My Lesson in Rural Empowerment and Social Regeneration

When I became involved in the Himalayan Institute’s campaign called “Growing a Cure,” all I knew were a few simple facts. We were growing an herb called Artemisia that can cure malaria – the largest killer in Africa – and we were going to help rural communities regenerate. I had no idea what this last action item meant.

Growing foods or medicinal herbs in any third world country is usually a very lucrative commercial venture. A foreign corporation or a group of savvy businessmen come in to exploit the people and resources of a distant land. This scenario fills my mind with pictures of yellow or brown faces laboring in fields under the hot sun. Poor people laboring and rich people relaxing – this was the image I had. And in regard to the regeneration of rural communities – my mind was completely blank.

You see, socially responsible businesses are rarely created in third world countries because this type of exploitation is so common and so easy. It takes more time and extreme thoughtfulness to learn how to partner with local communities and recognize both their traditional leaders and governmental authorities. The learning curve is quite steep for all parties involved.

The Himalayan Institute’s School of Energy Farming has created a revolutionary curriculum and socially responsible business model that will forever alter the failed methods of exploitation. This new model of sustainability includes: teaching and creating market linkage; introducing new tools and technologies; cultural preservation; micro-financing and basic business skills. A socially responsible business can offer the enlightened leadership for the melding of the business community, the cultural values of the indigenous society and the superimposed layer of modern government.

The picture of this model shows people coming to learn highly effective, yet eco-safe, agricultural methodologies. Graduates of the energy farming school participate in a collective effort to grow high value herbs and foods. They understand all aspects of their agrarian trade -- from soil cultivation, planting, nursing, harvesting, processing and marketing. Using their new skills coupled with the availability of micro-financing, new rural enterprises are developed where the village farmer becomes a true partner, a stake-holder – a title of dignity and pride. This new model encourages participation and can offer ownership at many levels.

In contrast, the contract farmers and plantation workers have little dignity in their life. They are simply worker bees that never see the global contribution that comes from their labor. This is a lineage of dependency and has no place in a sustainable model.

The School of Energy Farming is growing Artemisia as a means for this kind of social regeneration and rural empowerment. The herb, Artemisia, can bring an end to decades of tragic deaths from Malaria.

* * * * *
Growing a Cure!

The Sponsor and Founder:
Himalayan Institute – in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, USA
Himalayan Institute Cameroon – in Kumbo, Cameroon, Africa

The School:
The Himalayan Institute’s School of Energy Farming
A Model School and Demonstration Farm in the rural regions around Kumbo, Cameroon.

The Project:
Growing a Cure! – the Artemisia herbal plantation and processing plant. Artemisia is a medicinal herb that can cure and prevent deaths and disability from malaria. Malaria is the largest killer on the continent of Africa.