The Impact of COVID-19 on Rural Communities

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected communities across the globe and presented  them with many challenges. Rural communities are facing unique challenges in response to the virus. Many residents are already plagued by economic instability and health-related issues, and the COVID-19 outbreak is not helping….

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Sustainability in a Post-Covid World

While the effects of Covid-19 on the planet and people may vary widely, it is clear that it has and continues to leave a significant impact. The almost total shut down of many industries has dramatically decreased air pollution and fostered a resurgence in…

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Community Member Spotlight: Sheeba Valady

Like many women in Wayanad, Sheeba Valady seems like a person who can truly do it all.  Her seemingly endless capacity to be a skilled farmer, a strong leader, and exemplary mother is awe-inspiring. A visit to Sheeba Valady’s house allows any visitor to…

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Functional Farming: Integrated Agricultural Systems

Integrated Agricultural Systems are a sustainable practice that has economic, environmental, and social benefits. This farming technique is a “whole system” approach that utilizes existing biological relationships (Agriculture Sustainability Institute). It builds upon the concept of agroecology, which is the application of ecological principles…

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Joys and Growth: Reflections from the First Five Months in the Field

On a Saturday afternoon in January, I found myself on the balcony of the Prasanthi Cottage, my current home.  I took in my surroundings – the lush hills, the distant moos of cows, the airy dance of floating clouds.  I sat, alone, with a…

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The Wonderful World of Zero-Waste

In April, I left my Program Development Internship at Profugo to embark on a wild, wonderful, and transformative summer journey: working in Alaska’s Denali National Park and Preserve. Denali is a rugged land, and without a doubt the truest wild I’ve ever experienced. The…

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The Dual Season – Understanding Monsoons

The monsoon season is a dynamic phenomenon that impacts life in many areas of the world. A monsoon is a seasonal change in wind patterns, resulting in extreme wet and dry seasons throughout the course of the year. Though they do exist in parts…

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Who’s Who in Profugo?

The year is 2008. Jenny and Ashwin Koleth, along with friends, have spent countless hours on the ground and in the office preparing to launch their non-profit. They have seen the devastating effects of powerlessness in many places around the world, and they have…

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Beatrice’s Adventures in India

I will never stop marveling at the remarkable capacity of airplanes to transport one all the way across the world in a matter of hours. I completed the 10,000 mile journey to India over the course of three separate flights – starting in New…

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