Sacred Bean Revives a Dying Community
A group of people called the Wayuu lived in the Guajira Desert. Their main source of water was drained because of a dam built for coal exploitation. Before this drought many relied on the guajiro beans. Many stopped farming and resorted to food stamps which were not enough. Between 5,000 and 14,000 died because of malnutrition. A women named Uriana has been working with her clan to bring back the guajiro bean. Beans are an important crop because of their nutrition. They provide almost all of the necessary nutrients with just one crop. Guajiro beans in particular are good for the soil and have a long on season. This bean is sacred to the community and has a ritual surrounding the planting of it. With five years of recreating an agricultural system with these beans and riving the agriculture, the community has recovered.
This is important because it sheds a positive light on climate change. Reading this is inspiring, and it makes you proud of the human race. Also, it shows the affects that coal mining can have on entire communities. It shows a community coming together after feeling hopeless and rebuilding their culture. It also shows the importance of beans. Not only can they feed malnourished communities, they better the soil for other crops, and they can survive harsher conditions.
Wow! Doesn't it seem like it should be illegal to cut off a community's supply of water?!
ReplyDeleteI find this article very fascinating because of the significance a type of bean can cause to a community. This bean can provide the needed nutrients that is required to be healthy. I'm not sure if any of the foods we have are like this, so it's amazing! Not only does this bean bring food to the community, it brings everyone together as a whole, and they have an amazing support system.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty shocking that the mining company was able to get the clearances necessary to be able to build a damn there. But on a quick Google search, I learned that the Wayuu are an Indigenous group. It doesn't surprise me that an Indigenous group had their water source cut off. It's been happening for hundreds of years, after all. Legal loopholes certainly don't help either.
ReplyDeleteIt's so insane that they can just cut off a groups water source and throw off their whole lives because of it. We never really look at the positives in these situations, so like you said, its neat to see that side of things as well.
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