“When work meets the needs of time, it indicates the will of God.” – Fr. Wilhelm Meyer (Founder of SAL)
This project is still in its nascent stage. SAL conducts Plantation drives with the help of local village organisations comprised mainly of women. They inculcate these community-based organizations to conduct drives in order to be responsible for themselves and ultimately for the environment. Ensuring food security is the foremost initiative of this project. Often, it is noted that when an economic crisis, an epidemic, or any other calamity strikes, eventually, it is the poor communities that suffers the most.
The Project seeks to create community gardens to produce multi-crops in order to help poor communities withstand such calamities. Farmers would usually use chemical fertilizers and pesticides when planting cash crops which created health hazards for the consumers. Moreover, pesticides and chemical fertilizers are very costly to procure for the poor farmer putting him in debt. Such debts are one of the main reasons why there are many farmers committing suicides throughout the country. SAL promotes and teaches organic farming. With organic farming the cost is negligible – there is no debt.
In Nunna, which is located 13 km away from Vijayawada City, SAL is in the process of creating a model Artificial Forest. Saplings have been planted to restore so many species that have been dying off in the past years. The need of the times in the market is for cash crops, and so these other indigenous plant species have been discarded. With the advent of these forests, these species will get another chance.
Another initiative is Seed-Bombing. Seed-bombs are made with seeds, mud and manure. During the monsoons, everyone from the community as well as the Sisters throw these seed-bombs onto vacant lands. Come summer, if these seed-bomb plants survive, then bio-diversity has been created.
Vermi-compost, manure preparation are another enterprise that SAL promotes. Waste is strewn everywhere in rural areas, so training sessions have been organized on how to collect and recycle waste. AL coordinates with local plastic waste treatment companies to
ensure that waste is collected, properly recycled, and a clean environment obtained. The centres of Andhra Pradesh - Avanigadda, Jaggayyapeta, Rajavaram, Nunna, Tiruvuru, Ajit Singh Nagar, S.A.Peta and Kondapalli as well as the centres in Maharashtra namely Beed and Chakan are involved in this initiative.
Change comes from within and if protection of the environment is fostered at a young age, it will become second nature. With this in mind, SAL has focussed on five schools to promote the study of how to better the environment. They have also created a curriculum for high schools in the hope that the future will be far better when this knowledge and drive has been imparted to young minds.
