All of the participants who were part of the Guba community outreach project had a very enlightening and life-changing experience. Most of us had a general idea about what permaculture was, but to actually engage in the activities involved in the practice is beyond description.
I personally was exposed was exposed to the conventional methods of farming – mainly concerned with yield – not so much as looking at the environment as one interconnected phenomenon, which is what Guba is all about. They teach about sustainable methods of farming that are natural in the strict sense of the word. No one in our group could have ever imagined, for example, that pigs could be used to prepare land where crops are to be sown! Not only that, but that plans are used to cure other plants and to keep away pests and diseases.
The fact that human beings are interconnected with the environment they live in was readily apparent each day as the amiable staff of Guba explained to us how the whole permaculture thing works. Although we are sad that tomorrow we are leaving, we are eager to share our experiences with the rest of the participants, and also apply them in our different countries and communities.
And tonight we are celebrating Bongosi’s birthday – it was a pleasure to work with him over the past couple of days. As a group we have ensured that Guba won’t forget: Mark and Markus, a dynamic duo, painted a brilliant mural on the wall of the Guba office, which will be a constant reminder of the amazing time we have spent here. We’ll miss the pigs, the weeding, the fresh lemon grass tea, the mural, our baby Gubi, the mud masks, being constantly dirty, our destroyed tents and the permaculture with creativity and the spirit of Guba and its magnificent people.
Celia (Zimbabwe), Mark (Swaziland), Suzana (Tanzania), Imane (Netherlands/Morocco), Eska (Finland), Cendrine (Belgium), Rodrigo (Brasil), Roku (US/Japan), Majandra (Peru)
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