To make a difference, we just have to take a step. One small little step. At Gouri’s Goodies, we work towards helping nutrition feel better. I work towards creating nutrition in a more fun way, an honestly, delicious way!
The world is a rough place to be. It can only get better with humanity. The only thing we all must learn; we must imbibe and we must apply. Whether it is a rough day, an injury, a distress situation, or anything worse; humanity makes you feel better. Even if it is just for a minute, or for a day. Villages are the roots of our society, but we aren’t doing much to raise them right. Almost 833 million rural Indians are facing an everyday crisis. They are the essence of our country; if villages perish, so does India. Self-sufficiency is the motto of our cities, so why can’t it be the same for our villages? With the right kind of assistance and resources, our villages can rise to be better towns, supporting their children, their women, their hardworking men. In this case, Rajshri Deshpande, is a Rockstar. When we tour the countryside, we only feel bad for how the villages look, we don’t put in as much effort to save them. She actually did.
This year, I had the brilliant fortune to come across this wonderful human being, an actress, a good soul, who comes from a farming background, and is working day and night to give back to what built her. It was a sunny day four years ago when she was passing by Pandhari, a village in Maharashtra and she noticed a once-flowing river now ran dry. After discussions and questions, she learned that the farmlands had been ruined and the river dried up, because of no vegetation.
This was a village, the essence of our country. Where the majority of our foods come, where nature resides, where culture sits and where tradition was born. She began her mission by repairing the riverbed and the farmlands along it. Then she went on to building toilets in the village for women to have some space, some privacy.
Then came the school, that she is working on. An architectural delight, a wonderful space for children to grow in, to learn in, to blossom in. All this is a result of how she wants villages to have what we have. In simple words, a life, an education, respect and a right to live well. It isn’t much to ask, and it isn’t much for us to give either. This year, I met this wonder woman. I learned from her; I was inspired by her. I come from the mountain regions of India, where food is simple, people are simple, and life is easy. Cold most of the time, and celebrations in springtime.
It has always been a life goal for me to make the world a better place; one step at a time towards humanity, towards people. And finally, in 2020, I found a way to make it happen. I met with Rajshri, had a few chats, and decided to begin a permaculture farm with her school. A way for children to learn the simply scientific methods of farming.
Permaculture is a leading farming method for many new sustainable farmers; those that want to yield produce in a way that it sustains itself even after a harvest. Whether it is food forests, irrigation techniques, terracing or simply fusing ingredients and plants in a harmonious manner. The future needs to learn this; how to live in a sustainable manner. And Rajshri is doing the best part; not just talking about it, she is making them do it!
Our small hand in it, is setting it up along with her. Our love for fresh ingredients, of whole ingredients and an organic way of farming, is being put to the test with this permaculture farm that we are helping set up at the school in Pandhari.
Go to their website to know more, and show some love! Children deserve nothing but love and education!
Written by Anisha Masand
Week 44, October ’20
