A Life After a Wonderful Journey in Bretagne, France
I’m Karl Ryan Mutya, a 21 years old Agriculture student majoring in animal
science in one of the famous University in Southern Mindanao. Last July 2024, with
the help of the exchange program of late Fr. Yves Caroff with Together Ensemble
Foundation. I embarked on a one-month life-changing adventure to Bretagne, France,
to witness and experience their lives, especially in agriculture, livestock management
and practices and processing of dairy products. This exchange program started
because of a wish and the eagerness of Fr. Yves Caroff to help uplift the life of the
Filipinos from Mindano. In 2008 Fr. Yves Caroff died, same year the first candidate,
Marilou Toriales was selected to enjoy the journey in Bretagne, France. Since then,
every year they select a candidate from Mindanao in the Philippines to go to France and
a candidate from Bretagne, France to experience the life in Philippines (except during
the COVID).
Together Ensemble Foundation in Bretagne celebrated its 30 years of history,
it is an association of the friends of Fr. Caroff, headed by Marijo Kergoat and Pascale
Abgrall and their board.
Together Ensemble Foundation not only gave me a chance to go to France but
also financed 100% of my travel expense and even provided me with pocket money to
spend.
Mr. Hubert d’Aboville the Founder and President of Together Ensemble
Foundation since 1992 and Ma’am Ara d’Aboville, member of the board and the wife
of the president since 1982, never stop monitoring me and giving instructions from
Manila International Airport to Dubai up to Paris CDG Airport. I safely arrived at the
airport and Mr. Hubert and Ma’am Ara welcomed me as I walked out the exit, then
after the long travel they treated me with foods then we travel for almost 6 hours to go
to Kerantre, in Bretagne, France in their estate to stay with their family.
The next week we visited a church in Saint-Thegonnec, then after Mr. Hubert
and Ma’am Ara dropped me at the Agriculture school named Ecole du Nivot, where I
spent my first week. There, I met a former exchange student of T-E to Mindanao, and
now a Deputy Director of the School named Anaïs Pouliquen, she introduces me to
everybody in the school including the workers in their livestock where I spent my time
the most. My first week is the most exciting part of my journey because as an Animal
Science student, I am eager to learn the management and practices for the livestock
plus the bonus construction of the storage facility that took us only a few hours to finish.
Then the weekend comes, I was scheduled to stay with Cindy and John both
former exchanged students of T-E together with their lovely children Mila and Willow,
they treat me as their family, they live a simple life, they have a healthy group of friends
that supports the back of each other, ready to help when needed.
In my second week, I was brought to Jean-Paul Madec a former exchange
student of T-E and his wife Christine Madec, where I cultivated my skill and gained
knowledge about the importance of organic farming. They both are the best examples
I met, they work together very hard, they manage time efficiently and teach me the
way of the agriculture entrepreneurs.
Next weekend together with Abgrall Family, with ma’am Pascale, Sir Domenic
and their 20 years old daughter Salome, they are very lovely family, at first we went to
visit their friend Mary and Bastian which has a cattle farm and witness their advanced
technologies in the farm, then visited a friend with 40 hectares of organic garden, the
next day they introduced me to the leader or the mayor of Saint-Thegonnec, then we
visited the sister of Fr. Caroff, after that, we went to the seaside to relax.
Third week, I’m back with the Madecs family, but that time they discovered that
I’m eager to learn about yogurt production, then they introduced me to their friend
Thierry and Sandaine, they have a small laboratory for the production of the dairy
products where I spend time learning, and enjoying the moment.
Next weekend I am supposed to meet Margaux and Laurie also an exchanged
student, but unfortunately they aren’t available, Margaux was sick and Laurie is out of
town. That’s why I met a very nice grandmother Marie Rene, we spent most of our
time walking near the seaside to enjoy the moment, and as a momento together with
her grand-daughter named Joana and her boyfriend name Matthys.
At the last week of my journey, we went back to Kerantre, Mr. Hubert D’Aboville
and Family’s place their family estate since 1620. We had a lunch together with the
friends of Fr. Caroff and their former exchanged students. After that together with Mr.
Hubert we went to the river side, walked, and feeling the moment while Mr. Hubert
explaining the history of their estate. After that, I spent most of my time with Mr.
Emmanuel d’Aboville a member of the board a son of Mr. Hubert, we visit friends,
listen music and enjoying the time while until the day that I finally got to go home.
The day has come, I am going home, Mr. Hubert Escorted up to the Airport,
when I arrived in Dubai, Ma’am Ara contacted me, checking if I’m safe. I felt happiness
deep inside my heart because, we are not even relatives, but they treated me like a
family, and I am very grateful and thankful with them.
Upon returning home, I enthusiastically shared my experience with my family,
and peers. September 2024, University day started, I am not well known in school nor
have a great achievement, but that day I was invited by my instructor to give an
inspirational speech and share some experience in France to welcome and inspire our
new students in Animal Science, at first I was nervous, can’t talk properly in front of
the other students, but I gather my composure and share my experience proudly, and
it sparks the curiosity of my fellow students, they started questioning, and there is one
question I would never forget, “ how did you get the chance to visit France?” and I
answer that question proudly, “ my father is a hard-worker in a paradise called Oblate
Galilee Farm, it is founded by a French priest named Fr. Yves Caroff, directed by Fr.
Jay Virador, and together with the help of people behind the Together Ensemble
Foundation, I got that wonderful chance to explore the life and the agriculture in
France”.
In Animal Science, we have lots of subjects, like livestock management and
production, and subjects relating to the processing of products of animals such as
meat, milk, eggs and etc., my newfound knowledge gives us the advantage,
particularly in cheese production. I have recorded the video in France while making
the cheese at the laboratory of Mr. Thierry and made that as reference, and as I
expected the procedure went smoothly, and I can say that our cheese making
experiment was a success.
Now, I am doing a research on enhancing the acceptability of the goat’s milk
yogurt by incorporating the spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, and cumin, and I
can say it is a tough one, but thanks to the experience and guidance of the expert from
one of the farm I visited in France, I am now making progress in my research
especially in yogurt making process.
That journey really helped me shape who I am now. With this experience,
hard-work, never ending dedication and perseverance, I will definitely become a
sustainable agricultural entrepreneur someday.
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