Piggy
Paradise
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| BaliNewspapers.com |
Published April 2, 2014, p 63
https://issuu.com/bali_advertiser/docs/ba_02_april_2014web/63?e=0
"A cat will look down to a man. A dog will look up to a
man. But a pig will look you straight in the eye and see his equal."
Winston Churchill
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Sign carved by Komang in Ubud. Photography by Tassos Marinitsis.
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Until recent times, pigs and I have had a
somewhat distant relationship. Apart from the children’s movie Charlottes Web and the occasional
temptation to eat crispy bacon for breakfast, I haven’t given pigs a great deal
of thought. It did strike me however, upon a recent trip to Bali, as quite
disturbing to see the way many pigs are farmed in Bali. They are imprisoned in
concrete coffins; roll through their own excreta and are slaughtered brutally.
So on principal, I refused to eat the supposedly delicious babi guling dish Bali is so famous for. Climbing down off my high
horse, I have come to realize however that this is a typical case of the kettle, calling the pot black, with
the USA and Australia not much different in their pig farming practices.
Pigs are also known to be quite intelligent
creatures, clean and very social, according to Dr. Donald Broom (Cambridge
University professor). With this in mind the reality of intensive pig farming
is quite abhorrent to those who recognize there are more humane ways of farming
pigs. The question is not about curtailing pig farming about whether or not to
eat meat but more about raising awareness about the manner in which pigs are
raised and slaughtered.
Australian pig farming is supposedly
protected by the 2007 Model Code of Practice, and enforceable by law.
, Despite these codes of practice for farm animals intensive farming practices
are still rampant throughout Australia.
So it should come as no surprise that our Balinese counterparts are not any
different. In Australia there is a trend towards the more widely accepted free
range farming and although far from universal it is gaining momentum.
Essentially when it comes to pig farming no country is really “snorky” clean.
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| Gunung Batur (near Kintamani) in all its glory.. |
However,
changes are afoot in Songan Village, Kintamani, where ‘Piggy Paradise’ has been
established. From dark, confined,
concrete quarters, to roaming free amongst a patch of exquisitely lush
vegetation, at the base of Gunung Batur, Bali pig farming has taken the lead
and moved a step forward. In this little haven 5 pretty Bali pigs have now
become permanent residents, where they are free to eat, snort and shuffle to
their heart’s content. They can seek shelter from the rain, under the quaint alang alang tree houses, and hang out
with their friends. Later they will have the chance to become romantically
involved with some handsome boars brought in to boost the numbers. Some pigs
will inevitably be slaughtered for ceremonies. However, knowing it will be done
expertly and humanely is reassuring. In the meantime these happy pigs are not
going to market!
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| Piggy Paradise resort. |
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Happy little piggies...rolling through the muck.
Photography by Tassos Marinitsis. |
This ‘Piggy Paradise’ evolved out of a fundraising initiative undertaken
by Year 5/6 students at Our Lady of Hope School in Adelaide, South Australia. Social
justice is intertwined in Catholic school philosophy at this school so it was a
logical step to support children in need, as many Australians holiday in Bali. Plastic
bottles, cans and fruit boxes were collected, cleaned and sorted, before
selling them to raise money. The project is now known as, “Cans For Kids
Project” where kids work to help kids in Bali, more specifically the
Cempaka Putih Foundation, Songan Village.
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| Patricia teaching her students about the Cempaka Putih Foundation. |
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| Cans cleaned, sorted and counted ready too sell. |
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| Adding up the daily income. |
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| Treasure from the rubbish bins |
The proceeds have provided an
opportunity for 6 committed families to start a sustainable business, share the
profits and has the potential to expand and include more families. The
continuation of this project is conditional on the humane treatment of animals
and positive environmental practices with a view to ongoing sustainability.
Such projects have the potential to expand and lead to more fellowship between
the two cultures.
The driving force behind Cempaka Putih Foundation is well known local
figure, Gede Mangun, who established the Foundation in 2007, in response to the
needs of the local community in Songan Village, where insufficient housing, inadequate roadways, inaccessible health care and
inadequate water supplies all run deep into the fabric of this community. Gede,
is an unimposing, 40 something, pocket rocket of a man, who climbs volcanoes by
night, builds villas by day, and in his meagre spare time manages to find
clothing, first aid supplies, building supplies and volunteers to build houses
-all in addition to his own business ventures. The man doesn’t sleep; yet Gede
still manages to smile readily, and chat with his frequent visitors.
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| Gede enjoying a rare relaxed moment. |
The Cempaka
Putih Foundation also provides free English lessons and computer tuition
for anyone able to access it, using volunteers like myself to run classes.
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Patricia from Australia volunteering to teach English
at the Cempaka Putih Foundation |
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| Hey Patricia...I'm really good at those 'the' words now! |
Gede is also the driving force behind turning the whole “Cans
For Kids Project” into a reality. After 2 days of talking with the men in the
local banyar, pig farming got the go
ahead! The priest fast tracked the starting approval date and 9 workers were miraculously
rounded up, land slashed and cleared at the speed of divine light. In addition,
within the space of 4 weeks, materials were delivered from nearby stashes,
concrete mixed from thin air, fencing built, drainage dug out, and a tidy Bessa brick food house constructed! The
project, year one, did not feed five thousand people, but it was still a miracle.
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| Gede and his father surveying the proposed site for the pig farm. |
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| Preparing the concrete foundations for the fence. |
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| Constructing the concrete platforms for the tree houses. |
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| Cement mixing...by hand. |
“We have had big problems with the rain,” Gede informed me one
day, “it floods here, bad. So, we had to dig drainage.”
Nevertheless, rain or shine - no Bali rubber time here or time
to build an ark!
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| Gede unveiling and blessing the new arrivals. |
The Priestly announcement of pig buying day was also quickly
established, thus completing the project in record time. The opening ceremony
and grand finale, where the black Bali pigs were delivered and unveiled was a
great success, amidst much celebratory laughter. Including, Gede and his daughter, Cempaka, as well as the 6 families, who will become responsible for
the upkeep and welfare of the pigs.
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| Gede and his daughter Cempaka, after whom the Foundation was named. |
“We will start an organic garden,” announced Gede to the world,
as he darted around the site. “Next to piggy farm…..we can grow sweet potatoes
for the piggies. “The manure is good for fertilizer,” he offered mischievously.
“The children can help out after school and they will learn about happy pig
farming,” he laughed.
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| Happy piggies tucking into the ceremonial offerings. |
They will also learn about environmentally friendly ways of
making a living in the future. It’s all looking on the up and up in Songan
Village.
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| Those piggies are yucky.... |
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| I'm going to manage this piggy farm really well! |
‘Piggy Paradise’ will provide a living for 6 families and even
though pigs will be slaughtered for ceremonies and food, the concept of
sustainability will shine through.
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| Shared ownership and shared profits |
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| Some of the families who will benefit from the project. |
.
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| Patricia (second left) in celebratory mode with the families. |
‘Piggy Paradise’ is also about stepping closer towards the practice of humane pig farming, environmental awareness, maintainable business practices and a more productive future with the promise of hope which binds us all. I can tell you it will make me think twice about where my crispy bacon is coming from.
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| Maloui...the first of the adopted piggies and a real screamer! |
Patricia
Kerkenaar-Richards
Year 5/6
Teacher
Our Lady
of Hope School
Adelaide,
S.A.
Editorial
contributor: Arlo Hennings
If you are interested in
donating a pig the cost is $70AUS (Paypal).
Even better…good karma and a cute piggy will be named after you.
PETA: People for
the ethical treatment of animals.
Pigs: Intelligent animals suffering in factory farms and slaughter
houses.
http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/animals-used-food-factsheets/pigs-intelligent-animals-suffering-factory-farms-slaughterhouses/
Aussie Pig
Farming. http://aussiepigfarmers.com.au
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