What if the world's "saviours" were not tech billionaires but instead Pods of Solar Punk Grannies and Aunties?
There is something called the Grandmother Hypothesis. It asserts that only 6 species evolved to have menopause. Humans and toothed whales like narwhals (the unicorns of the sea). So what would be the biological point of 40+ years of non-reproductive time?
To save the community, obviously.
In orcas, post-menopausal females are the navigators. When food is scarce, the grandmothers lead the pod to food. The older she is, the more valuable her knowledge. Pods with older matriarchs have significantly higher survival rates, especially in hard years.
So from what we can see, we are in hard years from a food security standpoint. Food banks are finding that 1 in 3 families are experiencing some form of food insecurity. Nearly 70% of people experiencing food insecurity said last year was the first time they had struggled to afford food. And 12% of households earning over $156,000 still reported some level of food insecurity. It is spreading up the income brackets and we just had our first Trillionaire announced, so there is that.
So obviously, Elon and his rockets are not going to feed the kids. He is busy trying to escape to Mars. Instead, it will be the pods of Aunties and Grans. The ones who haven't lost hope.
I'm one of them. My name is Mandi. In 2017, I started a charitable trust called Every Body is a Treasure with a group of awesome humans. It began as a body-positive trust and evolved into one that celebrates and compassionately cares for all bodies, including Papatuanuku. We run a programme called Natural Leaders, which is a Solar Punk intergenerational project. Our latest kaupapa is creating food corridors throughout the region. Thinking 7 generations ahead. And we are hoping that there will form around the idea pods of menopausal women.
Matriarchal responses to the messed-up state of things. How can we make this right? How can we shed the cultural narrative about women being "past their prime" and realise that actually we are just hitting our stride.
What is Solar Punk?
Optimism in the face of nihilism. It seeks to answer the question: what will get us and the planet through this in a way that everyone wins? It is the melding of regenerative environmentalism, clean energy, and nonviolence. Bottom-up solutions in response to top-down pressure. Food forests are created to eventually remove the need for food banks. Grandmothers and teenagers solving problems instead of corporations and consultants. That's the vibe. Simply put - hope and action instead of fear and dissociation.
Punk Grans and Aunties?
Yep, pods of them. What would change in Wellington if we developed pods of Grannies and Aunties? A council comprised of women from each phase of the menopausal cycle. Premenopausal, peri, full blown hot flushing strippy type menopause, post-shedding of shits phase, and Elder.
Each council is tasked with addressing food insecurity in its community in a meaningful way. It is a democratic matriarchal structure.
It is a space for those who are grieving the state of the world, who have felt powerless and want to shift gears and do something tangible to impact change.
They are paired with a group of Natural Leaders. Youth from 9 to 25 years old. These students work with the Pods of Aunties and Grans to bring their combined vision for food corridors to life. The project becomes the bridge between generations, simultaneously addressing the loneliness epidemic, mental health challenges, nature deficiency disorder, and food insecurity in one fell swoop. The youth have the muscle and their own knowledge and desires for a planet that is still habitable. These are the kids who haven't lost hope and want to be agents of change.
So we are recruiting.
We are looking for a specific type of Auntie and Gran.
Someone who hasn't lost hope in humanity. Playful and irreverently reverent. Passionately commited to Papatuanuku / Gaia / Mother Earth. Has an epic sense of humour. Cheeky rebels that have done enough work on themselves to play nicely with others, even when things get tricky.
Open to a democratic way of solving problems. Thinks 7 generations ahead and willing to listen to and act on the needs and wishes of youth. Ideally, with a green thumb, project management skills, organisational skills, or fundraising and resourcing skills.
What will the Pods be doing?
Building and maintaining regenerative food corridors for local people and pollinators. The first project is in Newtown, between Newtown School and the hospital. It is the first Granny Whale's Garden. Half of the flowers are sold at the school gate to raise funds to look after the garden. The other half donated to matriarchs in the local retirement villages. Brought there by Newtown School kids.
Not an Auntie or Gran but still want to be involved...awesome You can help in several ways.
- pitch in on working bee days
- sponsor a tree guild. $120 helps us plant a fruit tree, build the soil, irrigate it, and plant the flowers that support the pollinators. Sponsors get a plaque celebrating anyone they want to honour.
- You can also donate spare bulbs, seeds, tubers, or perennial plants that would support the beauty and the bug life in the area
- donate to the project directly
Join a Granny Whale Pod
Building Kai and Compassion Corridors for People and Pollinators.
- Volunteer
- Sponsor a Tree Guild
- Donate Plants
- Start a Pod
