In February 2011, with financial support from the CIEL Group, Lakaz Lespwar (LKL) – Caritas Solitude set up the JTC, a therapeutic community garden growing healthy, pesticide-free food using composted organic waste. Aiming for food self-sufficiency, the project also supports the work of women from disadvantaged backgrounds, in financial, emotional and moral distress. Valuing and restoring self-esteem paves the way for better professional integration.
The years that followed were sometimes difficult, but the JTC community – six volunteers and four salaried employees in the field – pulled together. 2018 saw the arrival of Ecocert organic certification, backed by the Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (FAREI). Christiane Pasnin, head of LKL, recalls the auditor’s last visit: “He saw all our sacrifices, our efforts to respect standards and nature, but our organic vegetables were still not identifiable!” And so, the providential and precious logistical support of the Attitude group, coupled with unfailing collective motivation, enabled us to obtain the Lakaz bio label in 2022 – a crowning achievement!
Trading the garden’s surplus vegetables works with JTC’s regular customers and its community, but not only! “We work with several partners, including the Veranda Resorts group and the Westin Turtle Bay hotel, and soon with our neighbor the Ravenala Attitude hotel.” Christiane concludes: “Our first objective is to supply the community with healthy vegetables and educate them on the importance of this mode of consumption. We are also planning to use solar energy in the near future.
