Hello Everyone!
I decided to write 100 reasons why this project is an awesome project, and donating here is beneficial!
1. Because instead of buying something that maybe later you will regret, or clothing that may shrink, or technical devices that may break, or food that will be eaten, or anything that can become old and outdated, instead you are contributing to a cause that will last longer than you and me.
2. My estimated percentage of success for this project is 100%.
3. This isn't the typical run of the mill charity organization, this is a project that will have significant
catalytic components, potentially inspiring much more than its region and perhaps even country!
4. This project is serving multiple functions at the same time: Ecology, People, Health, Animals.
5. Not only will this project benefit the locals, but also any travellers who find themselves in this region. It's ability to inspire is its main attraction for people all over the world.
6. The founders of Sadhana Forest, have a lot of experience in organization, working with people, creating forests. They have already done it not only once, but 2 times!
7. The Samburu Tribe need support, this is a long term solution to their current crisis.
8. It feels good to pay it forward.
9. It gives you security in your life, to know that this place was created with the health of everyone on the planet in mind. If you ever find yourself in a difficult situation, you know that there is a place, where you can go, in exchange for a little service work, you can live a happy life, close to nature, anytime you want, for however long you will.
10. Every penny is spent wisely, I have lived in Sadhana Forest in India, everyone lives way below your typical 'standard' of comfort, but because of the overall joy of the place, there is absolutely no sense of 'lacking'. This ensures money goes to where it is needed the most - educational programs and reforestation.
11. Not only will Sadhana Forest help provide nourishment to those who may not have a choice to better their circumstances, they are doing it in the most thoughtful way! They are providing them not with 'our food' but with their own! Literally, all the trees will be bought from a local native tree nursery. Education will be the focus, so this wonderful tribe will be able to receive the knowledge about how to keep their trees thriving!
12. Having places like this, gives the rest of us hope.
13. Having places like this, inspires more of us, that we can perhaps do the same.
14. It shows that another way of life is not only possible, but completely abundant in its own right.
15. It's a way for cultures to come together, respectfully and share our knowledge and our resources as a unit. This is how we create peace.
16. It helps teach rural communities that city life isn't always what it may be portrayed as by TV. That there are many westerners and affluent people who do well and prefer simple lives out of the hustle and bustle. It helps balance out the perspective that many rural families have, when they assume that happiness means owning lots of cars and living in the city.
17. It's fun! Imagine the opportunity that becomes closer to reality every time a dollar is donated. Want an opportunity to visit a beautiful forest in Kenya and learn about the customs of a whole new culture?
18. Indigenous trees! Not only are they going to be planting food trees, but indigenous ones! This will enable that no matter environmental circumstances, the trees will most likely survive and do well for decades if not centuries! Depending on their life spans :)
19. The animals will thank you. Today we cause so much suffering to the animals of this world, because we keep digging into their habitats and taking them as prisoners for our needs and desires. Not to mention the other abuse we inflict on to them throughout their lives in small cages.
Sadhana Forest is a Vegan community. Meaning they do not support the consumption of animal products nor the use of animals in their projects for any means. Think of how many animals have been saved due to this ethic. Thank you Sadhana Forest.
20. Sadhana Forest is flexible. It's a wonderful place to learn and to grow. Not just because it attracts amazing brilliant people from all over the world, but because they themselves are open and receiving to grow and to become better. When ideas are able to bounce from one person to the next freely, is when maximum learning and growing happens. Nothing lays idol in Sadhana Forest. The flow of knowledge is always on the bound.
21. It teaches respect of nature. Every part of your day, is in direct correlation with natural laws. You sleep under natural buildings, your floor is the earth, your walls are your skin, your kitchen is your local farms, or your surrounding vegetation, your community is face to face, song to song, heart to heart. Everything is real and for those not used to living in nature, it can be a shock, but eventually adoration is inevitable. Nature is beautiful just the way it is. Even with the mosquitoes. :)
22. You are supporting people, who support people. The more we can support the efforts of Sadhana Forest, the more Sadhana Forest can do more to support every person they get in touch with, every donated piece of property, every opportunity that comes their way. Creating more beautiful places in our world.
23. You know you want to.
24. Even if you think you don't have the means- the money, the time, the contacts (to share the message with), actually these are only excuses, if there is a will, there is a way :)
25. Even if you have a will and there seems to be no way, send your blessings :) Send your dreams and your hopes. That's good enough. Thank you.
26. Because none of us can deny all of the times we have been helped in our lives, sometimes by loved ones, sometimes by friends, sometimes by strange coincidences and maybe even most times, by people we don't even know, without even realizing that they perhaps even saved our lives! How will we ever repay them? Maybe we can't, but we can pay forward :)
27. Maybe you aren't interested, but perhaps you know someone who would be excited about this project, surprise them by donating on behalf of them.
28. Because perhaps out of all of the continents, Africa has had one of the toughest times in regards to keeping the peace, and economic development. We owe it to them.
29. The land is already there! We can't have idle land just laying there, we have to do something with it!
30. Every tree planted takes 1 ton of CO2 out of the atmosphere in its lifetime. Sadhana Forest will have a capacity for 100,000 seedlings every year to be given/sold away. That's a lot of carbon they will be saving from the atmosphere!!
31. With every tree planted, soil is preserved. With each grain of soil preserved, we are protecting our waters and the skeletal structure of Earth. We are keeping our rivers clean and the medium of our life pure.
32. Encouraging this project, encourages life! We encourage the life of the Samburus, we encourage the lives of the animals, the ecosystem, the trees and the fish!
33. Because of this opportunity, there will inevitably be many opportunities for volunteers and even local tribesmen to learn an awful lot. These people could go on to being the next Gandhi. We have no way of knowing.
34. If the world hits some kind of environmental degradation tipping point, we don't ever want to have to think back at our lives, and say, "What if". Only if I had done everything I could, only if I had donated to all of the environmental organizations every time I had the opportunity. Regret, perhaps, is the worst kind of disease.
35. Sadhana Forest, has a huge emphasis on children's programs! Children with an access to nature on a regular basis and opportunities to interact with it, have more of an opportunity to set aside their fears and admire the beauty which surrounds them. Nature has an effect of bringing out children's creative sides in a way that doesn't take away from its beauty. For example at Sadhana Forest- India I witnessed 2 small girls drawing pictures in the dirt for what seemed like hours, laughing and giggling away with each stroke the stick brushed against the loose soil. Suddenly the littlest things provide the biggest entertainment. What a difference from children raised in boxed environments, craving crafts and toys with a deep ecological footprint.
36. No pesticides are used, no fertilizers are used. It means clean water, it means healthy farmers.
37. Bringing a community to Kenya, will bring holistic livelihoods to the locals, giving opportunities they may have never even dreamt of prior.
38. The sooner Sadhana can get started the less likely that some developer will take over and seize everything for himself. As of now we have the upper hand and Sadhana has real ethics, compared to many companies.. that just.. don't.
39. The more trees, the more likely rains will come, the more rain comes, the more life giving a place becomes. We need more life giving places in our world. :)
40. It can increase exposure to our knowledge of our world. As it is, at least in the USA, we have a tendency to only focus on ourselves and our needs. The more opportunity we have in our world to focus on real solutions for others as well, the more we become a balanced world.
41. The more we support the Kenya project, the more interest it will generate, and the less we have to worry about if what little contribution we have made has actually made a difference. It has, no matter how minuscule it may seem! Even if it's as simple as visiting the page and mumbling a good luck. It helps!
42. If we support it enough, maybe they will become such an organization that will be able to support us eventually. Maybe one day we decide we want to buy land or start a children's program about planting trees, how amazing would it be if there was an organization so successful that at a blink of an eye they could help any other amazing organization no questions asked.
43. Because as it is, the human population has an overwhelming number of people supporting products and organizations which don't exactly have your or my health and welfare at the top of their concerns. This needs to change. These companies are causing economic crisis on earth, environmental destruction on the brink of collapse and serious health epidemics. We need to shift our focus.
44. Think if every person were to curb their cigarette addiction, Pepsi addiction, alcohol addiction, by instead of buying the product, donating to a worthy cause, can you imagine the different kind of world we would live in?? Supporting projects like these, is life changing, not only for you, me and the project, but the world! That is huge.
45. The act of giving does wonders for your health and mental state.
46. You create artistic inspiration. Think of the soon to be connections made when this project is built. The integration of peoples and music and art. People will be bound to become creative and make beautiful pieces of art. Can we really deny the world this kind of beauty.. I don't think so.
47. Because your friends are doing it ;P.. or at least I hope they are.
48. Most places in the world the water table is suffering severely. We have created massive holes in the earth in places where we have over exceeded our capacity to take water from out of the earth. Sadhana Forest uses cutting edge water conservation wisdom in order to preserve underground water tables as well as significantly increase their volumes! You will be supporting water conservation and water table recharge.
49. It is the holiday season!! The holiday season cannot be complete without sharing your joy with the world!
50. I would be so happy.
51. It would prevent the tribe from finding alternative sources of income or food perhaps at a point of desperation. People who are dying, and in desperate need of human basic needs, sometimes have a tendency to do very extreme acts. For example, it's more common for crime to happen in inner city, low income neighborhoods because sometimes people become desperate. I believe all people are good, but I believe that all people have the potential to be driven to scary measures when they are driven by survival e.g. committing crimes, stealing, breaking laws, abusive behaviors toward people, animals and nature. Let's lend out a helping hand before measures get too extreme, you never know what's around the corner.
52. Currently this tribe is receiving food aid from outside. Food aid is what? Most often times it means packaged foods, which cause huge amounts of wrappers, plastic, boxes and Styrofoam to have to be disposed of. This is a huge environmental catastrophe we have created. Currently small small plastic particles in the Pacific Ocean outweigh Plankton by over 50%. Now that is a lot of plastic, any measures we can take to reduce our trash count, is beneficial. Sadhana Forest, recycles everything they possibly can, they discourage any packaged and processed foods on site (as well as non-biodegradable toiletries)
53. There is an option to donate on behalf of somebody else, know anyone with a birthday coming up, or feel like having a different kind of Christmas this year? It's one of the best gifts to receive! I remember in college, I decided to study abroad in Norway and one of my best friends in New York decided to get together all of my friends and they all donated money on behalf of my birthday to Heifer International - an organization who gifts milking cows, or laying hens to families with no other source of income or food. My friend sent me this package full of cards from my friends and a card from the organization stating what they had bought for a family and how it helped them. I was so touched it brought me to tears. There are absolutely no words for these kinds of gifts.
54. The world needs this right now.
55. The more we can show our love by actions, the more love actions will fill our world!
56. They say that 10% of what we earn we ought to give away. I don't know about you, but I am not sure I have stayed true to that, perhaps because I have been in school and I have only really had one proper job in my life, but I think I'm ready to start changing my habits. After living in India for so long, and realizing all of the ways us Americans have a tendency to overindulge on everything, while still complaining we have no money, is basically a crime. Day after day in India I see people on the streets with nothing, literally, and some even still manage a smile or a laugh. What I am trying to say is, we aren't as poor as we think we are, if you have access to the Internet, you are richer than 30% of the planet. We can afford to help out.
57. Because we need to expand our wisdom on this topic. We are dealing with native plant varieties, natural building, water conservation, and nutrition. Sadhana Forest has started two Forests so far - India and Haiti, but the more it can expand to new places, the more we will learn so much about a whole new range of flora and land characteristics. The more learned about these new variations of plants and soils, the better apt Sadhana Forest will be to help others in similar locations, and also to expand their own libraries of knowledge on reforestation techniques and restoration work. Each place is different, however every place aids in the knowledge for the next new place.
58. We only have one Earth. Unless we create some crazy clone capacity - like replicating the Earth, we only have one. We have to treat her with as much care and respect as we can if we wish to stick around.
59. We need to preserve everything related to natural systems as fast as we can, because there is a much more powerful destroying force at the moment that will wipe all the wisdom and good work away if we decide not to pay attention.
60. It expands our contact with new languages. Learning new languages is one of the most fulfilling experiences in life, seeing a world through a whole new perspective, what a gift it is that the world is full of beautiful languages, let's relish in that, and give ourselves the opportunity to experience them first hand!
61. To ease people like me, I have this overwhelming desire to go to Kenya and help out. But without the funds, this opportunity is a no go.
62. Maybe you actually have an abundant supply of wealth, and you aren't sure just what to do with it, if you feel like taking my word for it.. this is a great, amazing place you can feel happy about putting your money. :)
63. This will open up opportunities to the Samburu tribe that perhaps they didn't have before. For example they may have better access to health care and treatment.
64. Creative project, create creative projects. Who knows, by creating this place, we have no idea what could be around the corner, maybe they will start some organization which takes in recyclables or trash and creates beautiful buildings and bridges out of them. Maybe those bridges will inspire the world! Obviously my mind can only give understatements of the possibilities out there, but they must be huge!
65. This is a great place to become fit, volunteers work at least 4 hours per day and often times it involves lots of walking, digging, planting, carrying equipment, this builds muscles! This is a fitness center! Not only fitness center but great for cleaning out the pollution in the lungs and getting fresh food and water, its a rejuvenation center.
66. It's a place to go and connect with people from around the globe. If you are ever feeling lonely, Sadhana Forest is for you! They will make you feel at home and take you in as one of them. Suddenly you will have a home in all corners of the world because the nature of the place attracts worldly travelers.
67. If you are feeling stuck in your career, or in your life. Go to Sadhana Forest, being in the open breeze and feeling the earth beneath your feet, you will feel alive. You may even want to stay. And so what? Who cares, you can stay as long as you want. You will never have to worry about becoming to stagnated at the forest, people are always holding workshops on beautiful topics, knowledge is always flowing.
68. Maybe you keep hearing from me how amazing it is, but hey, it's not just me, they even were rewarded with 3rd place the Water and Humanitarian Award 2010 in regards to their international recognition of the quality of their humanitarian and ecological efforts. The award was from Denmark! Let's help them get more awards!
69. They have a gift economy. No money is used inside of the Forest among volunteers and visitors, they believe that people should share the gifts they love doing with others. This enables the community to joyfully interact with each other while making sure everyone's needs are met.
70. Not only do they focus on having a clear environment they also focus on having clean inner bodies. This is a rare one to find in ecological organizations. Sometimes us green folk have a tendency to get so caught up in the pressing issues of the world that we fail to see what is right in front of us, and the gifts in every moment. However, Sadhana is equally focused on meditation and yoga. They love singing and chanting, they enjoy meditation and tree meditation. It's equally important to keep our inner bodies clear as without that compass all else will never be clean enough.
71. They have really cool inventions. At the start of Sadhana Forest -Auroville - India, they collected energy from bicycles!! They have a movie night every Friday, so on Fridays they would all pedal away for hours in order to have enough energy to power the movie!! Too cool.
72. The survival rate of the trees they plant is 80-90%, even on the most degraded soils its 70%. They know how to do it right.
73. They have a warm relationship with all of the surrounding villages. It's rare to see foreigners come to a place and really hit it off, but they did it, and they can do it again.
74. Ecological workshops are a regular item on the menu.
75. They teach compassion to children. Over 1000 kids have planted trees from surrounding villages and 200 come regularly to care for trees.
76. This is one of my favorite reasons, Because what they do is so in line with what nature intended for us, that very little happens when they experience a natural disaster. When Hurricane Thane hit last January, it took months for many communities to regain power and water supply. Sadhana Forest had power and water in a couple of days. They lost only a few buildings, but nothing that would take much effort to rebuild. Even if something couldn't be rebuilt, those materials happily get absorbed back into the earth and create lovely soil for all species. The same can't be said about buildings we typically build in today's world. It is an ugly wreck when hurricanes hit our 'modern' homes. And there are so many chemicals and non-biodegradable materials, we fill landfill after landfill in our cleanup efforts. Let's support natural building, alternative energy and water conservation, so we too can be less affected by natural disasters.
77. Good projects deserve a chance.
78. All opportunities that support people who may not have another chance, deserve a chance.
79. Fill in the blank, I'm sure you have a good reason :)
80. No reason. Let's give for the sake of giving.
81. Remember what mother said, don't put all your coins in one purse. It's to your benefit to add coins in different places :)
82. It's better to shoot for the stars and miss, than hit a mud pie and hit straight on. It's better to try and help out, even if it seems so far away, than to support something that just isn't doing any thing to better themselves or the world.
83. The world is merely a reflection. All that you see is you. So actually supporting this, is no different from supporting yourself.
84. Be the change you wish to see in the world. Now I don't know what kind of change you wish for in the world, and maybe this kind of change isn't the kind of change you might like. That's great, so find what it is that inspires you and do it! And who knows maybe your inspired self and Sadhana will end up working together some day and magical things might happen. lol we just can't know these things. However if you wish for peace, sustainability, happiness, this place is it. Live the change by actually checking this place out, be it.
85. They show really cool movies every week.
86. Because they depend on us. They sell nothing!! They take nothing away from the earth so that they can make a profit. They depend on the goodness of others to help them create more places like this on Earth. Once the place is made, they don't need anything. How awesome is that? Can't we make a world where we only work 4 hours a day, we share in eveyone's gifts and we live in a way where our bodies can be healthy and vibrant? I think we can!! :)
87. Because it will give you great karma points. :) If not from some divine source, at least karma points from me :)
88. Because the future is unknown. We never know what tomorrow brings. We might as well give while we are here and we have the capacity to.
89. People will think higher of you the more you give away.
90. You might even swoon over a gf or a bf by your impressive giving abilities
- maybe even a husband or a wife!
91. We easily spend money on computers, phones, phone bills, movies and more food than we need sometimes. But its possible that we don't always have to. We can skip some of our 'desires' every now and again. It's possible. It's possible to allocate that money to a significant cause.
92. They have limited electricity usage throughout the day. Maybe this can be aggravating at times, but actually, it's liberating. We have become drones to our computers and our phones, we need more opportunities in life where we can be without them. Suddenly time expands and we notice the moments and beauty around us more. Let's promote a simpler life.
93. Advertisements are taking over our life. I know this list may seem excessive, but how many advertisements do we see on greening the environment compared with all other advertisements? I guess the green movement has been picking up in recent years, but it's still pretty negligible considering how many people don't really pay attention to the trash they generate, items they purchase and the environmental impact and the products they use which pollute ground water supply - this is only naming a few. let's support more green education in advertising.
94. They are vegans! Their environmental impact is significantly less than most other green organizations, which I am familiar with at least. (but that doesn't mean that we still shouldn't support them all ...:) )
95. Not caring about the environment, is just no longer cool.
96. They have a non-chlorinated pool! If we are lucky they will have one in Kenya, everyone deserves a chance to go swimming in a clean place on a hot day.
97. They encourage the use of bicycles, and everyone is given a bike on their first day at Sadhana! They have a bike manager and they make sure to upkeep all of the bikes. They practice what they preach.
98.They love animals. They have several dogs on site and a cat. Many places in India will beat the dogs and chase them away, but sincere is the place that allows the animals to be. This is beauty.
99. Everyone works together, everything gets accomplished as a team. There is something very satisfying about that.
100. Sadhana Forest doesn't believe in competition, there are no competitive games on site, this is important because it enables everyone to have a good time, without these judgment calls and ego trips. Clean fun, Sadhana Forest is clean fun, and they show the world that it's possible.
THANK YOU. lol I think I may have to donate to YOU if you actually read through my whole list!
Leave a comment, would love to hear from you.
Hope you are having an amazing holiday season.
and despite all of my reasons, please don't donate out of guilt haha I just did this for fun.
You are cool no matter what you decide. :)
all the best,
Esther
http://www.wethetrees.com/campaigns/lets-create-a-food-forest-in-north-kenya
(a bit of an update, we reached our inititial goal of 10,000 USD, and now we are on our second round of fundraising this time with a 5,000 dollar goal. Thank you so much for your support :))
UPDATE (april 2014, please contribute from this site :::::
http://sadhanaforest.org/donate/
