Communities I’ve benefited from - Bia Anchão Oliveira

When it comes to our current lifestyle, all the facilities we have to meet new people, should lead us to think that being in a new community is something relatively easy. But it’s definitely a double-edge sword, because at the same time we have a lot of options, it’s hard to find a place you fit in, or at least you have the possibility to -someday, somehow- fit in.

However, by the moment you accept the challenge, and understand that you need to be malleable, you got it! I could experience a situation like this when I joined an agriculture extension group in my University, which means apply "book's knowledge" into real world. 

I came from a traditional farmers family, who was always dealing with agriculture and livestock issues, and learned from them a way to concept agriculture, traditional, but sustainable. I couldn’t imagine another way to see things, and when joined to a totally different community, with unusual practices -at least for me-, but at the same time meaningful and practicable, I could expand my view and enhanced my background.

To be honest, I thought about giving up at the first moment, but the community’s master convinced me to persist and try to “give and receive”. He said me that, as I could learn something, I could teach something as well, and everybody will benefit from these sharing ideas. I accept the challenge, and I’m totally sure that this philosophy of facing differences will remain with me to the rest of my life, as well as the agricultural practices I’d learnt.  

I had such amazing experiences, and certainly the best one was our final achievement, when after a year and a half working hard and generating incomes, we went to Europe. Another experience to enhance ourselves' background, applying our philosophy of "giving and receiving".