Working in partnership with Lush and Mercy Hands we are employing refugees in Domiz Camp, Iraq to help design and fabricate emergency growing kits for crisis-affected areas in Iraq and Syria

The concept of the Crisis Response Garden kits is simple: deliver all the tools and seeds required to start growing food to help newly arrived refugee families begin food gardening as soon as possible in newly established camps or to residents in crisis affected urban areas. The kits range from a single household garden, to a large community garden including a wheelbarrow and then a large crate for a communal garden.

Our livelihood strategy involved helping to set up a workers cooperative in Domiz Camp, Iraq, where refugees would help design and construct 1,200 kits. Lemon Tree Trust then purchases these kits from refugees helping to develop a business strategy beyond charitable funding. Each kit has an image of hope for the refugee in Syria, hand embroidered onto the bags by a group of skilled women in Domiz. Initial funding has been provided by Lush, with the collection and distribution in Mosul, Iraq and Amude, Syria being facilitated by Mercy Hands, a partner NGO. We are working with them to pilot and evaluate the use of these kits and to determine which households and community groups want to grow.

We aim that this project also becomes a self-contained business for families in Domiz Camp, who are able to build on the initial funding by obtaining further orders from other NGOs and humanitarian organisations.

 

 

 

It has been 24 hours since two devastating earthquakes destroyed large parts of southern Türkiye and northern Syria. The tremors were felt across the region, even as far as our community garden in Domiz 1 camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Many of our gardeners in the KRI are Syrian and have family … Continued

Congratulations to Cheryl, in Jakarta, Indonesia, for winning our special winter competition in collaboration with Grace Alexander Flowers. A signed copy of Grace’s book, ‘Grow and Gather’, and some extra goodies will be posted out to Cheryl soon.   In the competition people were invited to share a special seasonal plant or floral tradition that … Continued

At this time of year when the weather is turning colder in refugee and IDP (internally displaced people) camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, our gardening activities are more important than ever to bring people together and give them hope for their futures. That’s why, this Christmas, we have launched a special appeal, where … Continued