Transitioning to a More Sustainable Lifestyle with the Eco Market Malta.
A project launched in March by Eco Market Malta on the local crowdfunding platform ZAAR has been a huge success, with the NGO holding its first event last weekend at the Gaia Foundation, Għajn Tuffieħa.
Born two years ago, the aim of the project was to raise €8,000. Not only was this target reached but it was also surpassed thanks to the contribution of 135 individuals.
“Part of what made the crowdfunding campaign a success is the fact that there was a network of people in place prior to its launch,” said the founder and main organiser Zen D’Amato Gautam. “We got great advice from the team at ZAAR Crowdfunding and were able to capitalise on the campaign.
“We learnt that, first, it is essential to have a clear vision of what you want to do and make it worthwhile – a project that provides benefits not just for yourself but for many others. Then you can use your network, and theirs, to spread your message and reach a wider audience,” she added.
These people included several organisations, NGOs, social enterprises and VOs who shared the same vision.
Eco Market Malta is a team of creative minds with a love for nature, the environment and well-being of the planet in common, whose aim is to work with responsible businesses, change-makers and innovators.
Working hand in hand with D’Amato Gautam are project manager Marta Kurzynska, who is Polish and has been living in Malta for the past six years, market manager Tamsin Caruana, an eco artist with a combined passion for art and safeguarding the natural environment, and consultant Majbritt Kristensen, who has worked on circular economic projects, including the World Economic Forum in Davos and the one-million-tree rehabilitation project in Malta.
“We all have a huge power to make our home a better place – and right now we have the responsibility to heal it, because without a healthy planet, nothing else matters,” they said.
As a result, Eco Market Malta aims to help a smooth transition to a more sustainable lifestyle. “The way forward in reducing our negative impact on the environment is to become conscious of our daily habits, particularly what we buy and what we throw away,” D’Amato Gautam says.
The Eco Market will now be held every month in different locations across Malta and Gozo, and will consist of a number of vendors with fresh, organic produce, natural food and snacks, ethical fashion, toys, housewares, natural and non-toxic personal care products, arts and crafts and innovative technologies.
The monthly events will also host info booths, talks, workshops and other activities offering new insights and providing education and awareness. There will also be social gatherings, music, art and entertainment.
The second Eco Market Malta will be held on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June from noon to 7pm at the Independence Gardens in Sliema. Entrance is free of charge. Following this, a third event will be held on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 July at Fort St Elmo, Valletta. For more information, visit www.ecomarketmalta.com or www.facebook.com/ecomarketmalta.
