After one year

As a member of the social action of the diocese of Alaminos (Pangasinan) in the Philippines I am very much interested in the difficulties of life of the people, especially of poor people. It is part of the program of the Bethlehem Mission Immensee to improve the sad situations of the needy. Actually the rising food prices became an international problem. In some parts of the world are even violent clashes reported, because the people suffer of hunger and so far they fight for food.

If I try to be honest to myself, I can’t make a bread reproduction like Jesus in the bible. But I realize that we still have some resources to do a similar kind of reproduction. In the Philippines we’re living in a tropical area where we can plant trees or vegetable all the year. Even if there is dry season we always experience enough groundwater up to the start of the rainy season with the typhoons and their rainfall.

My friend Joe with his wive Joselyn and their family started last year with some experiences by planting more vegetable around the house. The area doesn’t belong to them. But as long as they are living there they can use the area. After some small Ampalya plants we had to find new ways. First of all I started an own fertilizer-compost behind my house. Soon out of it grew some Kamote (sweet potatoe), Papaya etc. After two month I started to use the fertilizer as well as the Papaya. My experiences were good, so we started with Joe’s family in the backyard of their house. We even found a Malunggay, which is also be used for producing fuel and is often used as a side dish for rice in Philippino meals. Malunggay is famous for his wealth of vitamins. Even Malunggay is easy to plant. Just cut a branch and put it into a fertile and wet soil. After some days up to two weeks it starts to grow. This is the way to get more food for more and more people.

Our only problem is, that people really don’t know how to use or to establish things like this. Often people are so poor, that they need food just by now. In the cold areas of the world people had to lern how to store food. So there is always an interest of doing that. But in the tropical area it seems to be a bit different. We will adapt to this situation here and do the best we can! After only one year of being here – I still have to adjust myself. Life is still an experience!

Pic: Joe's son Jovel watering the garden