Minga by Impulso Verde and associations of the Nursery Network – Reforesting the paramo of Cumbal volcano
On Sunday October 18, the agroecological association Puma-Maki, village Muellamues in the municipality of Guachucal, organized a minga to plant native trees in the paramo of Cumbal volcano. Minga is a word derived from Quechua that means: “shared work for the common good.” Today, the word is still used in the same way to refer to work organized to build or create something in community: a house, a community garden or a tree plantation.
A part of the páramo located around a lagoon was burned a few months ago. The Impulso Verde team, members of the Sinchimaki association of Cumbal, the Aldana Municipal Agricultural Technical Assistance Unit (UMATA) and several volunteers from Muellamues accompanied the Puma-Maki association to carry out the minga and plant 1,000 native trees. Around 50 people participated in the minga.
This day of community reforestation was made possible thanks to the French association Au bout de la route from the city of Istres in France, which financed the trees. Hopefully you can visit us soon and participate in a future minga!
During the minga, we were able to speak with some participants and collect various commentaries. Diana, Manuel and Elizabeth share with us their reflections on the need to reforest the páramos.
Diana, Sinchimaki association, indigenous reservation of Cumbal:
“Our purpose, above all, is to become aware of the damage we are doing to the biodiversity of our mother earth. Because our mother earth provides us with everything we need to be well, like water. Above all, the water. In addition, páramos are of great importance for us as an indigenous reservation, also for the other municipalities, and for Colombia in general. We want to invite you to join us to continue making these mingas that are very important for the associations of the Impulso Verde Nursery Network. We thank everyone who has joined us today.”
Manuel Rebelo, Puma-Maki association, Guachucal:
“Today, we are here sowing life. Because planting a little tree is sowing life. In our territories as indigenous communities, our mission is to regenerate the environment, to regenerate our water sources. And this is our task here.”
Elizabeth Tucanéz, veterinary doctor and coordinator of UMATA, Aldana:
“On this day we are accompanying the foundation Impulso Verde and the Puma-Maki association in the reforestation of the páramo around the lagoon Cumbal. We are here to support the reforestation because certain people caused a fire. So we are helping the vegetation to grow back. I am here with my son, the journey has been very difficult to start making him aware from a very young age about the nature and learn about the environment.”
