Page 13 - ARUBA TODAY

A13
Monday 16 april 2018

Social entrepreneur James Ocalia in cooperation with HopeAruba Movement

‘Sustainable agriculture for healthier locals and rehabilitated drug addicts’

NOORD - Somewhere uphill The farm recycles water al-
in Alto Vista you will find a ready and during the visit
beautiful piece of land with Marchena shared some
an old, white, traditional useful information with
cunucu house on it, dating Ocalia.
from 1923. Nothing remark-
able about that, you might Fair Harvest
think, as there are many While we are walking on
of these old aunties scat- the land the students en-
tered around the island. But thusiastically show ‘their
this one has an amazing crops’, inviting Aruba To-
background story. Aruba day’s journalist to taste a
Today visited the place on comcomber chiquito. The
a warm, sticky afternoon pride they take in their work
where James Ocalia was and their smiling faces are
working on the land with a touching and there is defi-
handful other men. nitely something magic
about this place. Maybe it
‘Cas Speransa Nobo’ says is best described as pure:
the name sign on the cu- the land, the taste of the
nucu house, it refers to the vegetables, the drive of the
new hope for the students students and the sincerity
of the rehabilitation pro- of James, all together it is
gram that is available here. ‘Hope’ indeed.
“We call them students On the 7.000 m2 land only
rather than drug addicts local crops are grown:
or clients because they comcomber chiquito (cu-
have chosen to learn an- cumber), jambo (okra),
other life. Their addict life boonchi (beans), pika (hot
is their past, the goal is to peppers) form the main
learn and graduate in a production. But one can
new life.” The Aruban Oca- also find patia (water-
lia explains that he runs his melon) and dragon fruit
company –Goshen, which as well as moringa. The
means ‘inundated land’ plants are seeded and
- with the help of the men grown in the nursery, built
that are part of the rehabili- by the students, and when
tation program. “They learn strong enough being trans-
to cultivate local crops ferred to the land. “So far that began this project myself want to make a dif- know how to cook our own
and it works in two ways. we sell only to individuals about a year ago. The ference for my island with veggies, we are often keen
For them it is a subject they that come to the house. professional caregivers, my passion: sustainable ag- on preparing meals from
learn and a daily goal in That goes amazingly well. the couple Shannon and riculture. My goal is that lo- the Italian or other foreign
life, for me it is exercising In the future we would like Shawn Blankenship form cals include the typical Aru- gastronomy, but what
my job and doing some- to sell to supermarkets and the United States, live on ban veggies in their food about our own culture?”
thing good for my island at hotels.” James works every the premises with their chil- system and eat healthier.” His story creates a curiosity
the same time.” Recently day on the land with his dren and work according He has a thing for Aruba’s towards the real taste of
Goshen Organic Farm was men, from 1 to 5 pm. to the program Teen Chal- traditional vegetables and local gastronomy. “In my
visited by an expert on the lenge. James: “Hope is a fruits, since he was a kid. “I opinion three ingredients
field of water production, Cultural Dishes movement, a collabora- wrote a book, ‘My favor- are necessary to develop
professor dr. engineer Filo- Hope Aruba is a national tion of foundations, com- ite Curacaos and Aruban social enterprise: the social
meno A. Marchena (Boei). platform for Civic Synergy panies and volunteers Dishes’, and found myself aspect, the environmen-
that sets up social projects asking my granny how ac- tal aspect and support by
where there is need in so- tually to prepare traditional economic pillars, in Aruba’s
ciety. People here tend to dishes with local veggies. case tourism.”
signal social problems and That is not right, we need to If you wish to visit Cas Spe-
point towards the govern- implement them into mod- ransa Nobo and buy some
ment, but Hope wants to ern cooking to preserve local vegetables, you are
act upon themselves and these treasures of culture. welcome at Alto Vista 52
make a difference.” Italians may have their zuc- between 1 and 4 pm daily,
chini and tomatoes, Aruba except for the weekends.
Make a difference has her comcomber chiq- Facebook: Goshen Sustain-
To make a difference is uito and jambo. able Development Corpo-
where both connect. “I Our generation does not ration VBA.q