With the help of funding from the GEF, the non-governmental organization Meedhoo Ekuveringe Cheynu (MEC) has been working to replant coconut palm groves and to teach the island’s young people how to prepare local palm sugar delicacy Addu Bondi the authentic way.
“This GEF Small Grants Programme project is not only investing in preserving the rich tradition of Bondi-making in the Maldives but, more importantly, in its future generations,” said Rodriguez, who later visited two waste-related projects elsewhere in the Addu Atoll, the southernmost atoll in the archipelago nation. “It is helping young girls and boys educate – and provide a source of income for – their communities.”
Addu Bondi is a confection traditionally made from the shavings of baby coconuts mixed with coconut palm sugar, or “toddy.” The mixture is then heated, moulded into cylinders, and wrapped in dried banana leaves. Bondi is one of the best-known “short eats” – or small plates – in the archipelago nation.