Are you over 60 and are familiar with the use of traditional medicinal plants in Malta? If so, you are invited to share your experience with peers from across Europe in two upcoming workshops.
‘Elder to Elder: Herbal Wisdom’ is a new European-funded Erasmus+ project bringing together partners from Malta, Romania, Latvia and Hungary to preserve traditional herbal knowledge before it is lost.
Across Europe, valuable wisdom about medicinal plants, home remedies, food traditions and everyday health care is slowly disappearing. Much of this knowledge lives not in books, but in people, particularly older generations who learned through life experience, family tradition and community practice. This project recognises that experience is knowledge.
In Malta, many traditional practices, once disseminated through community members such as Frenċ tal-Għarb, now risk fading away. ‘Elder to Elder: Herbal Wisdom’ aims to document, value and pass on this living heritage with respect and dignity.
Individuals aged 60 years and over who were raised in Malta are thus invited to share their personal experiences of using local medicinal plants for everyday care and well-being during two workshops, one being held in person and the other online.
The in-person workshop is being held at the Valletta Design Cluster on February 7 from 9.30am to 1pm. Refreshments will be served.
One can also opt for an online workshop on January 31 from 10 to 11am.
Participants do not need to be experts. All stories and practices will be recorded respectfully and without judgement.
The knowledge shared by participants will be carefully processed and complemented by researchers, professors and herbal experts, and returned in a clear, reliable and easy-to-understand format for public benefit.
Through this Erasmus+ initiative, the project partners will collaboratively develop:
• a free digital ‘Memory Bank of Herbal Wisdom’;
• traditional remedies and plant knowledge;
• personal stories and lived experiences;
• educational videos;
• simple learning tools accessible to everyone.
The project is implemented by four organisations: Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA) (Malta), Pharmamedica (Romania), Latgales kulinārais mantojums (Latvia) and Studio Pataky (Hungary). Together, the partners work to safeguard Europe’s intangible cultural heritage and strengthen intergenerational learning.
Those interested are asked to send their name, age and mobile number, and indicate whether they wish to attend in person or online. E-mail info@faa.org.mt or call on 9982 9836. Registration closes on January 28.