Meet Ismail and Shalal, our gardeners in the Azadi Community Garden
The Azadi Community Garden in Domiz 1 camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, is run by a small team of gardeners headed up Aveen, our Operations Manager.
We asked team members Ismail and Shalal (pictured below) some questions about their work in the garden and their favourite plants.
Ismail
“I’m Ismail, a Syrian refugee. I live with my family in Domiz 1 camp in Kurdistan.
I love the people who work in the Azadi Community Garden because we have become like a family here. Every day in the garden is interesting and full of activity and vitality. It’s a place where people can relax and I enjoy every single day I work here.
I love to grow everything! While there is little water, we have recently planted a pine tree and I like gori (rose) flowers because they smell beautiful.”
انا اسماعيل, لاجىء سوري اعيش مع عائلتي في مخيم دوميز 1 في دهوك.
انا احب الأشخاص الموجودين في الحديقة ازادي لاننا صرنا مثل عائلة و انا استمتع كل يوم في هذه الحديقة.
يومي في حديقه ازادي ممتع ومليء بالنشاط وحيويه وايضآ الحديقة تعطينا الراحة.
احب ان ازرع كل شيء, لكن الماء قليل, برغم من هذا هناك شجرة صنوبر زرعناها! احب أزهار الجوري لأن رائحتها جميله جدا.
Shalal
“My name is Shalal. I’m originally from Syria and now I live in Domiz 2 camp with my wife and daughter.
The thing I enjoy most about my work is pruning plants in the Azadi Community Garden and taking care of them until they grow and become ready to be distributed to our beneficiaries. I also enjoy watering the garden.
Starting my day with gardening activity gives me vitality. I like growing indoor plants at home and taking care of them with my family.
My favourite plant is the gori (rose), because it is successful when pruned and cultivated, and it has medicinal benefits.”
انا شلال لاجىء من سوريا, اعيش في دوميز 2 مع زوجتي وابنتي .اكثر شيء استمتع به في عملي تقليم النباتات الموجوده في الحديقه والاعتناء بها لتصبح نبته ناجحه وتوزيعها على المستفيدين .ابدا يومي في الحديقه بنشاط وحيويه واستمتاع بسقايه الحديقه .زراعه النباتات الداخليه في المنزل والاعتناء بها مع العائله .نباتي المفضل هو الجوري لانه نبات ناجح عند اثناء تقليمه وزراعته وله فواءد طبيه
Meet our other team members
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
Bringing together residents to celebrate the home gardens they have grown, tended and transformed over the past year, Lemon Tree Trust’s 2026 Annual Garden Competitions have taken place across nine refugee and IDP (internally displaced people) camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. This year’s competitions introduced a greater emphasis on welcoming new participants alongside … Continued