Beef farm at Berefet

During the 2011-2012 school year, the Ramon Llull school launches its first international cooperation project with the Gambia.

 

One of the biggest problems that must be addressed in any project of international cooperation, is its sustainability. Any action, however small, should provide for measures that guarantee the durability of the action over time, thus giving it its own sense.

 

Therefore, sustainability policies must be designed in accordance with the possibilities of both donors and beneficiaries, for this reason we need to look for sustainability formulas that are created on the ground, which are not imposed or, if desired, conditioned from our paternalistic perspective, many times alienated from the very reality of the socioeconomic environment that characterizes the beneficiary communities.

 

For that; Sustainability yes, but there.

 

Ramon Llull school has set itself the goal to designate all the funds, to generate wealth. We are convinced that this is what will guarantee the success and durability of the action we are about to undertake.

After months of work and advice, we observed that models favoring the creation of wealth basically fell on formulas based on their natural or socioeconomic reality, easy to implement and later development. Among them, we could emphasize the textile, the transport, the agriculture and the beekeeping. Each and every one of them are characteristic of the Gambia, so that they do not generate any social impact, and are usually welcomed by any community.

 

That is how we decided to focus our action for 2012 in the participation in a beekeeping project, with the intention of establishing solid foundations that would allow us to collect the fruit continuously over time, thus guaranteeing the continuity of the action indefinitely.

 

This project, not only contributes with resources to the community but also generates jobs and most importantly, allows diversification of economic activity regardless of agriculture. 90% of family income depends on agricultural activity and a diversification allows sustainability over low productivity seasons of this sector.

 

On the other hand, the rural environment has been affected in recent years by a series of problems caused by the depopulation due to lack of resources, the emigration of the youngest and the deforestation. The implementation of a project such as honey beehive, which in turn has a certain tradition in the country, is a way to deal with these problems, giving rural communities expectations, both economic and social.

 

In this direction, for 2 years now, the community of Berefet, a population of little more than 500 inhabitants, began the adventure of the beekeeping farm with excellent results, generating jobs and, what is more important, wealth in the village.

 

In order to be able to monitor the evolution of our economic investment, a Mirada Oberta team has traveled this summer to Berefet, not only to monitor the state of beehives, but also to enjoy the experience of decorating the beehives, to observe the process of colonization of bees and to live the process of obtaining honey.

 

It is in this beekeeping project of Berfet to which the Ramon Llull school has adhered, achieving the excellent result of financing the creation and implementation of 100 beehives, thus increasing the self-management capacity of the community.