14/30 “Fascinating evening reads” ENJOY👇🏾👇🏾🌻
After witnessing the Rwandan genocide as a photojournalist m, Brazilian Sebastião Ribeiro Salgado returned back home in 1994 traumatised and a shell of himself.
The sight he was met with when he returned home was disturbing too and nothing close to how he knew it to be. In his words,
“The land was as sick as I was. Only about 0.5% of the land was covered in trees,” he remarked.
The vital green forest filled with wildlife that he was accustomed to during his childhood had vanished. Instead, he discovered that his home had transformed into a dusty, barren land stretching for miles, devoid of any wildlife.
Sebastião Ribeiro Salgado’s wife Lélia Deluiz Wanick Salgado upon realising how fragile his mental health was and frustrated he was with the condition of the landscape suggested they embark on a restoration programme of replanting the entire forest. Salgado jumped at the opportunity.
The Salgado couple over the course of the next 20 years planted an astonishing 2.7 million trees. This was achieved through a lot of dedication, education their community and beyond ensuring their were in the same page , crowd funding and a well informed leadership who understood the value of the project over their egos or point scoring.
There was no politicising of the project whatsoever. People from all walks of life rallied behind the project, put the planet and living creatures first. This project resulted in the rejuvenation of 1,500 acres of rainforest. The site eventually became home to 293 plant species, 172 bird species, and 33 animal species, some of which were on the brink of extinction. It all started with 2 people who shared a very selfless agenda and commitment to wellness.
With a little care and intentional proactive initiatives we can reverse a lot of environmental and climate issues that are plaguing our planet. Case in point , it’s impossible to not also connect the the rise in floods with deforestation and even simple options we seem to be latching on like expanding concrete jungles , choosing fake grass or plants over real ones , poor town planning with inadequate drainage system.
It’s also impossible to not acknowledge the rise in allergies as we are distancing ourselves more from cohabiting with nature as we have embraced the use of harsh chemicals to kill small creatures. We lack environmentally sustainable solutions that encourage the ecosystem to thrive by our sheer intolerance of other living things . My faith in humanity compels me to believe that we will all do better .
Miye’s corner of delights 