As usual, we are happily accepting volunteers in India!!!

This is a very happy and active time in Sadhana Forest!

Our big dormitories are fine, they have not been damaged in the cyclone!

Hoping to see you soon!

Warmly,

Yorit and Aviram

Then

CONTACT US!

Enquiries can be sent to:

sadhanaforesthaiti@gmail.com

We offer…

 

• An amazing work experience and future opportunities with our diverse range of projects in India and Haiti
• A free PDC
• Technical and communication training
• Full community accommodation
• Opportunity to get internship credits

 

Dear friends of Sadhana Forest,

On Friday December 30, Cyclone Thane hit the states of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry with heavy rains and wind speeds of up to 135 kph (83 mph) and tidal surges of up to 1.5 meters (5 feet). The cyclone hit the whole coast from Chennai down to Karaikal. Our district, Villupuram, is among the worst hit as the cyclone epicenter hit close to Pondicherry.

Sadhana Forest was highly affected by the cyclone. The storm hit us around midnight and strengthened throughout the morning. Around 2:30 AM on Friday morning, 94 volunteers, including families and children, were evacuated from their living spaces to the safest dormitory in Sadhana Forest. In time, the dormitory roof suffered severe damage and everyone underneath was quickly soaked. Although the conditions were very harsh, all of our volunteers kept their spirits high and cared for each other. We are all thankful for going through this experience in a loving supportive community.

Sadhana Forest suffered damage on every structure. Out of 20 houses of the long term volunteers, 14 have been completely destroyed. This has been our greatest loss. These houses accommodate those who have committed to work with us for a few years or more with complete dedication. Additionally, the roofing material of all the huts including: the main community hut, the kitchen, the dormitories, and the remaining residential houses were blown away by the strong winds. The foundations and safety of most huts are severely compromised due to very wet soil around the structures. Also, the laundry and the shower huts were both ruined by the storm.

In the forest, most of the young TDEF trees that we have planted survived. Unfortunately many of our older trees and Acacias have fallen. The vegetable garden and orchard have been completely devastated. The majority or our fruit trees including all the banana trees, papaya trees, and mango trees were uprooted.

The traumatic experience of the cyclone didn’t hinder the volunteers’ spirits. As soon as the sun reappeared we started clearing the paths, making urgent repairs, drying bedding and blankets, and salvaging belongings from the broken homes. However most of the repairs require the purchase new materials and skilled labor which incur heavy costs.

We need urgent help from all our well-wishers, friends and family around the world.

The total damage to infrastructure is estimated at: 2,800,000 Indian Rupees, equivalent to 41,790 Euros or 52,830 US Dollars.

If you’d like to support rebuilding a long-term volunteer’s hut, it would cost 90,000 Indian Rupees.

Please see the attached spreadsheet with the detailed estimate of all emergency rebuilding costs.

Thank you very much for your care and love for Sadhana Forest.

Lots of love,

Yorit and Aviram

 

Donate to Support us:

For tax exemption in the US, and donations from other countries:
https://secure.aviusa.org/donations_donatenow_sadhana.php

For tax exemption in the UK:

http://www.aviuk.org/donate.htm

Sadhana Forest Emergency Cyclone Repair Estimate

This fall Sadhana Forest is hosting its third Permaculture Design Course running from September to December 2011. The course is half way through now and inline with the schedule we arrived at the item that we have all been waiting for: a field trip to Madhya Pradesh!

So we left Sadhana Forest and set off on the long journey through four separate states finally arriving at our first destination: the demonstration farm of a very successful (and I may add: very inspiring) organic farmer, Deepak Suchde. Deepakbhai has dedicated his life, together with some other researchers to the development of a farming method that they call “Natural Ecofriendly Farming Science” or short “Natueco” which he teaches at his farming site in rural Madhya Pradesh to Indian farmers, scientists or – in this case – to a group of Permaculture students from all over India, Europe and the US.

On arriving at the farm, instead of giving us a tour Deepakbhai invited us to take a silent walk through his compound to simply observe and feel with all of our senses what was happening around us. Having done this we discussed those observations as a group to find that, amongst other things, we had all been touched by an overriding sense of peace and calm whilst exploring the land, a soft energy where nature and man existed together in harmony.

And indeed, one of Deepakbhai’s core principles not only in his life but also in regards to farming is non-violence. He doesn’t till or plough his land and doesn’t practice any form of pest control whatsoever believing that the plants – when encountering some form of health problem – invite the pests to feed on them because they are not fit for human consumption; the plants wanting to enter the human body in the purist most nutritional state. Or they invite the pests which perform a natural process of “pruning back” reviving the plants health naturally.

This is only one example of Deepak Suchde’s highly alternative approach to farming and interestingly his yields are more than impressive. Most of his plants are bigger and bear more fruit than any ‘expert’ believed possible. This is also due to a practical methodology that the average person with find easier to grasp and conprehend: the production of Amrut Jal and Amrut Mitti. The former is a solution of water, cow dung, cow urine and jaggery (see below) which is applied on the plants for root treatment and to enrich the soil, because a good soil is the basis for every plants well being.

Amrut Mitti is a technique to create high quality soil in a very short time using Amrut Jal, soil and green manure and applying it in layers over a certain time period. We can achieve, in a short period of time what nature needs centuries to do on its own. This is especially interesting because the worldwide loss of topsoils is one of the most urgent environmental problems we are facing these days. Although we cannot apply these new learned methods back home in Sadhana Forest because we are a project dedicated to veganism, they are still having great value for improving the situation of small farmers all over India.
If you are interested in learning more about Natueco farming visit the website http://www.natuecofarmingscience.com or pay Deepakbhai a visit. You won’t regret it.
After four days of enjoying Deepakbhai’s hospitality (and his more than delicious vegan food) it was time to move on. We left in a quiet contemplation mulling over all the things we had learnt and feeling inspired and excited to put some of these techniques and beliefs into practice at our next stop Mata Anandamayi Peeth ashram in Omkareshwar. Stay tuned for the second part of our travels!