Spread the spice 2023
This was a 3-day festival that showcased ideas for social change and innovative solutions for a brighter future. The event took place on the 13-15 of October 2023 and was organized and hosted by kanathari 2023 participants. kanthari is an international leadership training institution for social change makers located in Vellayani, Trivandrum, Kerela. It offers an immersive, hands-on, training program that equips change-makers who have overcome adversity with all the tools and skills required to start their own impactful social/environmental organization. Ndabuchiseh took part in this event.
Collaborating for Rural Development
The founder of Ndabuchiseh paid working visits to the Gandhi Center for Rural Development in Trivandrum on Saturday, November 12, and November 18, 2023. This Gandhi center is a Swadeshi movement in Kerala. The Swadeshi Movement is the direct outcome of the extension activities initiated by the Centre for Gandhian Studies of the University of Kerala under the directorship of Dr. Jacob Pulickan as an income-generating program. From the story told by Dr. Jacob to the founder of Ndabuchiseh, the first activity selected by the center was soap making. It became very successful, and this led to the start of training courses in soap product making.
Slowly, these training courses became the best training program in Kerala, which necessitated the formation of a separate organization for coordinating the Swadeshi training programs, the supply of raw materials and allied support items, the starting of small production centers, and a door-to-door village-level marketing network.The new organization, the Gandhi Centre for Rural Development, came into being in 1998. The Gandhi Centre for Rural Development (GCRD) is spearheading the Swadeshi movement in accordance with the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi for the realization of Gramaswaraj through Swadeshi and self-reliance.
The main focus areas of the center are: 1) professional training in the production of home-made products. 2) raw material and packing support for those trained in home-made products; and 3) marketing support through Swadeshi exhibitions and Swadeshi counters. The founder of Ndabuchiseh took part in some training sessions. He was also asked to give a talk to the members of the center on the situation in Cameroon and how rural development can be a tool for addressing some of the core challenges Cameroon is facing. He was taken through an exhibition of the over 300 products of the center. The visit resulted in the two centers agreeing to collaborate and exchange best practices.
Gaining Inspiration from Kanthari Alumni
Upon his return from Kanthari in December 2023, where he completed an intensive training in social change leadership, Ndabuchiseh’s founder and CEO, Dr. Emmanuel Fuhbang, immediately embarked on visiting some of the alumni of Kanthari in Cameroon. Kanthari in Trivandrum, Kerala, South of India, offers a 12-month leadership program for visionaries who have overcome adversity and who are keen to drive ethical social change. Kanthari equips participants with the tools that are required to start and run an NGO, organization, or social venture: project planning, accounting, fundraising, developing policies, curriculum development, a venture profile, public speaking, branding, etc. Seven months of this scholarship program are residential at the Kanthari campus in India, from June to December.
Concerning the Kanthari alumni’s visit, Emmanuel visited Cluade, the founder of CADA; Nduku, the founder of XHUMA Africa; and Joshua, the founder of Peacecrop. It was a thrilling moment for all of them as they shared their stories about how they started when they returned from Kanthari. “I was so impressed with their progress, their energy, and their passion,” said the founder of Ndabuchiseh.