FAMILY GARDENS BLOOMING IN THE DESERT

I have the pleasure to announce to all visitors of this blog that the UNICEF ALGERIA project on “Family gardens and school gardens in the refugee camps of the Sahrawis - S.W. Algeria” is very successful. As the refugees are extremely motivated to have fresh vegetables and fruits growing in their “own” garden, the number of such gardens is continuously growing, from 220 to more than 1200 in 2006-2007. During the current winter season, different vegetables are seeded or planted and the young plants are growing very well (see some pictures below). Seeds of tropical fruits, like melon, watermelon, avocado, sweet pepper, … have been sent by many supporters of the project in Belgium and the Netherlands. The Belgian and Dutch press, radio and television paid a lot of attention to this new initiative. Growing interest in Europe now leads to expectations that even a European network for saving and collecting seeds of different species of fruits or vegetables can be set up in the near future. That kind of solidarity with the developing world seems to please a lot of Europeans : “Save seeds from the garbage bin and offer them to rural people in developing countries as part of a solution for the hunger problem“. Isn’t it one of the simplest ways to create sustainable development !

It is expected that this seed collecting action, running until the end of 2008, will get massive support from numerous groups : schools, elderly people, companies, producers of seeds, youth associations, women organizations, etc. More news about the success of this action will follow.

 

Today, I have the honour of offering you some pictures taken during my last mission to Algeria in October 2007.

(Click onthe pictures to enlarge them)
The first 30 kg of seeds brought from Belgium handed over to 2 representatives of UNICEF and 2 Sahrawis in Smara camp.

 

2007-10 - Rabouni : Prosopis juliflora tree, planted in September 2005 as a young tree 40 cm high , treated with 30 g of TerraCottem in December 2005, watered every 3 days instead of every day. Now alreday more than 4 m high ! Not irrigated anymore.

 

2007-10 - Smara camp : New family garden with drip irrigation on lines treated with TerraCottem soil conditioner, inspected by two Sahrawi agronomists. Early stages of vegetable development.

2007-10 - Smara camp : Family gardens constructed in spring 2006-2007. Left, with young trees. Right, with drip irrigation from a drum (water tank).

2007-10 - Smara camp : family garden with courgettes (zucchinis) and other vegetables.

 

2007-10 - Rabouni : Distribution of seeds purchased by UNICEF in Algeria.

2007-10 - Layoun camp : Newly constructed family gardens / Family members, engineers, UNICEF people / Women at well, protected with tyre / Garden with millet and recently seeded fields.

 

2007-10 - Layoun camp : UNICEF seeds and young trees from Tindouf nursery, handed over to local Sahrawi families.

 

2007-10 - Layoun camp : New family garden with Ricinus shrub, under which cantaloup melons and courgettes (zucchinis).

2007-10 - Layoun camp : New family gardens with young trees, treated with TerraCottem soil conditioner, a palm tree with a spineless Opuntia cactus in front / Small fields ready for the Belgian and Dutch seeds.

2007-10 - Layoun camp : Family garden with millet and fields with young vegetables / Simple construction for drip irrigation from a drum.

2007-10 - Layoun camp : Mini-garden for a small family, surrounded by a group of interested people. In that little garden the first vegetables.

2007-10 - Layoun camp : An extremely well kept family garden with numerous different vegetables and tree seedlings.
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Together with UNICEF ALGERIA, I hope that this success story will motivate organizations, companies and private people to support this project. For any additional information, please contact me at
<willem.vancotthem@gmail.com>.
We stand ready for advice on any duplication of this success story in other places of the developing world or other refugee camps.