We had a good experience in cultivating Palm sprout in Isai Ambalam last year along with school children. Understanding the benefits of Palm sprouts for health, this year we decided to cultivate them on our office campus. On Aug 3, 2024, we collected more than 150 seeds from different areas in Auroville and around the office. We created a bed for planting the seeds which was around 8×3 feet in area and then we sowed seeds on the bed. It may take more than 3 months for these to sprout and then we will harvest it to have a feast.
Here are the few reflections from our team members on their experience in planting Palm seeds:
Ajay:
My name is Ajay. I stand for happiness and self-awareness for myself and others. Last year, we planted palm sprouts at Isaiambalam School with the children, and we cultivated them in large numbers. This time, we planned to plant them in our office garden area. So, we went along with the children from Isaiambalam School and collected palm fruit/seeds for our garden. We planted those seeds in our garden with the help of our colleagues. While doing this activity, I noticed the interest and involvement towards our traditional practices. We will see the results of those seeds in a span of three months.
Sivaguru prasath:
My name is Sivaguruprasath and I stand for courage, full potential, and equanimity for myself and for others. Last year I felt that I hadn’t contributed to collecting and planting seeds for Palm sprout harvesting, but I delighted in and enjoyed eating the sprouts. This year I decided I should participate fully and along with my team collected and planted Palm seeds. Without team effort and planning, it wouldn’t happen at all. From this, I noticed that we are connecting with healthy things in our tradition, and I feel complete and whole being a part of this activity.
The team was really interested and involved planting the seeds; it felt more like a physical activity for us.
Saranya:
Teamwork and Bonding – Working together on planting helped us bond and improve teamwork. It was fun to share tasks and support each other in a different setting from our usual office work.
Environmental Awareness – The activity reminded us of the importance of taking care of the environment. It felt good to do something positive for nature, and it made us more aware of sustainability.
Stress Relief and Well-being – Being outside and doing physical work was a refreshing break from our daily routine. It reduced stress and made us feel more relaxed and happy.
Reflecting Organization Values – This activity showed that our company cares about teamwork, the environment, and employee well-being. It demonstrated our commitment to creating a supportive and engaged workplace.
Arunkumar:
My name is Arunkumar, and I stand for peace and equity for myself and others. I supported the Isai Ambalam children in collecting and sowing palm seeds for the second consecutive year. As part of C3SLD, where we have been growing some vegetables and flowers around the campus, we decided to plant the palm seeds. We started with only four members, and as we continued, it inspired others to commit to action, which led to the entire process of bed making and placing the palm seeds above it within a time span of 2 hours. The learning from this is that any complex issue can be solved if there is group commitment.
Rajesh:
My name is Rajesh, and I stand for care and integrity for myself and others. While seeding palm seeds for palm sprouts, I noticed that what we have been doing at school with children has become normative for us. That is why we took the initiative to do it at our office. I could see the bigger picture: of taking the importance of palm trees our homes, and community.
What we think are small actions may seem small, but each new initiative we undertake at Isai Ambalam School is something big and good for society.
Pratap:
The palm seed planting activity with the team member was successful done in the last week. I saw the team work while making the bed and collecting palm seeds. It served as a reminder of the importance of taking time for nature and each other, even in a busy office environment. I look forward to watch the palms grow and engaging in more such meaningful activities in the future.
Vasanth:
I am able to connect with what we learned in school by working with children to collect palm fruit and make palm sprouts. I helped with digging, which provided some physical exercise for me. I also noticed the group coordination and teamwork involved. We split into two groups to collect the palm fruits, dug the soil, and sowed the seeds. From this, I learned how to strive for a self-sustainable life by understanding the interdependence within a system and the value of working together to achieve sustainability.
Poonguzhali:
My name is Poonguzhali. I stand for courage for myself and others. When I contributed to planting palm seeds at STEM Land, I could see my value. This was a new experience for me where I could push myself to do more. By participating in the planting of palm seeds, I came to know more about the benefits of our tradition. By setting this up, I noticed the collaboration of our team and their full potential towards it. I also noticed full involvement, courage, perseverance, and teamwork.
NithyaSandhosh:
My name is Nithyasandhosh. I stand for kindness and equality for myself and others. When I was palm seeding, I noticed I was excited and happy to be working with my team mates again after a long time doing this type of hard physical activity. As I waited for the first green sprout to emerge, it was satisfying. It was a powerful reminder that with consistent care, kindness and patience, even the slowest progress can bring great reward.
