Passionate about bamboo – “the world’s panacea”
Naina Febin’s childhood fascination with the grace and power of bamboo turned into a passion. She believes the strong plant, known to stop soil erosion, is vital for her home state of Kerala, which is becoming increasingly battered by floods. Here is Naina Febin talking about planting over 2000 bamboo saplings wherever she finds the space.
Bamboo! The very word perks me up.
So you can imagine how I feel near a bamboo plant. Even as a child, for some unknown reason, I delighted in looking at bamboo plants. Wherever we went, I would go in search of bamboo clumps. As a kid, whenever my parents planned a picnic or a trip, I always insisted on visiting woods and forests that had bamboo.
I remember the day I planted a bamboo sapling in our backyard. I was in class IV. It was the happiest day of my life.
By then I’d learned of the environmental benefits of bamboo. Like it’s a very good carbon sink since it absorbs more carbon dioxide. And it can help in afforestation. And can be used to produce various sustainable materials.
So, I started planting bamboos everywhere. At friends, neighbours. Even in empty plots.
When I was young, bamboo was my cure-all.
Just hearing an interesting story or folktale about bamboo was enough to cure my hurts, pains – and even my naughtiness.
In the same way I see bamboo as the panacea for all the problems of our world.
Because of its root system bamboo can prevent soil erosion and landslides, and give us more oxygen. Do you know that bamboo releases 35% more oxygen than other trees? It has nutritional and medicinal benefits too.
That’s why I want to go on planting bamboos.
From an all-consuming passion, it’s now become my mission to plant bamboos everywhere.
No wonder people call me mulayudethozhi – friend of bamboo.
I want to make all the villages in Kerala green with bamboo. I’ve started with my own village, Koppam, where I’ve planted 300 bamboo saplings already.
During the lockdown I didn’t lie around doing nothing. With my 8-year-old brother, Chithu, and friends, we planted saplings in schools, government offices, public building premises and even vacant lands of Koppam. We also contacted 941 panchayats, seeking their support to plant bamboo saplings in their villages. So far 250 have responded positively.
I also have a music band to raise awareness about environmental issues and about growing bamboo.
To me, wind blowing through them and the rustling leaves are music. Of course, the money we earn from our musical performances helps us buy and plant bamboo saplings.
People often ask what my dream is.
Well, I dream of a green world covered in bamboo, which will cleanse the air we breathe and help us lead a peaceful and sustainable life.
K. Rajendran is a freelance journalist based at Thiruvananthapuram.