Dry Food Production by Agricultural Cooperative Societies
The community we mention here is the ‘agricultural cooperative society (ACS)’, in which all project members participate. ACSs are established and supported in each project site. Each ACS selects a steering committee as its leader. The structure of a society is designed to enable all members to work together in order to seek solutions and address problems when they arise.
Previously they learned several skills at community strengthening workshops with various topics such as: what is leadership, problem-solving; relationship-building with local authorities; stakeholder analysis, and teamwork. The ACS provides opportunities for people to use these skills practically.
We also introduce activities which have specific themes, as ways to practice operational management of the community, and also, to create a source of income. This year’s theme is ‘dry food production’. The project is planned to be launched mainly by 7 to 11 steering committees in each project site.
Some days ago, a ‘drying machine’ which is need for dry food production arrived at the project site. Although its design is very simple, the machine is able to dry up to 20 kilograms of vegetables and fruit at once. We tried drying some edible leaves as a demonstration, just after the machine arrived.
JEN hopes that dry food production will lead to stronger communities and better relationships among project members and village residents, to motivate their cooperation in order to solve future problems.
This is the centre of ACS which is placed the drying machine
This is the drying machine
The steering committee placed sliced eggplant on the machine
Vegetable leaf is also good for dry food
They placed chip of wood on a bucket and it is fuel of the machine 
The bucket of chip put under the machine and set the fire
Hot air circulated from bottom to top of the machine and the food was made it.
David, the project officer, explaining how to use the machine 
After 30 minutes, the dry food was made it! 
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