The value of the seed
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
In the old days, our grandparents had a saying that "if you have a seed, you have life" because the seed can feed many people and is an essential food source for each person. Without seed is the lack of survival of humanity. They are maintained and preserved from the ancestors to the descendants.
Picture: People are receiving their favorite seeds to plant
The seed is not allowed to be thrown or trampled because it is very sacred. Although there are a few varieties seeds that have been lost but the seeds are still kept somewhere and shared for many others to continue to maintain and preserve, living people must have seeds to support themselves and their families. Indigenous seeds are closely tied to the traditional cultures of various ethnic groups in their lands and localities. However, now, according to research, 93% of the seeds on this earth have been lost in the past 80 years. Monoculture farming using hybrids instead of traditional varieties has caused many species in the world to become extinct. Farmers, especially women, lose their rights in agricultural production. They have to depend on the source of seed sold in the market without the ability to leave it to the next generation. With those meanings, on the afternoon of September 29, 2020 at Dung Kno, Lac Duong, Lam Dong, Caritas Da Lat accompanied and organized an exchange to share indigenous seeds from 10 other ethnic minority communities in Lam Dong province... The local seed exhibition was held at the parish hall of Dung Kno. The participants were Caritas Da Lat staff and farmers from different regions who brought their indigenous (local) seeds for display.
The ceremony begins with a prayer on the seed. Each region selected a representative to pray according to the folk songs and prayers of each region. There were ethnic groups present here: KoHo, Ma, Cill, M'Nong. Then there was a moment of silence for each member to understand and feel the value of the seed. After praying, the farmers came to the display table and each took the seeds he liked and lacked and planted and took care of them until they came to fruition. These and other varieties will continue to be grown, multiplied and exchanged and shared in the next forums, then many people will have these varieties and they will continue to be preserved and passed on to the next generations (inheritance).
Joy connected joy, farmers were proud to keep these tiny seeds of various shapes that can feed themselves, their families and feed the whole world. I made it with my own hands and keep it in my hand and pass it on to the next generation. This was an activity in the first exchange and learning forum for community groups that have had products accompanied and organized by Caritas Da Lat for a period of 2 years. The goal of this forum is "promoting indigenous knowledge in food sovereignty" This is an environment for groups to exchange and inspire each other in the process of creating comprehensive and sustainable change. .
Pang Pe K'Thin