The theme of women and food has always been our key focus. We collaborated, for the first time, with CNEX to show a documentary film Planting for Life on the environment at our Jockey Club Lai Kok Centre. After the show, we had discussions with the audience from our community.
The movie’s storyline:
(Lao Jia) decided to return to his native village to put into practice his own unique planting concept, hoping to solve the many food safety today. His wife, (Xian Ying), who loved (Lao Jia), gave up the city life and followed him back to his village. Overtime, (Lao Jia) also subconsciously assumed that his wife would become his successor for the farm project. However, (Xian Ying) found marital life boring and the couple’s relationships became more like two co-workers. They almost ended up in a divorce during a fierce argument. Heeding advice of (Lao Jia)’s mother, the couple had a baby. Talking with other elderly women in the village, ( Xian Ying ) learned that these village women all struggled with taking care of the children, family as well as farm work at the same time. Listening to their experience brought her peace of mind and gradually accepted village life. But less than six months after the baby was born, (Xian Ying) found out her husband had been carrying on an affair with a woman for three years. He left her, the baby and the farm just at the time of her father’s death. She lost two of the most important men in her life suddenly. Looking back at the supposedly idyllic farm life, many things happened – from the initial seed planting season, then childbirth, to good harvest time as well as love betrayal. Yet finally life must go on.
We invited members of our planting group as guests to share their project experience - how their farming project helped them to reinforce their views on the environment and reaffirm their self-worth. We hope to use organic farming to promote more community involvement and understanding. Despite the differences between community farming and rural farming, we still look forward to our community members to help shape changes, becoming more connected with a greener environment.