Adara Farmstay

Some before and after! Because they are fun 😄. Without our generous donors it would not have been possible.. Nor would it have been possible without our beloved local labourers (Harish, Bablu, Hans bhaiji and many more…). And a big thank you to the volunteers: Mary, William, Auguste, Sonali, Vatsal, Micaela, Camilo, Olivia, Garrett, Angelika, Johanna, Julian, Khushwant, Lea Sophie, Nick, Cabell, Johannes, Eleonor, Daniël, Mike, Ulys, Genie, Anneke, Andre, Vera, Elena, Geronimo, Simaö, Shridhar, Yagyaansh, Uyen, Megha, Maisie and Saanchi.

Now that renovation has created a safe home for this community center, we can expand love&light from here in all different forms & programs. Together we can do things beyond imagination. And beyond physical too - as the spirit of all the people remains with us.

We are excited for a new year full of opportunities to empower community 🙌🏽. These are the programs we will focus on. You can read more on our updated website 😊 if you are drawn to support & join us for a brighter world 🌿✨❤️ feel free to contact us!

https://www.adarafarmstay.org

𝖥𝖾𝖾𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖻𝗅𝖾𝗌𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝖻𝖾 𝖺𝗅𝗂𝗏𝖾.. 𝖻𝖾𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗇𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗂𝗌𝗁𝖾𝖽 𝖻𝗒 𝖿𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗁 𝗆𝗈𝗎𝗇𝗍𝖺𝗂𝗇 𝖺𝗂𝗋 𝖺𝗌 𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗌 𝗂𝗇 𝗐𝗂𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗋. 𝖠𝗇𝖽 𝖨 𝖺𝗆 𝗀𝗋𝖺𝗍𝖾𝖿𝗎𝗅 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖺 𝗇𝖾𝗐 𝗋𝗈𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗉𝖺𝗍𝗁𝖾𝖽 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗌𝖾 𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖺𝗅 𝗉𝗂𝗀𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗌! 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝖼𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗆𝗒 𝗈𝗐𝗇 𝗉𝖺𝗂𝗇𝗍 𝗂𝗌 𝗀𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗆𝖾𝗌𝗆𝖾𝗋𝗂𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀. 𝖨 𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝖾𝗀𝗀 𝗒𝗈𝗅𝗄 𝖺𝗌 𝖺𝗇 𝖺𝗇𝖼𝗂𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗆𝖾𝗍𝗁𝗈𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗉𝖺𝗂𝗇𝗍. 𝖳𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗐𝖺𝗒, 𝗂𝗍 𝗋𝖾𝗆𝖺𝗂𝗇𝗌 𝗀𝗈𝗈𝖽 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗒𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗒𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗌…

Adara in November. Days are getting shorter, sweaters are comfortable. Pinks and oranges play in the cold blues. It is the time of year for slow evenings and cozy blankets. Warm food and chai are being served as the kitchen renovation continues. Krishna didi knows how to find her way in an improvised one for now. Yummy…

Episode 2 of our podcast is out - Back to Basics. In this episode Karan & Lieke talk about the motivation to live more basic, and what that means to them. Listen now on Spotify (link in story & bio)

🌳🌲🌳

Photo by Yagyaansh:

SOULS OF ADARA
Lakshmi (19) carefully takes some cookie crumb mix in her hands. Then she presses it into the tart mold. Today she makes blueberry and lemon tarts for in Pauri. Here, people come to enjoy yummy food with a western twist.

If there is anyone you would like to have an easy laugh with, it is Lakshmi. She is the one. She loves music and singing and giggling. A positive spirit with a big heart and a huge smile. We met her 2 years ago when she came to tuition. Now she has graduated high school, and is eager to learn the ins and outs of bakery practice. She became our first young woman employed under the Women Empowerment program 💥. And that is awesome, as she is so capable to grow step-by-step, every day. Besides, she and her family are helped with some extra financial boost. And we are helped with extra hands, but mostly with a warm heart and a big smile. And that is priceless 🙏🏽💕.

Thank you Yagyaansh for the photos.

Some before and after of the bathroom house - now finished
🚿🧼✨🐳

Time for a chat

Before tuition, there is time for flowers & fun. With Anushka, Karan and Lakshmi. ❤️

We are delving deeper into the project, and into life. Expanding relationships, networks, ideas and intentions. Today we recorded our first episode of the Adara Podcast, which is exciting and a new experience. More volunteers are to come, as we are finalising the interiors and might start the kitchen renovation.

Most of all, we come back to our hearts every time again. Because it is not our minds that should to take the lead in this project. Not our fears. Not any strict ambitions or expectations. Staying open and in service of where life wants to take us and this project. That is - sometimes - a job by itself! As mind quickly jumps in with its (forcing) agenda, and heart whispers gently and ever patiently. But what a tremendous rewards we get.

Relationships make Adara what she is today🌻

Glimpses of a magical jungle. Close to Adara we find the silent wisdom of forest.

Every season comes with its own beauty.

SOULS OF ADARA
Megha is a pretty strange Indian, as she doesn’t drink chai. “I don’t want to get used to the habit”, she once explained when I asked her. Even I, as a foreigner, got kind-of addicted as it’s offered everywhere all the time. So I have respect, and it shows Megha’s independent, free perspective. A wanting to experience and decide things for herself, and not a blind copy-and-pasting of society’s convictions and behaviours. That - my dear friends - makes Megha quite an exceptional strong woman in a culture so strong.

She comes from a conventional family where status and marriage are priorities. She tried different studies and corporate jobs, but none seem to satisfy. Now Megha is taking time to feel who she is and what she wants for herself, by travelling different places. “In my youth, I did not have any inspiration around me - persons that showed me the person I wanted to become. My family gave examples of people with money and success, but when I looked at them they were the opposite in terms of happiness. I realised: this is not what I want. I knew that a lighter feeling existed, I knew it was possible.”

Slowly she started to get exposed to different people. A whole new world - hidden until now - opened up to her. And she realised: “I don’t need to take care of everybody or get permission from the world.” While choosing the unconventional path, the pulling back by her environment made her doubt herself at first. “You lost your mind,” they would say. “But the suffocation was so high - that was the biggest motivation to be more myself. I really have to explore it for myself. If I fail, I know that I did that and I chose that. I’m okay with the struggle, but it has to be mine.” I look at Megha and see a young woman rising in confidence, pathing the way for more youth and women. And I am grateful that courageous people like her exist, to give the example that she herself longed for. “If you can make sense of yourself, the world will have to make sense of it and - sooner or later - follow your lead for your story.”

All our programs are connected. They together form a holistic approach. A small-scale model for community well-being, that can be replicated anywhere in the world 🌏

Life on the farm 🌱🌻❤️

SOULS OF ADARA
Geronimo (27) is from Uruguay ánd Hawaii. Ask him to do 4 projects at the same time, and he is in his comfort zone. Giving tuitions, doing woodwork, cooking deserts, gardening.. his focus is on many things all at once - a skill he knows how to use well. We sit down on his last day for a chat. When I ask him about his learnings in life, Geronimo answers: “Accepting myself, and breaking free from limitations.. it kind of resumes everything.”

It is through his sexuality that Geronimo made a big shift towards acceptance. “The biggest jail in my life was with my sexuality. I really felt in prison.” But also after embracing his sexuality, the journey of being authentic continues. Seeking liberation, and discovering new parts of himself every day. That’s how he likes it. Becoming a new version, again and again. He reminds lovingly: “Don’t be afraid of change. Trust in the process, even though sometimes it gets bumpy. Because that’s where the learning is. So embrace the moments of hurt.”

Geronimo’s dream is to create a farm-to-table cafe & farm Uruguay. “A safe place for a community to learn and develop. Though, in the journey, everything can change - new ideas pop up and new perspectives can contribute to the growth of that project.” Visiting Adara gave him hope and faith in himself, the ideas and the opportunities available for such a project. A belief in abundance. And we trust that his own abundance will shine wherever he goes, in whatever he does.

SOULS OF ADARA
Anneke followed a calling to visit us and contribute to Adara. And so she did. Once together with Lieke in Tanzania, 5 years later they reunited in the mountains of India. Inspiration, confidence and a higher awareness is what she has found on her journey and brought to us. She came up with the idea of making a signpost out of wood. Taking up tools and going step by step.. she her vision come alive. As you can see, it became a wonderful authentic masterpiece!

Anneke is hitting the road again, making way for new beginnings and creativity. The signpost remains - a memory of good times shared.

SOULS OF ADARA
Meet Krishna didi. Yesterday was Women’s day, and in the light of that we’d like to shine a light on.. Krishna didi 💥💫🧡.

We are astonished by her power, her integrity, her capability. Every morning around 6:30 AM she comes to clean floors, cook breakfast for volunteers and do dishes. She takes everything up with ease and a no-nonsense attitude. Stout-hearted. Laughing, joking, making stories. Not that she has no worries. But she chooses to be cheerful - every day again.

After that, she goes off to other addresses where she works, and to manage the shop where she and her husband make noodles and momo’s. This way she takes responsibility, financially, for her 4 daughters. Sending them to school, giving them what they need. She is a wonderwoman. A giver. An independent force. And a powerful support to us and Adara.

A little update from Adara.. 🌞

We are making progress 🌈💫💥. Adara is getting quite some volunteers these days, which makes the place vibrant and renovation inside and out is getting on. Walls are renovated, rooms are painted.. We are setting up the inside of the polyhouse, too. We are working on another water connection, since we need some more for the future, with guests and farming. After that, the renovation of the bathroom can start. Pine and cedar wood has been bought for more renovation work (restoring balconies, replacing a floor and building furniture). Daily tuitions are running (currently with 4 Nepalese children and hopefully some more to come). We support 2 women by giving them a place to work & cook. And lastly - we are applying for tax exemption forms that benefit Indian donors and our NGO. Do you have any other ideas for us that you are eager to share? Let us know if you like 😊

Men at work.. this room is going to be a… bedroom? Childrens’ tuition room? Workshop room? We don’t know yet - but we are at least having some great volunteers - Daniël and his father Mike - working on it! Daniël lives and works as a chef on the community Happy Buddha in Australia. Mike has a community project in Romania with gardens, volunteers, jam sessions and all of that! 😃

SOULS OF ADARA
It’s our pleasure to introduce you to a member of Adara so calm, gentle and honest. You might not notice him much, but he is certainly there. A silent force with loads of loyalty and curiosity. Carefully he smiles, a little shy and self-aware. Deepak loves (LOVES) chickens, and his newly born daughter Dupita. He loves to build houses for his animals, and makes them feel at home in the wonderful improvisations he makes out of scrape wood and nails. And whenever he hears a woodworking tool, he is there to assist.

At times, Deepak has been away for jobs in cities or other places. He feels a responsibility to provide for his family. For weeks, sometimes months, he then remains without his family. But when he returns.. he blossoms into a dedicated caretaker for chickens and Adara. Painting roofs, building terraces, plastering walls with cob. We are so grateful for his presence.

Again a beautiful photo, shot by .stettler

Lieke wrote a poem book - full of short messages that inspire you to live authentically, empowered and full of joy. The poems are for everyone who likes to be on a healing journey towards love ❤️. Every chapter comes with unique watercolour illustrations. And guess what?! 50% of profits go to empowe Adara! 😃

Available as e-book and paperback on Amazon (link in bio )

Home-grown bimi 🥦😃

Family time in Pauri.

Usually the Nepalese family gathers at Adara on Sundays. Women and men chat while children play. They catch the last sun rays, drink chai and have a well-deserved rest.

SOULS OF ADARA
Meet Hans Bahadur. Inspiring, wise, grounded. Originally from Nepal, he came to look for work in Delhi when he was a teenager. In India he married a Nepalese woman. Together they raised 6 children - 3 boys and 3 girls.

They have been in Pauri for a long time, staying at a farm as care-takers of the land and cows. Now many of their children have their own families, and Hans and his wife enjoy more free time while living at Adara. But even now Hans bhaiji is quite active. He takes care of the farm, pruning trees, sowing and planting, taking care of chickens.

We love to have him around, as he is calm and experienced, often advising us when we ask for help. He enjoys sitting and watching the mountain views. Peacefully and patiently he knits clothes for his latest granddaughter. Not bothered by material things. He smokes his beedi. No rush, no hurry. Just day-to-day life.

A laundry day

SOULS OF ADARA
Meet Vinita, who lives at Adara Farmstay with her parents-in-law, her husband and her baby Dupita. A little shy she is, in her own charming way. Calm, gentle, friendly.. Around 6 months ago she gave birth to her first child - a cheerful, curious baby girl called Dupita. Three times a day, Vinita cooks for the family, does the dishes, the laundry and takes care of Dupita. Of course the family helps her, but Vinita is the driving force within the house, it seems. Getting her baby introduced her to motherhood and womanhood at the same time. She developed a lot and stands strong in her caring nature. Like a tree, she provides fruits to all, and leaves no-one behind.

Photo credits: .stettler

Sun colours the Himalayas pink, before Moon peacefully watches over us while we sleep our winter sleeps.

📸 credits: .stettler

We had the honour to host the photographer .stettler . He has a unique sense for beauty. With a lot of attention he captures small daily moments, local people, forests, mountains and glaciers.. The coming time we will share some of his amazing photos with you..!

Check out his profile or his website if you are interested 😊