Sadhana Forest » News

Siragu Montessori school visiting

Isa — Sun, 06 May 2012 09:23:41 +0000

A large group of children and their teachers came all the way from Chennai this Friday to visit Sadhana Forest! They were extremely enthusiastic and hard working and loved being a part of the scene here.

Some children joined moving piles of branches, still left from the cyclone! Others joined in the kitchen and the vast majority came to the forest.

All the branches are now moved out of Children's Land, leaving space for other Children to come in the future and enjoy the space!

One of our forest projects is to improve one of our dams with vetiver grass, for today we will focus on making a bund to plant the grass on.

Preparing for making a bund

A heavily compacted bund starting to take shape!

Thanks to the Siragu group many of our thristy trees have been replenished and are more prepared for the dry summer!

This girl helps in the chain of transporting water from one of our mud pools to the seedlings in the forest.

Mulch (dry organic material such as leaves) spread to keep the water from evaporating, and also enriching the soil! Vishu, one of our volunteers, shows how to do this.

Thank you everyone from Siragu for joining us and help build our forest!

These children loved having their photo taken, they hurriedly huddled infront of the camera!

Sadhana Forest at Earth Day Market in Auroville

Isa — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 04:55:41 +0000

A market was held in Auroville to celebrate Earth Day. Sadhana Forest came with our chefs and some creative hands to share some of our joys and talents. Our chefs prepared some snacks to give out in the market. Sheela’s Special Laddus (ball-shaped Indian sweet) made mainly from various local organic flours and jaggery (palm tree syrup) was a succes along with Osher’s sweet ragi (local millet) pudding.

Sheela serving free vegan snacks to all visitors of the market!

Our crafts enthusiasts showed anyone interested how you can reuse items such as plastic bottles and torn t-shirts to make beautiful and fun accessories. Raja shared his techniques of cutting plastic bottles and transforming them into bangles (indian braclets) while Ally showed how t-shirts can live a second life as a trendy purse!

Cuttings from a plastic bottle and old bits of cloth to make a bracelet!

Wrapping the plastic in colorful cloth bits.

A model of a re-used t-shirt, turned into a crafty all purpose bag!

Yet another t-shirt has found a new life!

Yurt Building

Isa — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:14:00 +0000

One beautiful contribution came after the cyclone, at the beginning of the year from a volunteer named Claudius. His wish was to fund and build a Yurt and share his knowledge of the subject with anyone here interested to learn.

Construction began shortly and a team of volunteers rushed to finish the Yurt in the time, just over a month, that claudius had left in India.

Making a circle where the Yurt will soon be

Frame awaiting roofing beams.

Smalls bits and bobs to screw the parts together.

Claudius and Yandi pulling up parts of the roof

The Yurt team in-front of the Yurt awaiting the final step - roofing!

Thank you very much Claudius!!!

New and Improved Huts after Cyclone!

Isa — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:12:04 +0000

Now that we’ve begun to see real recovery of our structures after the cyclone, it’s time to share the joy with our friends and well-wishers across the globe!

New structures awaiting keet (palm tree leaf) roofs.

Volunteers have moved into recently finished structures which have been redesigned to better withstand storms such as the cyclone.

New hut with roof and all!

The newest models are much more stable and robust; shorter and thicker pillars hide the keet (palm tree roof) from the winds at the higher altitudes and gives less chance of pillars splitting from the force, the structures are also build with bigger heavier beams which will weigh down and have much stronger resilience to the forces of nature! Some of these structures are truly tanks in comparison to their ancestors!

Shorter, more stable and durable granite pillars.

A generous volunteer chose to fund building a Yurt in Sadhana Forest, also donating his knowledge and time by building it during his stay here. Read more here.

The yurt under construction

Untill now, 5 brand new huts have been built with these new robust designs. Two roofs have been replaced and all huts that could be saved are fully repaired! We are continuing to build huts and replace roofs, yet we have come a long way!

We are so full of gratitude and awe, toward you all, well-wishers and friends across the globe who have made the recovery, growth and rebirth of our community possible!!!!

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!

Deeply and sincerely,

Aviram and Yorit Rozin and the whole of Sadhana Forest

Sadhana Forest India accepting volunteers as usual!!!

Aviram — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:36:05 +0000

Dear potential volunteers,

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

Haiti Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course

Aviram — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 04:30:11 +0000

Help Build a Flourishing Indiginous Food Forest!

We are now offering a FREE Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course, with hands on experience over two months in the summer of 2012 in Anse- Pitres, Haiti. This will give participants the chance to apply their knowledge and help the local Haitian community.

Sadhana Forest Haiti is an international volunteer community that aims to reintroduce an indigenous food forest to Haiti. We share with volunteers and our local community our desire to live sustainably, from organic food growth to alternative energy sources, to composting. We utilize Permaculture techniques and design philosophy to achieve our goals.

As part of the course we will travel to rural communities in Haiti, plant trees and help design and implement little food gardens!

If you have ever dreamed of getting hands on experience and helping supply food security for Haitian communities…

Here is your chance!

We urgently need enthusiastic volunteers to help us restore the environment and improve the quality of life of thoudsands of people.

You will receive training in permaculture design free of charge, while also learning intercultural communication in Haiti from JUNE 11 – AUGUST 10, 2012. Each student will have a chance to apply the permaculture techniques to a specific site in Haiti that will immediatily benfit local Hatiain families.

So if you…

Are intrested in regenerative agriculture
Are willing to contribute $4 a day for three vegan meals, made with locally purchased ingredients
Want to make a significant impact on people’s livelihood and the environment
Can offer 2 months or more of your time

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

Sadhana Forest’s appeal for Support after Cyclone

Aviram — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 04:55:51 +0000

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.


: Damage to a residency.

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



Rebuild
14 Long Term Volunteer Huts at 90,000 each	1,260,000
Couples’ Huts	110,000
Children’s Land Toilet	50,000
Fencing	100,000
Laundry Hut	100,000

Roof Repairs
6 Long Term Volunteers Huts roofs at 50,000 each	300,000
Main Hut Roof	28,000
Family Hut Pillars + Roof	25,000
Solar Panel Hut Roof	15,000
Retreat Hut Roof + Pillars	30,000
Family Hut Roof + cross beam	10,000
Tool Shed roof	10,000
Entrance Hut Roof + cross bean	25,000
Parking roof	10,000
Shower Hut roof	90,000
Toilet dorm roof, broken wood on support	40,000
Middle Dormitory roof	20,000
Training dorm roof	200,000
Kitchen dorm roof	50,000
Kitchen roof	80,000

Pillar Repair
Bike Hut	2,000
Toilets, walls	15,000
Healing Hut	20,000
Old Shower pillar, doors	30,000
Dosa Kitchen pillar	3,000

Replacement of Damaged Equipment
Water Tank	5,000
Children’s Land shade net	15,000
Children’s Land water tower	70,000
Children’s Land PVC pipe	2,000
Solar System new invertor, connectors	85,000

Total Estimate in Indian Rupees:	2,800,000
Total Estimate in Euros:	41,790
Total Estimate in US Dollars:	52,830

Auroville Radio on Sadhana Forest after cyclone

Isa — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 20:47:18 +0000

Here is Auroville Radio’s half hour Interview with volunteers of Sadhana Forest on the effects of the cyclone.

Click here to listen on Auroville Radio Website

Children’s Land celebration!!

Dorian — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 06:27:24 +0000

On the 27th more than 250 people participated in the 2nd birthday of the Children’s Land project! Eleven games and many performances were held during the celebration! All the volunteers of Sadhana Forest, about 100 volunteers, ran the activities.

All the children went home with a mask and a smile…

So the celebration was a great success!

The most popular activity was Face painting! By the afternoon the children’s faces were full of color!

Another activity was natural playdoh! They first draw on paper and then fill the formes with the playdoh. The children created many beautiful colors!

Tasting and Guessing - This game is a blindfolded discovery of taste and smell. The children were given different foods to guess what they were!

The speciality of the day - Vegan muffins, rosella leaves and seeds, tapioca chips, cinnamon, star anise, citrus leaves, turmeric, and chili powder, and banana… They loved it!!!

There where also many performances during the birthday!

There was a puppet show, capoeira (Brazilian dance), clown and magic perfomance, body percussion and more

Vegan Audio Passport recording @ SF

Christoph — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 05:49:44 +0000

The Vegan Passport is a booklet describing in just a few short phrases what foods vegans do/don’t eat in almost every language you’ll need when globe-trotting. At Sadhana Forest we started to record these phrases as audio files, so that travelers can simply play it back from their mp3 player. So far we have 5 languages, more coming soon…

vegan_audio_passport_hindi.mp3

vegan_audio_passport_german.mp3

vegan_audio_passport_japanese.mp3

vegan_audio_passport_danish.mp3

vegan_audio_passport_english.mp3

And if it still fails…