In a proud moment of victory for Assam and for his remarkable contribution to poverty reduction, rural development and small holder agriculture development, Guwahati native Kaushik Baruah was conferred with a medal of the Royal Order by the Government of Cambodia on Monday, February 22.
Along with Baruah, Sakphouseth Meng was also conferred with the prestigious award. Baruah and Meng are the Country Director and Country Programme Officer of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Through the IFAD-financed and supervised Agriculture Services Programme for Innovation, Resilience and Extension (ASPIRE) program implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), over 61,000 farmers across 24 provinces in Cambodia have been supported to form farmers’ groups and business clusters.
“When I heard about the award, frankly the significance didn’t initially sink in. I guess such an announcement feels surreal. But then I realized that it was a great honor to receive an award under the Royal Order of Sahametrei," an elated Kaushik Baruah told G Plus.
“I feel honored and very grateful to have received the national recognition. This is not just a personal validation, but a recognition of our partners and team members on the ground- Ministry partners, other UN agencies and importantly community workers who deliver services to rural households and farmers’ organizations. It’s because of their commitment that we see results on the ground.” he added.
The duo was recognised for their exceptional commitment to the objectives of the projects, for their close collaboration with Ministries, provinces, and community partners and for introducing key innovations across the agricultural sector. The Government of Cambodia conferred the Royal Order for these contributions.