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The Baobab Initiative is an independent enterprise created by students of Franklin College Switzerland. The project grew out of Professor Anne Flutti’s special Academic Travel in June, 2004, to Malawi and Zambia in order to learn more about an organic farming method known as permaculture, a contraction of the words permanent and agriculture.

In meeting with the leader of the Malawi village of Baobab (named for the Baobab tree, best known for its ability to store over 120,000 liters of water in its trunk in order to survive the harsh conditions of drought), the Franklin students came to a terrible realization - without education and adequate food, the lively and affectionate village children faced a difficult future. “The students wanted to do more than just give the children t-shirts,” remembers Flutti, Professor of Biology at Franklin College.

Thus, the students devised a plan to raise funds and to help the villagers help themselves. The effort is ongoing. Over the past several years, Franklin students have sent the village’s children to school. They have set up much-needed infrastructure and offered resources to start the people of Baobab on their journey towards prosperity.

Currently, a group of committed students in conjunction with alumna Laura Marsala ’06 and others continues to work on promoting the name and cause of the Baobab Initiative throughout the Franklin College network and in the Ticinese community as well. “Right now we are working on multiple fundraising and public relations events,” says Lauren Gagliano, the communications officer of the Initiative.

During the trip to the Baobab village, which took place in June, 2006, the garden started by Franklin students and based on “permaculture” was flourishing. Even more incredibly, all the children were regularly attending school.

Future plans include the delivery of avocado and fruit tree saplings as well as a chicken coop with chickens which will help promote a balanced diet for all the villagers.

Meanwhile, surrounding villages are showing an interest in forming community gardens and farms, and one of the oldest boys of the village has begun to tend his own garden. “I am incredibly excited about these positive developments and have committed myself to their endurance,” says Gagliano.