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"La Planta Nuestra de Cada Dia" (Our Daily Plant) is the primary program of GAIA. It is an integral project to raise the quality of life of poverty stricken urban and rural communities. This is achieved through education, preservation of health and nutrition and self-management.

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What?

The main objective is to contribute to raising the quality of life of poverty or risk stricken families and communities through education, preservation of health and nutrition and self-management.

We capacitate teachers, representatives, youths and children, through the exchange of knowledge about the uses of plants for medical, nutritional, agricultural and environmental ends. This knowledge has been progressively lost as a product of the process of urbanization over the second half of the 20th century.

How?

1: Through workshops on the use of plants, their benefits and properties. These are our principal tool to form multipliers in every community. The schools are our centres of support for these facilitators and teachers.

2: Teaching the etnobotanics of a group of commonly used plants. simple language is used to present information on scientific discoveries in areas of health, nutrition, agriculture, ecology and production, all supporting their pre-existing knowledge hence leading to a better exploitation of their resourses.

"Our Daily Plant" can be seen as an interdisciplinary and multi-dimensional program working towards Sustainability.

Our first module is Agrifam, that is to say Family Agriculture. This was a term developped by Dr Oswaldo Luque, and encorporates the principle that agriculture can be succesfully rducdes to a self sufficient family scale. Following various theo-practical sessions, they learn how to obtain home-made seeds, how to manufacture and use compost and how to control pests and natural plagues.

The second topic refers to the use of organic products to develop a self sufficient lifestyle. It shows the preparation of nutritious meals, made from the ingredients found in the kitchen. It aims to improve the nutritional patterns and the hygenic conditions in the handling and preparation of food. At the same time, it promotes the education about the medical properties of plants and the recipies for curing some of the well known illnesses.

The third module is aimed at the development of a commercial strategy. Beyond just survival, it looks for the development of micro companies related to the theme of plants. As well as this, it diffuses knowledge about how to dry herbs and flowers. To reduce costs of production, it instills strategies about the processing and packaging of fruits and vegetables - exploiting the concepts and ideas that are given in the workshops of environmental education and recycling.

The medicinal use of plants and their derived products forms part of a strategy in the preservation of health and at the same time produces economic benefits for the familes involved in the project.
The transport of the products from the rural zones to the markets can be dificult and increase costs. Hence, it is important to support the formation of networks or cooperatives of transport.
The diversification of products and their processes by techniques such as drying flowers or herbs, the preparation of essences, dyes, shampoo, candles and soap. These are examples of how the people in these ares can add value to their agricultural products. For example...Why sell fruit by itself, when you can recycle glass and sell it as jam...and at a higher price?
At present we are only half way through our project "La Planta Nuestra de Cada Dia", as can be seen from the chart. We need to carry on these steps to ensure Sustainability is reached and a harmonious development of these areas can ensue. All our work relies on the help and generosity of you...
How can I help?