We are among those for whom the end of summer brings joy - August 23. we celebrate the organization's birthday. A couple of years ago, on this day, we modestly blew out the first candle on a homemade cake, dreaming of a rich community and ambitious plant plans. This year, feeling that ŽIVI GALI got stronger and dreams began to come true, we decided to celebrate the three-year anniversary from the heart - we invited friends and plant-based food enthusiasts to a special vegan picnic.
The first birthday guests began to go to the meadow near the Vingis Park bridge, carrying not gifts, but rugs - we opened our celebration with an open Mai Ram yoga class. In the shade of trees, teacher Kristina Gužauskytė taught how to perform simple asana sequences, listen to breathing and focus. Not exactly a traditional start to the holiday, you might say, but it was worth it to calm down and get moving before a day full of excitement (and flavors!).
Before long, yoga was replaced by discussions moderated by manager Meda with invited guests. The first was to look at cultural reflections of activism and nutrition. Artist and cultural researcher Agnė Gintalaitė shared an example of how sometimes the most innovative ideas are born in the minds of artists, not scientists - the audience saw the first cultured meat in the gallery, during the presentation of a conceptual work. Actor and musician Šarūnas Zenkevičius shared a plant-based lifestyle and a filming location tuning nuances, while musician Mantas Meškerys assured that personal worldview and creativity are inseparable. Love for nature, sometimes without even planning, finds its way into his lyrics.
During the second debate, Meda, together with Grėtė Lele, adviser on sustainability issues to the Minister of Economy and Innovation, and Ieva Budraite, leader of the Green Party, discussed the links between plant-based nutrition and politics. Both interlocutors unanimously agreed that plant-based food should be included in the political agenda due to its strong influence on environmental goals. G. Lelė also drew attention to the economic opportunities - countries that started investing in alternative proteins early can greatly supplement the state budget. Meda added that reducing excess meat consumption would also save money for the health system, as shown by research in other European countries.
A day full of flavors
Bringing people together around delicious plant-based food is one of the unwritten goals of JIVI GALI. Thanks to our awesome partners and sponsors, we hit it big on Sunday. All day long Pechkurii Pizza an impressive line of tasters meandered through the oven, not daunted by the tropical heat thanks to the crispy crust and creative flavor combinations (dill pesto, oh my goodness!). We noticed that the ones located in the countryside attracted no less attention Garden Gourmet tent, where you could grab freshly fried falafels and vegetable grills.
As good hosts of the celebration, we also had a rich snack table. thank you Good Gut Bubb, Cannum, Veri Beri, For victory (Rooster), To Kiru, For the cocoa farm, to Radharana, For healthy seedlings, Lo Cafe and Livin, who made sure that there was no shortage of things to taste on it.
We celebrated birthdays and summer
Since we celebrate a birthday at a special time, it becomes a kind of summer party. Hiding on the hill, looking at the meadow full of guests, we smiled - like some kind of festival. Someone is leaning in Ramu Records songs are being played, someone is relaxing comfortably on the soft grass, and someone with a slice of pizza in their hand is furiously telling their friends about their holiday experiences. A flock of buzzing children also breathed some mischievous life into the event. Together with our partners, we had prepared various activities for them, soap bubbles glistened in the sun and colored handmade kites kept fluttering.
By the way, we are glad that the invitation to come to the birthday party with four-legged friends was heard. All day long, tails of all kinds of hair were wagging in the meadow, and there was no shortage of visitors at the plant-based snack station.
Thanks for being there!
As the guests started to disperse, we couldn't wait to discuss our impressions. We unanimously agreed that it was a day of space coziness! One of those that will undoubtedly run before your eyes on cold winter evenings.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by, who curiously tasted the vegetable feast, who did not spare the organization nice words and, of course, who supported us birthday support. Not only are we happy to have such a cool community, but we are also inspired for new plant works!
Warmest wishes from the ŽIVI GALI team!
Author of the photos - Victoria Gajauskaitė
