For this third episode of the podcast series “Nos Etudiants ont du Talent”, Théo Bonnet-Ligeon and Nathan Muscio are pleased to invite Jeanne-Louise Caro. Jeanne-Louise is in her second year of a Masters in Marketing and Management of Outdoor Sports at INSEEC Chambéry. Jeanne-Louise has embarked on a solo adventure to Guatemala. Find out more about her project and the challenges she faced on her journey!
Théo BONNET-LIGEON (TBL): Hello everyone! We’re back for the third episode of Nos étudiants ont du Talent, again with my faithful sidekick Nathan!
Nathan MUSCIO (NM): Hello everyone, it’s great to be here for another episode! The show goes on… But there are two small changes for this episode, the first being a change of hair… With a quick trip to the hairdresser (Laughs).
TBL: And we’ve also received our new INSEEC Chambéry Podcast mugs, so a big thank you to the Fabrique du Textile!
NM: Ready for this episode. And today we have a new guest, Jeanne-Louise Caro…
Jeanne-Louise CARO (JLC): Good morning to you both, and thank you for your warm welcome!
TBL: Thank you for accepting our invitation. Jeanne-Louise, you’re a student, can you introduce yourself?
JLC: I’m currently doing a Master 2 at INSEEC Chambéry in Marketing & Management of Outdoor Sports. At the same time, I’m doing work experience for the eco-responsible riding brand Picture Organic Clothing.
Permaculture
TBL: You’ve come to talk to us about a project that’s close to your heart…
JLC: I’m going to tell you about an environmental project I carried out for an association. Last year, I spent 3 months in Guatemala and then 1 month in Mexico. I packed my rucksack and set off on an adventure, all on my own! As the trip progressed and I met more and more people, I decided to start making a report with my GoPro, my skills and my motivation. I wanted to do a report on permaculture and raise awareness among young children in the region.
NM: Permaculture…
JLC: It’s true that it’s not widely known. It’s quite simply regenerative agriculture… The aim is to build on sustainable development, using the earth’s resources to create a synergy between the different plants. Permaculture pays a great deal of attention to the environment. The aim is always to be able to grow and conserve abundant resources while taking care of our planet.
NM: It’s an unusual idea, where did it come from?
JLC: During my trip. I wanted to take photos and videos to share my experience with my friends and family. Then, finally, with the encounters I had, I wanted to make as many people as possible aware of the environment.
TBL: It must have been a magical moment, not to mention the beauty of Guatemala…
JLC: It’s a magnificent country. The kindness of the people, the cultural richness, it was quite crazy. Guatemala is a country with a huge history and it’s also a country where there are a lot of Mayans. It was very interesting, I had the opportunity to volunteer with them… to discover their ancestral ceremonies and traditions!
NM: Did you already have this ‘passion’ for permaculture before this project, or did you discover it on the spot?
JLC: Basically, I’m quite attached to the environment. So if I decided to go, it was because I felt that something was going to happen… I needed to find out more about it (Laughs)! As I discovered more and more about permaculture, I said to myself “that’s great, I’m really interested, I want to make a contribution”. So that’s how my journey suddenly made sense.
A journey into the future
TBL: You did this trip as a personal project. Would you like to do the same thing professionally?
JLC: I’d love this project to go professional, yes! Is it going to happen? I don’t know yet. But the main idea is that with my report, once it’s published, I can set up a crowdfunding campaign in France… By showing this 20-30 minute report in small cinemas. The aim is to raise people’s awareness of their own planet! The aim is to raise as much money as possible, so that within 3 years I can return to Central America with a van, an overhead projector and a white sheet… And present this report village by village to continue to raise awareness of permaculture.
NM: You like the idea of raising awareness and sharing, especially with children…
JLC: Exactly, raising children’s awareness means making the world a better place for tomorrow! The aim is mainly to reach children aged between 4 and 14. As a little aside, I was doing a voluntary project on permaculture, and the idea was to raise awareness among these young children. And in the end, the souvenirs I brought back from that project were used cans, rubbish and so on. Here in France, I can now do research to find out how old they are and how long they’ve been left out in the open!
A unique experience
TBL: I see you’ve brought back a souvenir from this trip…
JLC: Seen like that, it’s true that it’s rather strange… It’s a copal plant. Copal is a sacred tree in Guatemala, and it had a special history in Mayan times. This piece is resin from the copal tree, which has crystallised over the years. It’s a real business now, with people collecting this resin to make incense for ancestral ceremonies. The idea with this plant is to be able to communicate with one’s ancestors, one’s deceased family who are in the “underworld”, as they say.
NM: Has this trip had an impact on your personal development?
JLC: Oh yes, completely! I also left to prove things to myself! In the end, this trip has grown enormously. It’s true that, generally speaking, trips are always better than we’d hoped… But this one literally turned me upside down! With encounters that will mark me forever. Since my return, I’ve been trying to transcribe the whole experience in a book. In particular with the help of my logbook, in which I wrote a lot of things during this project, and mainly the emotions I could perceive at specific moments.
TBL: That’s great! During your trip, did you also share your experience via social networks?
JLC: I tried to share my journey as much as possible. To share all my emotions with those close to me, so that they could understand what I was going through… Something unique! It wasn’t easy either, sometimes we didn’t have electricity. When I went into the jungle, there was absolutely no network. But it wasn’t so bad being disconnected either! It also allowed me to live my experience to the full and enjoy every moment.
Making your dreams come true
TBL: Would you have a message for someone who would like to do this kind of project?
JLC: I encourage everyone to travel! It’s even better when you’re on your own, because it takes you out of your comfort zone and allows you to come face to face with yourself. On trips like this, you learn things about yourself, but you also meet some exceptional people! I didn’t even ask anyone close to me to agree, I made my decision on my own, with my rucksack, and I had an unforgettable adventure.
NM: It makes us want to leave! As soon as you go back with your Van, we’ll come with you (Laughs).
TBL: That’s great, thank you Jeanne-Louise! What can we wish you for the future?
JLC: First of all, to get my degree! And finally, this project is enabling me to do my dissertation on an entrepreneurship project, so it’s all good for me.
NM: We wish you every success with your report, your book and your diploma!
TBL: Of course you’ll keep us up to date with the rest of your project!
JLC: Thank you very much for a great time, and it’s been a great pleasure!
NM: You can watch the third episode with Jeanne-Louise Caro at the following links:
- YouTube: https: //youtu.be/SQLpILtAWQk
- Spotify: https: //open.spotify.com/episode/3fWrOOm7bfk2eAastmyEbQ?si=691026ad73204a60