At the age of 24, this Girondine has branched out. After business school, the shock of a humanitarian internship in India’s slums propelled her toward sobriety and a desire to “raise awareness” in her own right – “New Eyes” podcast, writing books, conferences… next September, Victoria Guillomon will return to north India, to Shimla, where he will immerse himself with the locals to make a documentary about the consequences of climate change. Continuation of our summer series of portraits “Ideas in mind”.
In the middle of her vegetable garden, in the garden of her childhood home near La Réole, Victoria Guillomon waters her future vegetables. “There are cucumbers here!” And there, carrots, look. “Looking relaxed, in a khaki dress and tap shoes on her feet, this 24-year-old young woman still leads a thousand projects: podcast (“New Eyes”) where he interviews “inspirational” people about their life journey, writing a second book, participating in conferences, and even making a documentary on climate change.
In late September, he will depart for six months for Shimla, a city located in northern India and where “it doesn’t rain anymore”. So, the plane boycott obliged, Victoria would travel by train and ship. An “adventure” he will share with Johan Reboul, at the head of the Instagram account “The Young Engagement”, where he talks about ecology with humor.
Raise awareness
Vegetarian, zero-waste and second-hand expert, Victoria strives to do something for the planet every day. But with this film, he wanted to go a step further. A commitment partly inherited from his upbringing “in the countryside”, in a village near La Réole in the Gironde. “I learned to drive a tractor before getting my car license,” he jokes. The farmer’s daughter, she said, is close to nature and is on the forefront of climate change.
“Just last year, my father struggled to cultivate his land because there was a ban on irrigating the fields. So, of course there are a lot of downsides. In Pakistan, on the other hand, I saw on the news the massive floods they had. »
A film project is indeed “colossal”, but one which, he hopes, “participates in raising awareness”. This desire also guides all his actions. Optimistic by nature, Victoria believes that it’s not by making people feel guilty that we encourage them to act:
“I think by touching them or showing them an example, we managed to make them aware of the urgency of the situation and the need to change our way of life. This is also what I try to do with my podcasts, books and conferences. »
Click
The project is partly made in the room he grew up in, his “protection”. The room in question, peaceful, matches the image of its occupants. The smell of incense filled the room occupied by the bed and the shelves, filled with books grouped by category. On the big table where he used to work, displayed his first press release, his first marathon bib, and several diplomas. Across, a mirror bears witty phrases, including one addressed to Victoria herself: “Don’t fall asleep to the linear everyday life, never. But stay awake, always. Foster encounters and discoveries. »
These words he adapted and allowed him to dare to say no to the “marked path”. A good student, garnering good grades and congratulations from her teachers, Victoria described the cognitive dissonance between her career and what she aspired to be. When she went to business school “by default” at 18, those feelings manifested. In her junior year, she did a two-month “humanitarian internship” in India in a slum area in Jaipur, and it was a click:
“There, I really opened up. I took a step back from all the material goods we benefit from in France, but also from the idea of ”making it in life”. Big paychecks, cars, a house with a swimming pool, I don’t really want that. When I returned to France, I sorted all over the place. In my relationships, in my clothes. I wanted more serenity, a different way of life, less consumerism. It’s a way to protect the environment and create a more sustainable form of happiness. »
“I put my brain on alert”
But once the observations are made, where to go? A podcast consumer, she devours personality testimonials with a convoluted single career. However, questions remained, piling up in his mind and one day, ending up bubbling up:
“I was at the Climax festival in Bordeaux and there was collapsologist Pablo Servigne. At that time, it was stronger than me. I had an impulse, I put my brain on alert and I offered him an interview. I explained to him that I wanted to pass something down to our generation and he accepted. At the end of our interview (finished a few days later), I told myself I would be doing this for a long time to come. And I did continue, still with the same excitement. »
At first, Victoria started out with two microphones, a recorder, and savings from her summer job. Excited, he was encouraged by the feedback from his listeners, tempted.
“I receive messages from young people who, like me, ask themselves questions, but also from people in their 40s who thank me and share their feelings with me, telling me that guests like these have changed lives. they. »
Today, her New Eye podcast has 148 episodes. Each provides a basis for a person who has “built his life to measure.” Augustin Trapenard, journalist, Martin Petit, crippled influencer, or Maurice Guibert, centenarian musician, “no distinctive profile, only a heterogeneous career”.
“We all have the common point of saying to each other at some point, “why by me?”. I want to show that no model is perfect but there are many ways to proceed,” said Victoria.
The success of his (now monetized) podcast now allows him to make a living from it.
8,379 kilometers from France
Also the result of his trip to India, his first book “What we don’t learn in school” is released in 2021. Aimed at the youth of his generation, he explores there through his own experience, the tension between the desire for adventure and the necessity to find one’s place in society that sometimes causes anxiety.
Nostalgic for India since she left it, Victoria vows to herself to return there one day. On September 29, it will be done. He will join a planeless nation to reach Shimla, which lies 8,379 kilometers from France.
“We chose this city because there, construction-related deforestation has disrupted the climate, roughly speaking. There are not enough trees anymore, unless they regulate rainfall. Suddenly, in Shimla, there is no more rain and snow. On our way, we will pass through countries such as Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Oman, facing similar water-related problems (floods or lack of rain),” he explained.
The purpose of the trip is not just to show what’s wrong, according to Victoria, but also to understand “how residents are adapting and finding solutions”. To do this, the young girl and her friend plan to “immerse themselves with the locals” by taking part in their daily lives.
Once they arrive in Shimla, the idea is also to “carry out local actions, such as replanting trees or intervening in schools”, while involving volunteers. Ultimately, the documentary will raise awareness among locals, but also those who will see the documentary, according to Victoria:
“At home, I don’t think we realize the importance of water. Without it, there is no life. He is the basis of everything. However, these are the first resources to be impacted by climate change and are becoming increasingly scarce. We all need to realize that. (…) Furthermore, we also want to show that travel without an airplane is possible. So there will definitely be problems later on, but it’s part of the game. I hope this inspires people to do the same. »
“For me, this is important”
To support the comments gathered on site, experts on water and climate change issues also had to intervene in the documentary. To finance the trip, a online fundraising launched Goal: reach 15,000 euros in 30 days. Some sponsors will also help absorb project costs.
To those who rebuked her for her naivety or optimism, Victoria simply replied that “only those who don’t try don’t know. According to him, all his efforts were never taken lightly. They even have “be [sa] life ” :
“I no longer make distinctions between my personal and professional life. In fact, I don’t think in terms of work but projects and I put my whole soul into it. It’s important to me. It animates me, it makes me grow and nourishes me. »
If the young girl says she is “fulfilled” and “excited,” she still recognizes the need to “set boundaries and moments of rest.” Every day, media coverage and imposed rhythms generate “stress”, often accompanied by imposter syndrome. The mental burden Victoria admits is that she still has to work.
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