Cavelossim, Grubbenvorst , two villages, one in Our own Goa and the other in Holland.
If Charles Dickens was alive in these times and was to hear about something in these two villages, he would perhaps re-phrase his century old words and write, “It is the best of times, it is the age of wisdom and epoch of belief, it is the season of light and the spring of hope as the way these two villages have gone green”.
It began in the year 2008 in Cavelossim, a few villagers got together under the leadership of Bosco Rodrigues for Project ‘Back To Basics’, initiated by the Lions Club of Cavelossim. A project that brimmed with hope and potential.
In a field of an acre, small allotments were done and distributed to the enthusiastic villagers. A source of water was channeled into the fields, pipelines laid, fencing done and earnest cultivation began and, within a matter of a month, the once barren fields came to Luscious Green life.
Vegetables like radish, turnips, lady fingers, cluster beans, sweet potatoes, chillies, all organic to the core were abundantly harvested for home consumption and a large share was also distributed to friends and relatives of the farmers.
The new Farmers specially Chandralekha Rodrigues, Cynthia Fernandes, Juliet Gonsalves, Shanti Naik, Fatima D’Costa, Leena Fernandes, Carmen Gonsalves, Maria Fernandes, were sent for various training sessions organized by the Agriculture Department of Goa and very soon what was started as an experiment became organized.
Cavelossim is known for its oceans of incoming tourists. Many of these who visited the fields were fascinated to see a sea of greenery in the barren landscape.
Some appreciated the farmers, some egged them on and some even started helping out the farmers.
One such Tourist, Ms. Marlies Stoot from Holland, who has been visiting Goa frequently was enamoured by the Farmers. She was often seen observing the farmers, sitting in her balcony and hearing the laughter and joy of the elderly farmers like Placida Dias, Veronica Fernandes, Lily Cardozo, Rufina Barreto, Conceicao Pereira and Late Saudina Fernandes and the pride in the community they shared.
Initially Ms. Marlies Stoot donated seeds to the group and very soon started bringing her friends to the garden. Inspired she harboured a dream of starting a similar experiment in Holland and we were recently informed how she has done just that and how lo and behold her project has been a great success.
While the big hearted Bosco distributed allotments on his own land to the villagers, Stoot has created a garden amidst the beautiful Dutch nature where she says, ‘ People can find balance again in this crazy, hectic world, a place where there is time to just be’.
They grow vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers. In the middle, there is a sit-out where people can sit and enjoy the work of the day. The herbs and vegetables are served to their guests either in teas or small dishes.
This is Project Kaldenbroeck and the proceeds earned from this project fund Stoot’s humanitarian cause Project JAVEA in Nepal where these kind hearted Dutch give free medical care to the Nepalese, organize teas like ‘Happy Tea’ and they are also currently building a school in Nepal.
Stoot also relates how she wants to start a new project in Nepal where the whole community can participate in cultivating vegetables and fruits. Benches will be installed where people can enjoy the result of their work and talk to each other. ‘Just like the village gardens in Cavelossim’, she adds.
Recently, Ms Marlies was in Goa with her friends and came back to visit her inspiration. She was amazed that how apart from conventional forms of gardening, the farmers were now using remarkable techniques like drip irrigation, mulching technology, etc. She reminisces about how Bosco’s gardens inspired her ‘to see the pleasure, fulfillment and joy to grow healthy food’
…She sums up by how she would ‘really like to inspire other people, other villages…’, just like how Bosco’s gardens and the village people have inspired her.
