Pukka Herbs Fair Trade Project Part 1
15th of June 2007Pukka Herbs Fair Trade Project: Chennamaji High School
In line with our ethos of trading herbs fairly and promoting the welfare of the farmers we work with, Sebastian and Tim spent much time last year discussing how best to support the Pukka farming community in western Karnataka in India. After consultation with the local farmers who decided they would most like help with the education of their children and with much excitement on both sides, we have set up a project to support Chennamaji High School, a run down, non government funded secondary school in a remote forested area six hours from Bangalore. The project has been named ‘ Ayur-Phal ‘ which means ‘gift of life‘.
Chennamaji High School is a mixed school with around 100 pupils aged between 7 and 14. The school enjoys a beautiful location in a rural area famed for growing rice, papayas and betel nut; the local language is Kannada but the children also learn English and Hindi.
Presently the school is made up of one crumbling building which leaks during the Monsoon months; it has no toilets or electricity. Water is supplied by a nearby well but it is low in water and needs to be deepened.
The main objectives of the Ayur-Phal project are:
- To build another school building to replace the inadequate existing schoolhouse.
- To help the school generate a regular sustainable income by growing organically certified Ayurvedic medicinal herbs in the school grounds.
- To improve the educational standard and introduce environmental and health education.
- To give the children access to Ayurvedic health care.
An agreement has been made that for every kilo of herbs supplied by the local farmers, we will donate US$0.10 to the project. Donations have also been given by our local herb supplier and other members of the local community. A school development committee with an independent board of trustees has been established to manage these funds and ensure they are appropriately distributed to benefit the children. All accounts of what has been spent and proposed expenditure of future funds will be approved by us.
Tim and Sebastian and his family were visiting the farm projects over Christmas and New Year and after consultation with the Priest as to the most auspicious date, the Ayur-Phal ‘gift of life ‘ fair-trade project was launched with an inauguration ceremony at Chennamaji High School on January 1st 2007. The excitement was palpable as the Pukka team joined local dignitaries seated at a long table in front of rows of giggling immaculately turned out schoolchildren in blue and white uniforms, the girls with fresh jasmine flowers woven into their hair. Performances by the schoolchildren and dancers from the local village were followed by speeches from the headmaster, the head of the village and then Sebastian and Tim who spoke of their love of India, nature and herbal medicine. This was followed by a ceremony to bless the new building site and then laying of the foundation stone.
In India the placing of the foundation stone of a building is extremely significant. The stone becomes a central ‘axis’ from which the members of that household spread outwards. The building is the safe haven, the strong-hold and the foundation stone symbolises the centre of the universe and is a metaphor of one’s own inner centre or soul. When Tim and Sebastian laid the stone the ground was blessed as an auspicious site for enhancing the education and wisdom of all who enter the building.
It is now six months since the inauguration ceremony; up to date information on the progress of the school project is not always easy to obtain due to the language barrier and the lack of telephones or e-mail at the school. However, Ben who works for Pukka developing our organic growing projects and relationship with the farmers, is based in India and visits the school every few months. On his March visit he toured the school grounds and reported that the foundations for the new building are now complete.
Other exciting news passed on by Ben is that the school has now made its first income from its new herbgarden. Pukka have brought a select area of the school ground under its organic certification so that we can buy herbs from the school and help them become self-sufficient. The gardeners working in the school grounds have harvested the fruits from a Bibhitaki tree which they sold to Pukka. They have also planted a Tulsi crop and a chilly nursery which are flourishing. The herb growing is an example to the children about living an integrated community life and is used for educational purposes. Ben, an expert bio-dynamic farmer, gave a talk to the students about organic composting and the need to give back to the earth and an enthusiastic composting session took place with cowdung, dry leaves and green plant matter.
