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An economy
where everyone can thrive and all basic needs are covered.
Community is more important than ever. Making sure people around us have everything they need and their basic needs are covered. With so many things happening in society we have to take action ourselves, work together, and contribute in the way we can. We would like to see a thriving village with opportunities for the next generation. We would like to see farmers and producers who receive a fair income to support their families. And we would like to see more biodiversity again in an area on the verge of desertification. Discover how we support where we can.
What we did
We restored the local oven (Food)
This oven has been used as a place for togetherness for many years. Women from the little hub came here to bake their bread. With the donations we received, we decided to transform this abandoned place into a reviving meeting place once again. We repainted it, restored the inside of the oven and the door, we made a new table and a sitting bench, and gave it a new look and feel. Ready to be used again! Watch the restoration process in the pictures and video's.
We repaired the upper spring (Water)
There is a spring a bit up on the mountain which provided drinking and irrigation water for many years for our little hub. As no one cleaned it, it has been abandoned and covered with a thick layer of earth and plants.
We love to repair broken systems, which provide basic needs for the people around us, and water is definitely one of them. We can’t use this water for irrigation ourselves, but for sure it will benefit others.
We support the local Walnut association (Local economy)
Where we live, walnuts are an important income for a lot of families. These specific walnuts are very high in antioxidants, because they grow in such an undisturbed environment. A lot of trees are centennials. The walnuts are grown naturally, harvested by hand and dried in the air.
A few people with a big heart for the local economy combined their forces and established the Association of walnuts to provide a selling platform for the locals.
This year the harvest has been very negatively influenced by the drought.
Many trees have so little produce, harvesting them is just not worth the costs, time and labor.
This is a disaster for people.
We are thinking creatively with them to find other ways. We made a video for them on appreciation base, we made beautiful pictures, we updated the website and made a donation system. People are now able to give a donation, to adopt a centennial tree so it stays alive and to secure the future generations.
We are restoring the old vegetable gardens (Water & Food)
This little hub used to be self-sufficient. There was a spring which provided irrigation for all the vegetable gardens, which are abandoned now. The pipes of the spring are broken, and the water is lost. No one can cultivate any more. We want to restore the spring. We feel that in a dry climate like this, all the water needs to be deployed for the wellbeing of the community and the soil. To grow food and create biodiversity. We, ourselves, are cleaning the irrigation canals, deposits, and the first vegetable garden so the gardens can be used again to grow food for the community. At the moment we are setting up the first Natural Farming vegetable beds!
We supported the local community house (Shelter & Young people)
El Regresso is the local community house, just 5 minutes from our mountain in the valley, where a lot of people stayed. The doors where always open on donation base, so everyone has been welcome. Up until now the owner was able to pay all taxes from the donations, but due to leaks in the roof and the terrace there are severe damages in the house. The solar panel system needs replacement too. We stayed in this house for 6 months, during the reformations of our own house, building a relationship with the owner and coordinator. When we left, from the donations we received, we bought new furniture, beds and mattresses to support them.
We also wanted to support them with the reformations, so we set up a crowdfunding and spread the word in our local network.
Right now, one year later, we are happy to see that there is a group of 8 young people living in the house, making more possible for others. They already restored part of the house and are planning to do more with the money they gather through organizing different activities. Watch their new website here.
We set up a crowdfunding to protect the Valley
When we heard this beautiful piece of land in the valley, 5 min from our own house would be sold to hunters and used for commercial agriculture, we felt a deep NO.
We helped the neighbors with the set up of their association and made the video for a crowdfunding, in the hope to do a counter offer on the land.
We would love to thank everyone who donated for and supported this project. Unfortunately we were not able to do a counter offer and the owners agreed to sell the land to the other party. Our neighbors decided to refund all donations. We recently heard the final signature is not being placed, because of legal aspects, so for now, nothing is happening with the land. We will see what the future brings, and we don't hesitate to act when necessary to protect this amazing spot in the mountains.
We like to install a well to regreen the desert (Water & Food)
(Future protect)
Water is life.
It is key to producing our own food and changing deserts into green landscapes again. To develop our Natural Farm and show people how this dry area can be re-greened, the first years we need water to awaken the soil and plant many many different varieties of trees, plants and bushes. After a while, nature will take over.
In this dry climate, on the verge of desertification, water is a game changer. We already received permission to dig the well, the administrative procedure should be finalized very soon, then we are ready to start. To support this project, we need funds up to 5000€ (depending on the meters we will have to dig). We keep you updated!
