REPORT ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMME

Digital Literacy for Farmers

Submitted by:

Vaibhav Meshram (67) Ayush Mondhe (35)

Priyanshu Sadawarti (64) Aryan Patil (33)

Prajwal Belekar (59) Aryan Palandurkar (34)

CEP Supervisor Name

Mrs Chandrayani Rokde

Department of Information Technology

Yeshwantrao Chavan College of Engineering, Nagpur.
(An Autonomous Institution affiliated to RTM Nagpur University)
(Accredited 'A++' Grade by NAAC)
ODD-2024 – 2025
 Nagar Yuwak Shikshan Sanstha’s

Yeshwantrao Chavan College of Engineering

(An Autonomous Institution affiliated to Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur
University)
(Accredited 'A++' Grade by NAAC)

CERTIFICATE
This is to certified that , Vaibhav , Aryan , Aryan , Priyanshu , Prajwal , Ayush , students of
the ThirdSemester in the Department of Information Technology at Yashwantrao Chavan
College of Engineering(An Autonomous Institution Affiliated to Rashtrasant Tukdoji
Maharaj Nagpur University), have successfully completed the fieldwork activity entitled
"Digital Literacy For Farmers " under the “Community Engagement Programme” during the
academic session 2024-2025.

Prof. Chandrayani Rokde

CEP Supervisor
Department of Information Technology
YCCE,Nagpur

Prof. Babul B Mandal Dr. R.C.Dharmik

Coordinator, CEP Head of Department
Department of Information Technology Department of Information Technology
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the people of Surabardi village for

their warm welcome and active participation in the Community Engagement Programme. Your

willingness to listen, engage, and collaborate played an important role in the success of this

initiative. A special thanks to Miss. Deepika Sawarkar , our local contact personnel, of

Surabardi village for his valuable assistance in coordinating the activity.

We also extend our sincere appreciation to our supervisor, Prof Chandrayani Rokde, for

her constant guidance. We are also profoundly grateful to our CEP Coordinator, Prof. B. B.

Mandal,for his valuable support to all students, diligent supervision of the CEP activities, and

dedicated efforts in managing the entire CEP initiative. His unwavering commitment and

encouragement have been instrumental in ensuring the success of this programme. Furthermore,

we are deeply grateful to Dr. R.C.Dharmik Head of the Department, Information Technology,

YCCE, Nagpur,for his continuous support and belief in the importance of community outreach.

Finally, we would like to express our utmost gratitude to our respected Principal, YCCE. Dr. U.

P. Waghe, for providing us with the opportunity to undertake this programme.

 Contents

1. INTRODUCTION 1-3

2. AIM AND OBJECTIVES 3-4

3. DESCRIPTION OF PLACE OF VISIT 5-6

4. ACTIVITY CONDUCTED 7-8

5. CONTRIBUTION 9-10

6. CONCLUSION 11-12

APPENDIX-A (Geo tag Photographs) 13-14

APPENDIX-B (Field Diary) 15-16

APPENDIX-C (Feedback Form) 17-18

1. INTRODUCTION

The Community Engagement Programme (CEP) is a strategic initiative designed to foster

collaboration between organizations and local communities. By facilitating dialogue,

partnerships, and active participation, the CEP aims to address community needs and promote

sustainable development.

The importance of the CEP lies in its ability to enhance societal well-being. By empowering

community members, it encourages social cohesion, builds trust, and fosters a sense of

ownership over local issues. Through its focus on inclusivity and collaboration, the CEP helps

to create resilient communities, ultimately leading to improved quality of life and a stronger

social fabric.

For our CEP activity, we visited the farmers of Surabardi village to conduct an awareness

program by introducing computer-based tool and apps that can help the farmers with crop

management, weather forecasting and market price tracking.

We also spread awareness about different schemes that are provided by the Indian Government

to the farmers which are helpful to them.

 2. AIM AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of the Community Engagement Programme (CEP) is to promote active

participation and collaboration between organizations and local communities. Specifically, it seeks

to:

1. Empower Communities: Enhance the capacity of community members to

identify and address their own needs and challenges.

2. Foster Collaboration: Build partnerships between various stakeholders,

including local government, non-profits, and businesses, to create a cohesive

approach to community issues.

3. Enhance Communication: Facilitate open dialogue between organizations and

community members to ensure that voices are heard and valued.

4. Promote Sustainable Development: Address social, economic, and

environmental challenges in a way that supports long-term well-being.

5. Encourage Inclusivity: Ensure diverse perspectives are represented,

promoting social equity and inclusiveness in decision-making processes.

Overall, the CEP aims to strengthen community resilience and improve quality of life through

meaningful engagement and collective action.Specific objectives set for the programme

• Our objective was to Develop and promote computer software and online content in

local languages to make digital learning and more accessible and relevant to villagers.

• We also aimed at helping villagers gain knowledge about important and useful websites

and applications.
 3. DESCRIPTION OF PLACE OF VISIT

Socio Economic condition of Surabardi

1. Economic Activities: The area is engaged in various economic activities, including
small-scale industries, agriculture, and trade. Local markets often support small
businesses and informal employment .

2. Income Levels: Income levels can vary widely, with some households relying on daily wage
labor while others may have stable jobs in local industries or government sectors.

3. Challenges: Common socio-economic challenges may include poverty, unemployment,

limited access to healthcare, and education disparities.

We selected Surabardi as our site for CEP visit due to its farming population, which plays a
central role in the local economy. The majority of the population relies on agriculture as their
primary source of livelihood, making it an ideal location for interventions that target
agricultural development. The village has a relatively low level of familiarity and experience
with digital tools, such as agricultural apps, online resources, and farm management software
4. ACTIVITY CONDUCTED

We ran an activity at Surabardi Village aimed at exposing farmers to digital technology and
attending to questions they had in terms of using digital tools in farming. This has always been
part of our efforts to bridge knowledge gaps, thus equipping farmers to embrace technology
in their daily engagements.

Useful digital tools that the session dealt with include farm management, crop monitoring,
market access, weather forecasting, and financial planning. We showed them applications for
tracking market prices, managing pests by observation, and keeping records-the uses of which
put that information at the fingertips of the farmer to make informed decisions and use
resources optimally.

Most of the time was utilized in question answering. Issues of download of agricultural apps
and their application were key to this understanding, as well as ways of soil health monitoring.
Different ways of selling produce online were also included. We demonstrated so that they
could interact directly with the tools.

We reassured them that continuous learning will not stop and they will definitely have more
help through subsequent sessions, workshops, and helplines
This activity will be very highly accepted and received by the farmers interested in using
digital tools and benefits that they derive. The activity would form a basis of further training
and support in improving digital literacy, thus enhancing productivity but also livelihood.
5. CONTRIBUTION

We help farmers improve farm management, productivity, and market opportunities through
our contribution in teaching farmers about digital tools. We engage in hands-on training in
tools for tracking market prices, weather forecasting, pest control, and financial
management. The process of arming farmers with a package of digital tools will have
positive impacts in the short and long run:

➢ Empowering Farmers: With their digital tools, farmers are empowered to

make effective decisions on the farming process, thereby increasing farm
management and productivity and saving costs.

➢ Farmers will embrace more advanced, data-based techniques, which promise

greater returns and resource use with sustainability.

➢ Enhance market access through digital platforms by using real-time market

information to scale up income opportunities and market reach.

➢ Bridging the Digital Divide: The activity bridges the digital knowledge gap in
rural communities, fostering long-term social and economic development.

➢ Community Collaboration: As farmers learn together, they strengthen

community networks, sharing knowledge and forging a more resilient and
forward-thinking farming community.
6. CONCLUSION

We help farmers improve farm management, productivity, and market opportunities through
our contribution in teaching farmers about digital tools. We engage in hands-on training in
tools for tracking market prices, weather forecasting, pest control, and financial management.
The process of arming farmers with a package of digital tools will have positive impacts in
the short and long run:

➢ Empowering Farmers: With their digital tools, farmers are empowered to

make effective decisions on the farming process, thereby increasing farm
management and productivity and saving costs.

➢ Farmers will embrace more advanced, data-based techniques, which promise

greater returns and resource use with sustainability.

➢ Enhance market access through digital platforms by using real-time market

information to scale up income opportunities and market reach.

➢ Bridging the Digital Divide: The activity bridges the digital knowledge gap in
rural communities, fostering long-term social and economic development.

➢ Community Collaboration: As farmers learn together, they strengthen

community networks, sharing knowledge and forging a more resilient and
forward-thinking farming community.

On a personal basis, this program reinforced that patience and proper communication are powerful
tools in the process of new learning. We learned how we could develop complex digital tools to make
them simple and use discretion depending on the level of understanding of the farmers. It is so pleasing
to see the eagerness of farmers to adopt new technology despite the initial challenges they face. I
realized that as these folks begin adopting the new ways, there is a need for further assistance and
reassurance.

We, as a team, came to understand that team work was the sole success factor of the program.
There were also challenges like internet connectivity while working at the same
time, but we found our way out for each other. As a team, we have come to understand that
content must be adapted to suit the needs of the farmers as opposed to one applying a single
model in all.
Geo tag Photographs
FIELD DAIRY

10:00 AM: Preparation

Our team arrived at YCCE in the morning for a photo session with the Head of Department
(HOD) and to collect the school banner for the upcoming program. After a quick briefing from
our mentor ,Mrs Chandrayani Rokde , we took several formal photos with the HOD, ensuring
the banner and school logo were visible for promotional use.
Once the photos were done, we collected the banner, confirming it was in good condition for
transport. Our mentor then provided a final program briefing, outlining roles, timelines, and
strategies to handle any challenges during the event.
With everything in place, we’re now ready to head to the program venue for the final
preparations.

11:00 AM: Welcome and Introduction

We started with introductions to explain the purpose of the session: to introduce the digital tools
that might enable farmers to access solutions like crop management, weather pattern predictions,
and markets in a more streamlined way. Some farmers seem curious, while others look a little
skeptical especially the old generation who are more aligned to traditional methods of farming.

11:30 AM: First Demo—Apps for Weather Forecasting

We showed the farmers that they could use AccuWeather and Weather on the Go. Our idea was
to let them understand how they could predict rain patterns or extreme events. Some of the
farmers really seemed excited and asked whether they could utilize such
apps better for irrigation schedules. One of the farmers, Mr. Kombo, mentioned that he will save
from overwatering by having an understanding of when it will probably rain.

12:00 AM: Break and Casual Banter

Most of the farmers around the table took up the challenge to try different apps during the break.
There were a lot of questions about how to download them and, most particularly, how long
they would take in the area with such low connectivity. Mrs.
Nyathi feared data use; however, I assured her that it is possible to use most of the apps offline,
with little to no data when connection is unstable.
12:30 PM : Market Access Platforms and Mobile Payment Systems
We then spoke to them about market access. They could, by using M-farm or Farmers Market,
sell their produce directly to the buyer, skipping the middlemen. We demoed the mobile
payment system M-Pesa-for most of them it was something they were familiar with but no one
had ever used for making payments relating to agriculture.
They were shocked to learn that mobile banking was a way to receive microloans and even pay
for fertilizers or seeds on the mobile phone.

1:00 PM: Lunch and Informal Discussions

We spent the lunch hour chatting with the farmers. Most of them reported that they already
utilized dumb phones, but those were only used for calls or short messages. A few of the younger
ones were more comfortable on a smartphone and wanted to hear more about possible usage.
We also had some very practical discussions with Mr.Radhe Shyam about how digital tools
might work for him as a better management system for his small-scale irrigation system.
The teachers looked very enthusiastic towards these possibilities but also highlighted some
challenges:
➢ There is limited capital: The school lacks sufficient devices, such as tablets or
computers, to implement the use of digital learning tools in the classroom.

➢ Teacher training: Most of the teachers have admitted that they require more
preparation on their part before they can confidently introduce technology into their
classrooms and control all computer-based tools in the classroom.

➢ To all these roadblocks, the teachers were geared up and upbeat about finding ways
to begin incorporating technology into their teaching practices. We identified
potential solutions, such as starting with free, mobile-based applications capable of
functioning on the smartphone and agreed on subsequent workshops for training
teachers on its effective usage.

4:30 PM: Leaving.

We hugged and made sure everyone had a contact number in case further questions came along.
Overall, the session was successful.
APPENDIX-C (Feedback Form)
 Name :- Prof. Chandrayani Rokde

Signature :-

Name and signature of the students

1. Priyanshu Sadawarti :-

2. Prajwal Belekar :-

3. Aryan Patil :-

4. Aryan Palandurkar :-

5. Ayush Mondhe :-

6. Vaibhav Meshram :-