthan, Ludhiana.
Beyond communication skills, PRANA continues to transform agriculture and empower local communities through regenerative and no-burn farming practices. With an extensive network of over 600 field teams, PRANA actively engages farmers and government officials through village training camps, district-level workshops, and farm schools, fostering sustainable agricultural solutions while ensuring meticulous documentation of on-ground activities.
Fateh Veer Singh Guram, Communication Specialist, PRANA, stated, "Our vision extends beyond regenerative agriculture. We are committed to equipping field workers and farmers with essential digital storytelling skills, enabling them to document, share, and amplify their efforts in sustainable farming. Such skills will empower rural youth in ensuring the sustainability of adoption of regenerative agriculture practices."
"It's exciting for us to see the shift in the storytelling abilities of the field teams since we conducted our first Smartphone storytelling workshop last year. This year, we have provided them with advanced storytelling and filmmaking skills to strengthen their ability to capture powerful stories that inspire farmers to adopt regenerative practices and accelerate climate resilience in Punjab," stated Jaitish Loi, Project Manager, Vertiver.
The PRANA project is in its third year, making substantial contributions to the improvement of soil, air, and water quality, while also creating job opportunities and upskilling Punjab's youth in agriculture, communication, and personality development. PRANA aims to bring impactful change through measurable goals---preventing burning across 500,000 hectares of land in Punjab, conserving 500 billion litres of water, and sequestering 4.5 million tonnes of CO2.
With a holistic approach that combines capacity building with behavior change communications, the PRANA project is setting a new benchmark in India's agricultural landscape, paving the way for climate resilience in villages through an integrated outreach and advocacy model.
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