So many things stand out from my trip to ECHO. I was very interested in the talapia pond. I love the synergy between the ducks, the pond and the talapia. The amount of food that can be obtained from this simple pond is amazing to me. The ducks live in an enclosure above the pond, that is open slats on the bottom, allowing their waste to drop into the water. The ducks lay eggs, which people can gather and eat. The ducks themselves can be eaten. The waste from the ducks is consumed by algea in the pond. Talapia eat the algea. The Talapia can be eaten by the people. What a great example of permaculture. Everything gives something to it's adjacent element.
Pound for pound, Moringa contains:
- 3 times the iron than spinach
- 4 times the calcium found in milk
- 3 times the potassium of bananas
- 2 times the protein found in yogurt and almost the same amount of protein found in eggs
- 7 times the vitamin C of oranges
It's seeds can be ground up and placed in water. This water will be 96% pure within a few hours! The moringa purifies the water by binding with impurities, including bacteria, found in the river water. The impurities sink to the bottom of the jar. Simply pouring the water through a cloth to filter it then makes it safe to drink. Leaving the water in a plastic container out in the sun for a few hours will purify it even more! With water born illnesses like diarrhea affllicting the majority of people world wide, this can be a true life saver!
I was also very impressed with the urban gardens, grown in tires, on rooftops, etc. There was just so much to see at ECHO, each part more impressive then the first. Their work is very relevent to the developing world. They give volunteers the tools they need to go out to these countries and teach the people living there how to grow food, how to use appropriate technologies to better their lives, and how to give their families and communities what they need to thrive. I think the fact that ECHO doesn't give out their seeds for planting crops, but instead gives out samples that can be used to increase knowledge is very important. The people in develping countries need to be given the knowledge and support necessary to grow food and provide for their families. They do not need to be given everything...they need to be empowered to help themselves. I feel that is very important.
What I saw at ECHO is very different from what I have seen at other American farms. There is a lot more syngery seen here. There are so many innovative ways to grow food, in so many different environments. American farms that I have seen grow one crop, in long rows, using machines to cultivate the land. ECHO teaches people to use what they have available to grow the food they need.
Another thing that was impressive to me was the appropriate technologies that are used. Being a nurse, I was excited to see the simple hand washing station. Using an old degergent bottle, a piece of rope, a small piece of wood and a bar of soap hanging in an old pair of stockings, an appropriate handwashing station is born! That alone can cut down on so many disesase! Appropriate technology allows people around the world to use what they have available to produce techonologies that improve their life. These technologies are environmentally friendly, and very low cost. Some examples I saw at ECHO include the hand washing station mentioned above, as well as the Fireless cooker, the Rocket Stove to use for cooking, a pump operated by a bicycle, to a zero graze unit for goats.
If I lived in SW Florida, I would definately be interested in volunteering for this organziation. I can appreciate their vision, and think they are making a huge difference in the world. I like what I read in one of their pamphlets, "do not do for the farmer what you can teach him to do for himself". Perfect!
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