Sustainable farming in Guabuliga

Overuse, monocultures and a high input of chemically-synthesized pesticides start showing its drawbacks globally. The project-team of Braveaurora takes action to fight these difficulties and their negative outcomes, considering the fact that farming is the essential base of cash- and food-income in Guabuliga.

Consequences of erosion and infertile land can not be solved with a higher input of chemicals on a long term base, neither ecologically nor financially. For this cause Braveaurora initiated a close cooperation with Asiribisi Self-help Initiative, a community based organisation focused on ecological farming. They train people in Guabuliga on sustainable and organic gardening. Besides proper crop planting to avoid nutrient-poor soil through monocultures, they produce self-made pesticides based on organic substances. Another focus is on the cross-breeding for more successful harvesting.

Enthusiastic about the trainings, I joined the group and took them through the Austrian method of compost construction. The group collected the material in no time and with the help of a skilled carpenter, previously trained by Braveaurora, the compost was done within two days. 

Standing with the trainees in front of their creation, I asked about the purpose of the exercise. And their answers made me outrageously happy: 

„Organic waste will turn within some months into an organic fertilizer. We put it on the soil of the vegetables and fruits so they grow better. Like this we can give more nutritious foods to our families and we will stay healthy. We will have a good harvest without buying expensive chemicals.“ 

Thanks to the great cooperation with a motivated gardening team and the translations and expert-knowledge of Asiribisi Self-help Initiative, the organic garden will provide self-produced organic and nutritious fertilizer.

This transferred knowledge aims to help making use of compost in larger scale for their own farms, to be independent of expensive chemically-synthesized products. Since I unfortunately need to leave Guabuliga soon, for a longer or hopefully shorter period, the supervision will be conducted by the trainees.