Gangtok/IBNS: Manipur's MaolKeki Foundation (MKF) has been selected as one of 28 examples from over 22 countries to present its last-mile work on integrating agriculture and healthcare services in rural Manipur at the Civil Society 20 (C20) Conclave in Sikkim capital Gangtok recently.

C20 is one of the official engagement groups of the G20, whose presidency is currently held by India, and provides a platform for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) like the MaolKeki Foundation to voice the people’s aspirations to world leaders.

During the two-day Conclave of the Working Group on Sustainable & Resilient Communities, the selected CSOs from around the world were able to share their stories, best practices and learnings so that these high-impact examples could be scaled to other regions.

Represented by Ms. Nirupa Sanjenbam, Head of Projects, and Dr. Shachi Gurumayum, Trustee, MKF shared how integrating health and agricultural training enabled the organization to leverage program infrastructure, increase participation from rural communities and provide simple but essential primary health checks.

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These checks, conducted alongside training on Good Agricultural Practices, helped farmers and farm workers to detect symptoms such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels or deteriorating eyesight that could cause bigger health concerns in the future.

They also shared how MKF was currently working with a selected number of female social entrepreneurs in various districts of Manipur to make affordable sanitary pads available to women and girls in remote areas.

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It also highlighted how partnerships with various state, national and international organizations were also crucial in designing and implementing new ideas and thanked its currently active partners such as Anaha, AEGF, the Swiss TPH, Syngenta Foundation India, Sattva as well as all past and present medical professionals who made this work possible.