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Esperjenza tal-ħajja rurali: The Air Malta Rural Heritage Trail
English Version

Il-Koperattiva Rurali Manikata twaqqfet minn grupp ta’ bdiewa u residenti fl-inħawi tal-Manikata bil-għan li tħares l-ambjent, il-kultura u l-ekonomija rurali ta’ dawn l-inħawi. Biex tilħaq l-għanijiet tagħha, il-Koperattiva toffri servizz ta’ żjarat edukattivi għal studenti u adulti fl-għelieqi tal-membri tagħha fl-inħawi tal-Manikata u Għajn Tuffieħa. Hawnekk ikunu jistgħu itogħmu l-ħajja f’ambjent rurali fejn in-natura hija dejjem qribek. Dan huwa l-aħjar mod kif żgħar u kbar jistgħu jitgħallmu dwar is-sengħa tal-biedja u dwar in-natura: mhux biss billi jaqraw dwarhom fuq xi ktieb imma billi jesperjenzawhom b’mod dirett bis-sensi kollha tagħhom.

Żjara tipika tkun tinkludi dawn li ġejjin:

1. Żjara f’razzett żghir, fejn il-viżitaturi jkunu jistgħu jaraw u jitgħallmu fuq l-annimali, bħal nagħaġ, tiġieġ, papri u fniek, u min ikun jixtieq ikun jista’ ukoll jitmagħhom minn wara l-fence.

2. Il-viżitaturi jgħaddu minn ġo nofs ir-Razzett tal-Qasam, razzett komunitarju li sa madwar sebgħin sena ilu kienu joqogħdu fih ħafna mill-familji li wara bnew ir-raħal tal-Manikata tal-lum. Ir-razzett illum jinsab immaniġġjat mill-KRM Ltd. li bdiet il-proċess biex tirrestawrah fuq numru ta’ snin biex fih twaqqaf ċentru ta’ servizzi għall-bdiewa u għal dawk li jżuruna;

3. Żjara lil beach post (fortifikazzjoni żgħira) mibnija mill-awtoritajiet militari Ingliżi qrib l-1935 biex tiddefendi l-bajjiet ta’ Għajn Tuffieħa. Il-viżitaturi jinżlu fil-beach post u jieħdu impressjoni first hand ta’ kif kienu jħossuhom is-suldati li kienu jagħmlu l-għassa f’dan il-post bejn l-1935 u tmiem it-Tieni Gwerra Dinjija;

4. Mixja fil-kampanja u qalb ix-xaghri fejn jaraw u jitgħallmu fuq siġar u pjanti indiġeni differenti, fosthom ħarrub, żebbuġ, żnuber, deru, sagħtar,bużbież u kappar;

5. Żjara fl-għelieqi. Il-mistednin tagħna jaraw mill-qrib il-mod kif inhuma armati d-dwieli u kif inhi armata s-sistema tat-tisqija. Iżuru wkoll għalqa fejn jitkabbar ħaxix u frott bħal tewm, basal, ħass u frawli;

6. Żjara lil żewġ oqbra ta’ żmien ir-Rumani. Min jixtieq jista’ jinżel f’wieħed minnhom minn taraġ żgħir. Dan ta’ l-aħħar kien jintuża bħala xelter fi żmien it-Tieni Gwerra Dinjija, kif ukoll bħala miġbħa għan-naħal.

7. L-istudenti u tfal jingħataw qasrija żgħira kull wieħed bi ftit kompost u fiha jiżirgħu żrieragħ differenti bħal ful u piżelli. Wara joħduha magħhom biex iżommuha fil-klassi jew id-dar biex jaraw iż-żrieragħ jikbru;

8. Il-viżitaturi jingħataw ftit ħobż biż-żejt u kunserva, xi frott ta’ l-istaġun u ilma frisk.  (F’każ ta’ gruppi ta’ adulti, dawn ikunu jistgħu jduqu inbid tal-koperattiva u ikel tipiku ieħor).

9. Min irid ikun jista’ jixtri prodotti tipici Maltin, magħmulin mill-bdiewa tal-Koperattiva, bħal għasel, ġulepp tal-ħarrub, basal tal-pikles, tadam imqadded, inbid u ġammijiet.

Dawn il-postijiet jinsabu qrib xulxin f’żona nieqsa mit-traffiku u ż-żjara tieħu madwar sagħtejn u nofs. Huwa rakkomandat li jintlibsu ħwejjeġ addattati għall-mixi, ngħidu aħna track suit u walking shoes. Il-viżitaturi huma mitluba wkoll li jilbsu ġakketta meta t-temp ikun xi ftit kiesaħ u jġibu umbrella fil-basket f’każ li tibda nieżla x-xita. F’każ ta’ temp sħun huma mitluba li jilbsu beritta u jagħmlu krema sun block.

L-istudenti u l-viżitaturi jiġu milqugħa minn persuna mħarrġa apposta.  Fil-każ ta’ skejjel, l-animator tagħti materjal edukattiv lill-għalliema, b’tagħrif dwar il-postijiet li jkunu se jżuru, dwar ir-raħal żgħir rurali tal-Manikata u dwar il-koperattiva tagħna. L-animator tagħna tmexxi lill-istudenti jew lill-viżitaturi waqt il-mixja u tinvolvihom b’attivitajiet addattati għall-età tagħhom. Id-dixxiplina ta’ l-istudenti hija għal kollox f’idejn l-għalliema ta’ l-iskola li jkunu qed jakkumpanjaw it-tfal.

Il-prezz li jinkludi dan kollu huwa tà €3.50 għall-istudenti.  Il-prezz għall-adulti jibda minn €6 u jiddependi mill-ikel li jkunu jixtiequ.  Il-qligħ minn dan is-servizz imur b’risq ir-restawr tar-Razzett tal-Qasam.  Tingħata irċevuta fiskali.

Fil-każ ta’ studenti, din l-attività hija mmirata għal studenti minn year 3 ’il fuq.  Isiru arranġamenti speċjali għal studenti iżgħar fl-età, fejn jistgћu jiġu jżuru ir-razzett tal-annimali u wara jkollhom logћob addatat gћall-età tagћhom f’picnic area qrib tar-razzett. Jingћataw ikel u xorb ukoll.
Skejjel sekondarji li jixtiequ jagħmlu fieldwork marbut ma’ suġġetti bħall-Ġografija, l-Istorja, il-Bioloġija, il-HomeEconomics u oħrajn u li jixtiequ li jorganizzaw attività ad hoc għall-ħtiġijiet tagħhom, jistgħu jikkuntattjawna biex nagħmlu l-arranġamenti meħtieġa.  Fejn meħtieġ jista’ jsir arranġament biex l-istudenti jżuru serer bi ħxejjex differenti.

Idealment il-gruppi jkunu ta’ mhux anqas minn 25 u mhux aktar minn 50 persuna.
F’każi eċċezzjonali, fejn ikun jidher ċar ħafna sa minn kmieni li matul il-jum se jinqala’ ħafna maltemp, il-Koperattiva żżomm id-dritt li biex tħares is-saħħa ta’ l-istudenti u tal-viżitaturi, tħassar iż-żjara u tinnotifika lill-iskola jew lill-organizzaturi sa mhux aktar tard mit-8.20am ta’ dak il-jum stess.
 
Isiru arranġamenti wkoll għal gruppi organizzati ta’ adulti, ġenituri, għaqdiet, kunsilli lokali, turisti, u oħrajn simili.  Dawn ikunu jistgħu jagħmlu arranġamenti dwar l-ikel li jkunu jixtiequ. 

Jekk dan kollu jinteressak inti ġentilment mitlub li tikkuntattja lil Veronica Farrugia, animator tal-proġett, billi ċċempel fuq 21581592/79393881 jew tibgħatilna email fuq info@manikatafarmers.com

Nittamaw li narawk.







A first hand experience of rural life: The Air Malta Rural Heritage Trail


Koperattiva Rurali Manikata was set up by a number of farmers and residents of Manikata with the aim of safeguarding the environment, culture, and rural economy of the region.  To reach these aims, the Cooperative is offering a programme of educational visits for students and adults in the fields of its members at Manikata and Għajn Tuffieħa.  Here they will be able to get a taste of rural life in a place where nature is always at hand.  This is the best way how young and old can learn about agriculture and nature: not only by delving into books but by experiencing them in person.

A typical visit will include:

1. Visit to a small animal farm where visitors will be able to see and learn about sheep, chickens, ducks, pigoens and rabbits. Visitors are allowed to feed the animals from behind a fence;

2. Visitors will pass through the Razzett tal-Qasam, a farmstead, which up to about seventy years ago, was inhabited by families, which eventually built modern-day Manikata village.  Today, this farmstead is managed by KRM Ltd. which will restore it over a number of years in order to turn it into a visitors’ centre and a services centre for farmers;

3. Visit to a beach post built by the British military authorities around 1935 to defend the coast of Għajn Tuffieħa.  Visitors will go down into the beach post in order to get a first hand impression of what it was like to keep watch inside this small fortification from 1935 until the end of World War Two;

4. A walk in the countryside and among the garigue landscape, where information will be given about different indegenous trees and local flora including carobs, pines, olives, thyme, fennel and capers;

5. A visit to the fields.  Our guests will visit a vineyard as well as a market garden;

6. A visit to two Roman tombs.  Guests will be able to go down one of the tombs through a narrow flight of steps. In this particular tomb one can still see the remains of its many uses along the years, mainly as a war shelter and an apiary;

7. Students and children will be given a small plastic pot with some compost in order to sow some seeds like beans and peas.  They will take the pots with them in class or at home to watch the seeds grow;

8. Visitors will be given Maltese bread with tomato paste and oil, fresh fruit and water. (In the case of adult groups, visitors will be able to taste our wine as well as other typical local finger food).

9. Visitors may be able to buy local products made by the members of the Cooperative, which include; honey, carob syrup, pickled onions, sun dried tomatoes, wine and jams.

The above mentioned places are very close to each other in a traffic-free area.  The whole trail will take about two-and-a-half hours.  It is recommended to wear comfortable clothes such as a tracksuit and walking shoes.  Visitors are advised to wear a suitable jacket in cold and windy weather, and bring an umbrella in case of rain.  In Spring and Summer, guests are advised to put sunscreen cream.

A suitably qualified person will host students and visitors. The animator will lead the group all along the trail and will involve students in various activities according to their age.  While every precaution will be taken to safeguard the students’ wellbeing, order and discipline of students is entirely in the hands of accompanying teachers.

The price for schools is €3.50 per student.  In the case of adults, prices start from €6 and depend on the food that will be served.  All profits from this programme will be reinvested in the restoration of the Razzett tal-Qasam.  A fiscal receipt will be given on payment.

In the case of schools, this activity is aimed at students from year 3 upwards.  Special arrangements can be made for younger children where they have the possibility of visiting the farm  and then they can have fun and games in a picnic area close to the farm. They will also be offered food and drink.

Secondary schools who may wish to conduct fieldwork activities related to such subjects as Geography, History, Biology or Home Economics, may contact us to make the necessary arrangements.  Students may also visit green houses on prior booking.

Ideally, groups will consist of not less than 25 and not more than 50 persons.
In exceptional instances of very bad weather, KRM reserves the right to cancel the activity in order to safeguard the wellbeing of guests.  Schools or group organisers will be notified by not later than 8.20am on the morning of the activity.
 
Arrangements can be made for groups of adults, parents, associations, local councils and similar entities.  Special arrangements for food and drinks can be made beforehand. 

If this sounds interesting to you, you may contact our programme animator, Veronica Farrugia, on 21581592/79393881 or else via email on info@manikatafarmers.com

Hope to see you there!