Gardener stories: Meet Ahmed

Ahmed Ibrahim Ismail lives in the Azar neighbourhood of Domiz 2 camp.

“I have a humble garden in my house, and I started working on it with my children two years ago. We have spent many good times in it, especially during the curfew for the coronavirus.⁣
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“My garden contains 20 different types of roses and trees. Each rose is a different colour from the others, and I have grapes, figs, cypress and pine.   ⁣
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“In 2019 I participated in the Lemon Tree Trust garden competitions. Thanks to the encouragement of our coordinators in the camp, I won second place in Domiz 2 camp.  ⁣
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“My family have benefitted a lot from my garden because we enjoy spending time in it, especially during the quarantine period.”  ⁣

Want to support refugee gardeners like Ahmed?

The Lemon Tree Trust welcomes one-off and regular donations.

To make a donation, please go to: lemontreetrust.org/donate.

Our core infrastructure costs are fully funded so 100% of your donation directly supports gardening projects and initiatives in refugee communities.

  • $1 / £1 can give a family a packet of vegetable seeds 
  • $5 / £5 can provide a family a basket of nutritious produce 
  • $25 / £25 can fund a Home Garden Starter Kit for a new family arriving in the camp, containing a Home Garden Manual, seeds, tools, a grow-bag and a children’s gardening activity

More refugee gardener stories

  • Watch our short films about why displaced people garden
  • Meet Khanki camp resident Hajar
  • Meet Domiz 2 camp resident Salih

Learn more about life in refugee camps

 

Lemon Tree Trust supporter Katie Cox recently raised £1,000 for our work, plus £250 in Gift Aid, by organising an arts and crafts fundraising event at her home and in her garden. Katie is pictured above wearing a rather fabulous green shirt covered in lemons. Katie’s donation was made during our Tree & Plant Appeal, … Continued

This spring, we launched our 2026 Tree & Plant Appeal with a target of £30,000 / $39,500 USD to help us grow and distribute trees and plants, both ornamental and productive, to families and communities living in refugee and internally displaced people’s camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Thanks to the incredible generosity of … Continued

We are pleased to share an update on our work during the first eight months of 2026, with a special focus on our work with children across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and Syria.  This year, we have placed a particular focus on the next generation of gardeners, creating more opportunities for children and young … Continued