A priceless trip

A Priceless Trip

20 changemakers and kanthari staff, from 10 different countries, traveling 4000 km, visiting 20 different organizations. It was a wild ride. We traveled by train, bus, tuk-tuk, and even in the back of a truck.
We spent the nights at hostels, hotels, lodges, open-air sheds in the jungle, and once even on a train station floor. Our spirits were high even when our bodies were weak. The learnings, of course, are priceless.

One of the participants was Kuta Mafa Cornelius from Cameroon, a farmer and founder of Wandusoa, an organization that focuses on soil restoration and training young farmers in agroforestry. Here he gives us a glimpse into the organizational visits that had the most impact on him.

1. Sadhana Forest
This was a well-structured reafforestation and conservation organization. In a once barren land, we could see a multitude of different kinds of trees and greenery all around. The campus was geared towards being completely environmentally friendly by refusing concrete or metal, and building using areca palm and other wooden materials with coir rope. This style is very close to the traditional one used in the area many decades ago. I think of replicating these traditional buildings in my regenerative agriculture school to serve as theoretical classrooms.
https://sadhanaforest.org/

2. Eco Femme
Eco Femme is a women-led social enterprise founded in 2010, based in Auroville, India. Their goal is to create environmental social change through advocating for menstrual practices that are healthy, environmentally sustainable, and culturally responsive.
We had a rich and warm welcome there by two of their senior staff. We started by us introducing ourselves and pitching our projects. They were amazed to see a diverse kanthari team. And through them, we discovered that the Auroville community was also indeed quite diverse, in beliefs and cultures. Eco Femme’s sales are slowly recovering after the pandemic, but they are facing quite stiff competition from companies that claim to produce eco-friendly washable pads, but are using the cheapest synthetic fabrics. https://ecofemme.org/

3. The Bamboo Village
Here we learned that bamboo species come in 130 varieties. We received lectures while moving around the village to understand how bamboo is grown, treated and how value is added by creating furniture, musical instruments, jewelry, and other useful artistic items for decorations and other uses. We also learned, and for some of us this was completely new, the spiritual and cultural value of bamboo. It was commonplace in Tamil Nadu, India to have a cluster of bamboo in the backyard. Each year during an annual festival all kitchen utensils that are made of bamboo would be replenished. And did you know about the existence of bamboo rice? Or bamboo kombucha? Or the fact that bamboo is edible and has medicinal properties? https://aurovillebamboocentre.org/

4. Well Paper
Here, we saw a sincere and unpretentious founder who was not very clear on how to measure the impact his organization is creating, but only understand that the organization is empowering the community, especially the women. These women work in an organized independent system from the administration of Well Paper. They receive contracts from outlets looking to sell crafts made of waste paper, and it’s on them to succeed or fail. Fortunately, failure is rarely a reality. The major goal is waste management, environment awareness, and women empowerment. These women also provide training to others in different communities in India. https://wellpaper.org/

5. Sristi Village
Sristi Village is an amazing organisation that was founded by Karthik, a 2012 kanthari alumni. The story of how he started after the kanthari course, one challenge after another of struggling to fundraise, fights with the community, and trouble with his beneficiaries who are mentally challenged; This all showed a determined man who never once doubted his calling. His vision was clear and he puts his entire life’s work into it. Now we can see a school for mentally disabled children, dormitories, and an auditorium all powered by solar, a mixed organic farm system with animal rearing integrated into the system on a once arid infertile soil showing the resilience of this mighty and inspiring work. https://sristivillage.org/

6. Sahaja Aharam
To me, this was the most organized organization I came across in the domain of organic agriculture. We met a leader who was so humble and could answer all our foolish questions in a humble and satisfactory way. For example, one of us asked, “What is GMO”? And he explained it along these lines: imagine if you insert the letter “R” into the word “Fame”, it would become “Frame” and change not only the meaning of the word but also the sentence that it is used in, creating unintended consequences which may be harmful. We chatted with him well beyond our scheduled time. We also had the chance to visit their organic food store and go through their magazine. He offered us a tasty lunch made from purely organic produce. https://sahajaaharam.com/

7. Coop Forest
Our journey ended with visiting an amazing 300-acre water conservation and reafforestation project. A dynamic leader and a fearless activist was the person who lectured us about his journey of political-environmental activism. We will ever not forget how we slept in the open air in a forest without any fear of being attacked by a wild animal or snake. We will forever not forget the love we shared and camaraderie planting trees, trying indigenous foods, trekking through the forest, jumping into the cold ponds; phones off, and completely engaged with nature and each other. https://coopforest.com/

I am now full of passion to continue my work, full of ideas that I want to incorporate into my work, and full of hope that yes; if you believe and work hard enough on your vision, it is achievable.