Today marks my third week at FarmCity, and it has been one of my most humanly enriching experiences. I know I come off a little strong but hear me out. Before I began FarmCity as an intern, a couple of months back was met with the frantic search for placement of a life enriching internship experience. To put things into perspective, my university (The African Leadership University) sets aside a period of four months exclusively for internships aka work experience. Students were all over the place jostling for good job placements, interviews, interview preparation, resume writing or curriculum vitae for us fancy folk.
With all this work in we had the chances of interning at a significant number of Fortune 500 companies - PWC, Swiss Re, IBM you name it! For my first internship as a first year, I decided to try something different. So at the beginning of my second semester, I made the decision to carry along with me my baggage of interests and practices from back home to Mauritius, among them was beekeeping. I hooked up with my university’s Student Venture Programme, and they introduced me to one of the kindest and ambitious people on the island-Kelly and Wesley, who seek to change the food culture within Mauritius and soon the tropical belt.
After a successful engaging presentation I had created for FarmCity regarding my life experience and interest in all things environmental, I met with FarmCity’s board of advisors. Of course, Kelly and Wesley suggested we go and see the site. Arriving there, I felt the energy of a project that had been launched to serve mankind through the agricultural approach. I was taken through the plans and mission of FarmCity, from which I gathered is to, create sustainable and healthy organic food systems for people in the tropics. By then the “Tropic Bird” only on a poster, right now it is about to take flight-figuratively speaking, of course, we all know greenhouses do not fly- at least not yet.
I was immediately drawn into this very ambitious project; its selfless nature made it feel so pure and right to be a part of. It is appealing to a problem that the world needs addressing, especially in the face of rising food insecurity in the tropical regions particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Kelly and Wesley are the among the people crazy enough to think that they can change the world.
Kelly and Wesley have given me complete autonomy of my own project- a beekeeping project called G’s Bees, of which you will soon hear of and see its developments, possibly even sooner on you breakfast tables. Keep an eye out on the Official FarmCity Facebook page, and Instagram account @Farmcity_offical so stay tuned for that.
Working here has been a blast! Some of my activities involve; updating the social media, creating literature for G’s Bees, redesigning a chicken coop and discussing FarmCity with the brains behind it.
All of this is very refreshing, the office is outside in the open surrounded by the musical chimes of sugar cane leaves dancing in the wind. It is a revolutionary office for revolutionary thinkers.
One of my favourite things to do here is the conversations we have on so many topics, from farming to beekeeping, to permaculture to music to life, to travel, to listening to rock and roll from the 60s to the 80s… Which is such an enriching experience. Its things like this that fill my heart with passion and affirmation in the beauty and hope of humanity. The fact that there is no hierarchical system at FarmCity comes off as a little different but is quite easy and natural to adjust to. I sit right next to the CEO and COO.
For me I think that the essence of an internship is not to bring home the “bread” but to bring home the experience! To learn about the world people, systems, behaviours and permaculture among many things.
By the way, keep your eyes peeled for more updates on the “Tropical Bird” from Farm City’s social media on Instagram handle @farmcity_offical and our Facebook page @farmcity.
