What We're Doing
Voices of Sustainability: Addressing Food Insecurity in Namibia
January 23-25, 2017
Through research and conversations with Namibian officials and communities, our cohort has been able to clearly see the challenges generated by drought and therefore lack of food security in Namibia. We have closely followed both governmental and non-governmental initiatives that have worked to provide aid and explore solutions to food scarcity and the attendant social and cultural impact. Throughout our continuous dedication to learning about Namibia, our class has identified significant ways in which we can create partnerships with organizations in Namibia, particularly the University of Namibia. This conference aims to bring together thought leaders and agricultural experts in Namibia for collaborative opportunities. The conference will allow for the sharing of ideas and act as a place of connection and a starting point for more sustainable agriculture initiatives. Specifically, this conference will host students from Namibian universities, guest speakers from the agriculture community in Namibia, and ideally also local farmers practicing agriculture in Namibia. This will also be a space for current leaders in the agricultural field to communicate and compare methods. We envision that the conference will center on putting the problem of food security into context and will provide pathways for continued communication regarding sustainable agriculture initiatives in Namibia.
January 23-25, 2017
Through research and conversations with Namibian officials and communities, our cohort has been able to clearly see the challenges generated by drought and therefore lack of food security in Namibia. We have closely followed both governmental and non-governmental initiatives that have worked to provide aid and explore solutions to food scarcity and the attendant social and cultural impact. Throughout our continuous dedication to learning about Namibia, our class has identified significant ways in which we can create partnerships with organizations in Namibia, particularly the University of Namibia. This conference aims to bring together thought leaders and agricultural experts in Namibia for collaborative opportunities. The conference will allow for the sharing of ideas and act as a place of connection and a starting point for more sustainable agriculture initiatives. Specifically, this conference will host students from Namibian universities, guest speakers from the agriculture community in Namibia, and ideally also local farmers practicing agriculture in Namibia. This will also be a space for current leaders in the agricultural field to communicate and compare methods. We envision that the conference will center on putting the problem of food security into context and will provide pathways for continued communication regarding sustainable agriculture initiatives in Namibia.
Documentary: "The Omega Project"
Initial Trip: May 29th to June 9th, 2016
The Omega Project is a documentary highlighting the collaboration between local farmers and the Namibian government in terms of food security and the 'Go Local' campaigns emphasized in the Visions 2030 Policy. In December of 2015, the Agriculture Policy of Namibia was amended to create a new focus on the Visions 2030 Policy, which works to set clear goals for where Namibia should be in terms of food production and marketing. One of the campaigns mentioned in the policy encourages consumers to buy local and producers to sell locally under the marketing of ‘Naturally Namibian.’ The theme of our documentary is this idea of going local: producing food locally, stimulating the local economy, and empowering local people. We hope to produce something that incorporates the perspectives of all different people in Namibia, including government officials, NGO’s, and local farmers. In doing so, we hope to bridge the communication gap between these groups of people, with the ultimate goal of establishing collaboration in a sustainable way.
Initial Trip: May 29th to June 9th, 2016
The Omega Project is a documentary highlighting the collaboration between local farmers and the Namibian government in terms of food security and the 'Go Local' campaigns emphasized in the Visions 2030 Policy. In December of 2015, the Agriculture Policy of Namibia was amended to create a new focus on the Visions 2030 Policy, which works to set clear goals for where Namibia should be in terms of food production and marketing. One of the campaigns mentioned in the policy encourages consumers to buy local and producers to sell locally under the marketing of ‘Naturally Namibian.’ The theme of our documentary is this idea of going local: producing food locally, stimulating the local economy, and empowering local people. We hope to produce something that incorporates the perspectives of all different people in Namibia, including government officials, NGO’s, and local farmers. In doing so, we hope to bridge the communication gap between these groups of people, with the ultimate goal of establishing collaboration in a sustainable way.
What We've Done
Junior Year
As a class, we decided to pursue a partnership with Ecology Action. We have spent a great deal of time focusing on grant writing and fundraising initiatives. We hosted both a car wash and a bake sale in the fall, as well as creating a GoFundMe page to reach out to friends and family. In January, we applied for a grant to fund our documentary project and are waiting to hear the result. During the spring semester, we continued contacting organizations locally to find out ways that we could get involved. We also focused heavily on fundraising, including both events run by our class and applying for grants. In May we held a Silent Auction, which despite the rain, was a great success! Blessed Sacrament School - Burlington, NC Locally, we have been working with middle-school students (grades 5-8) at Blessed Sacrament School in Burlington, NC to educate them about the Grow Biointensive method, food sustainability, and food insecurity in Namibia and Alamance County. In April, we went in and hosted four 55-minute classes. We hope to be able to facilitate a partnership between BSS and a school in Namibia, in which students could discuss their Grow Biointensive experiences. Loy Farm Locally, we have begun getting our hands dirty at Loy Farm. We hope to spend time over the next few months getting a hands on approach to the Grow Biointensive method of sustainable agriculture so that we can host workshops for community members. |
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Sophomore Year
During our sophomore year, we worked hard to learn as much as possible about our country of focus; Namibia. We did extensive research in groups and presented our findings to our classmates. Additionally, we Skyped with Anita Isaacs, a friend of director, Dr. Tom Arcaro, in Namibia, and we began the brainstorming process with regard to potential projects and/or partnerships. One of our main goals this year was finding an organization to partner with. As a Class, we researched multiple organizations, Skyped with members in these organizations, and vetted those that we felt strongly about. Both as a class and individually, we have done extensive research about methods of sustainable agriculture, and have discovered an overwhelming passion for Grow BioIntensive, a method used by an organization called Ecology Action. Grow BioIntensive has developed a methodology aimed at maximizing soil while minimizing water and amount of tools, and it's worked. This method has produced 2 to 6 times more food using 67% to 88% less water in countries around the world. We also organized the Induction Ceremony and welcomed the Class of 2018 into the Periclean program.
During our sophomore year, we worked hard to learn as much as possible about our country of focus; Namibia. We did extensive research in groups and presented our findings to our classmates. Additionally, we Skyped with Anita Isaacs, a friend of director, Dr. Tom Arcaro, in Namibia, and we began the brainstorming process with regard to potential projects and/or partnerships. One of our main goals this year was finding an organization to partner with. As a Class, we researched multiple organizations, Skyped with members in these organizations, and vetted those that we felt strongly about. Both as a class and individually, we have done extensive research about methods of sustainable agriculture, and have discovered an overwhelming passion for Grow BioIntensive, a method used by an organization called Ecology Action. Grow BioIntensive has developed a methodology aimed at maximizing soil while minimizing water and amount of tools, and it's worked. This method has produced 2 to 6 times more food using 67% to 88% less water in countries around the world. We also organized the Induction Ceremony and welcomed the Class of 2018 into the Periclean program.
To learn more about our accomplishments, check out our in depth class resumes below.
Our Resumes
Our research
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