2018 Feb 7
Be it to buy a new phone or to save up for a wedding somewhere in the distant future, we all know the importance and value of putting away a little money from our monthly income and preparing for things that are yet to come. Now let’s implement that idea to things that are more essential to our future like, oh I don’t know, oxygen and food?
With eco-systems fast deteriorating, climates fast changing and Asia fast smogging, the future of organic fruits and clean air looks bleak, at best. But lucky for us, Sri Lanka is full of bright and innovative minds that are forever trying to change the world for the better. Enter Jayantha Wijesingha and the concept of a Seed Bank!
The concept of a Seed Bank stems from the idea of initiating Fruit Villages, where each garden or household in a village or other small community will receive 5 varieties of fruit plants to cultivate on their own. 5 years down the line, the village will be self-sustainable, completely free of chemicals and eating much healthier than they do now, and will be beneficial not only for its people but for the animals, the eco-systems and everything surrounding it. Unfortunately, the number of plants needed for a project of that scale would cost quite a bit. Let me elaborate on:
Why you should help
- If you’re buying a plant or two to grow at home, regular flower shops are great to hunt for something pretty. But should you want to initiate a large-scale tree-plating project, seeds and saplings available in Sri Lanka are very limited and very expensive. For example, an Anodha plant will set you back Rs. 200 and if you’re purchasing 200 plants, that’s a pretty absurd price to pay for a good deed.
- Purchasing imported apples or grapes often enough to get our much needed nutrition is pretty impractical when you look at its market price and compare it to the income of a regular Sri Lankan. Sell my kidneys to provide nutrition for the rest of me? I think not.
- It really is a fact that imported fruits are often stored away for months on end before it reaches the mouths of their end consumer and are so pumped full of chemicals that you’re probably eating more poison than vitamins at this point. Growing your own fruits and vegetables will not only be healthier but will also give you a good excuse to jump on the Organic Bandwagon and start posting about your healthier lifestyle on Instagram!
- Collecting your seeds and preserving them for a better cause is much better than dumping it in an abandoned garbage pile somewhere where it won’t have the sunlight or water to grow. Its better for the environment, better for your waste disposal methods and beneficial to literally everyone coming into contact with the process
- Be it at your school, university, work place or village, a Seed Drive is a great way to bring together people to do something good, and is a great idea for your next CSR project!
Jayantha and his growing community have given us ways in which we can all contribute towards the cause and essentially just be better humans who care about the future of this planet. You can plant them yourself this rainy season by tossing them into fertile lands like unused properties, irrigation lands or even government lands and letting nature take its course. Or hand them over to Jayantha and the team by contacting him on 077 7771348 or dropping him an email atsajwijesingha@gmail.com so that can work their magic on our sunny little island!
