Community Garden Appeal launched on World Refugee Day
Today, on UN World Refugee Day, we have launched a special appeal, where we are asking our supporters to help us bring hope, connection and belonging to people displaced by war in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
There are currently over 280,000 refugees and asylum seekers in the Kurdistan Region, and over 1 million Iraqis remain internally displaced by war and persecution.
We support people to create home and community gardens that bring joy, beauty and a sense of purpose, helping them put down roots and build a new life many miles from home. Our community gardens provide safe spaces for women and children to share their experiences while growing fresh food and flowers for their families and neighbours.
We urgently need support to:
🍋 Create more community gardens and green spaces, bringing fresh food and flowers to displaced people
🍋 Keep our gardens in Kurdistan Region of Iraq maintained
All donations until 1 September 2023 are being kindly match funded by one of our most generous supporters. This means that donations of any amount will automatically doubled.
Find out more about why we have launched the appeal and how you can help.
Get your hands on a beautiful Becky Crowley print and support our Community Garden Appeal (plus, free shipping!)
For the duration of June 2023, flower grower and photographer, Becky Crowley, is donating 20% of proceeds from all sales of any of her prints to Lemon Tree Trust’s Community Garden Appeal.
Becky has created a new print for June that focuses entirely on special varieties of rose – our operations manager Aveen’s favourite flower – which includes the stunning Lark Ascending and Penelope. Over on Becky’s blog, you’ll find a full list of the names with a photograph of the labelled roses.
You can also take advantage of free shipping (UK and worldwide) on any of Becky’s prints purchased in June by using the code:
JUNE-23-SHIPS-FREE
Photos and videos by Youssef Ibrahem. Over the last six months, a corner of the Azadî Community Garden in Domiz 1 camp, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, has been created especially for children. Families who visit the garden together now have a dedicated space for their youngest members, with games, a slide and small low tables … Continued
Aveen Ibrahem is Operations Manager at Lemon Tree Trust, overseeing our community gardening and cooking programmes across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Her work supports activities in Azadî Community Garden in Domiz 1 camp, as well as outreach and coordination across the nine camps where Lemon Tree Trust currently operates. Having lived in Domiz 1 … Continued
Inside the polytunnels at the Hêvî Community Garden in Gawilan refugee camp, Garden Manager Othman Qewas carefully selects fruit trees and flowering plants grown from seed. Joined by Hamid Abdullah, Lemon Tree Trust’s Horticulture and Landscape Consultant, the plants are loaded into the car before setting off to visit families across the camp. As part of our ongoing children’s outreach programme in Gawilan camp, … Continued