Gardening and cooking in Domiz 1 camp: Meet Nisreen
Nisreen Riyad Abdo, a 20-year-old Syrian refugee, lives with her parents and three brothers in Domiz 1 camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. She gardens at the Azadî Community Garden and won first place in our 2024 Annual Cooking Competitions in Domiz 1 for her standout dishes: Chicken Fatteh and Grape Leaves Fatteh.
Learning to cook in Syria
Nisreen’s interest in cooking began during her childhood in Syria, where she learned the basics from her mother. She started with simple sweets but quickly developed a curiosity for cooking.
Over time, she taught herself to prepare a variety of dishes, experimenting with techniques and flavours.
She says: “I learned cooking because I enjoy it and I like to try new things. I’ve always wanted to learn how to make sushi, for example, but the ingredients aren’t easily available in our region.”
A taste of home
Nisreen’s shows us her award-winning dishes, lovingly prepared in her home kitchen.
Chicken Fatteh is made with boiled chicken breasts layered with whipped yoghurt mixed with tahini, garlic, salt and lemon. It’s topped with chickpeas, fried bread, parsley and nuts for decoration.
While Grape Leaves Fatteh has cooked grape leaves stuffed with rice and simple spices, topped with the same yoghurt-tahini mixture.
Both dishes are finished with pomegranate molasses, adding a tangy sweetness.
They are served as hearty main course for lunch.
Gardening for fresh ingredients
Life in Domiz 1 camp has changed the way Nisreen cooks. With limited resources, growing her own fresh produce has become a key part of daily life. She cultivates Swiss chard, molokhia, and okra in the Azadî Community Garden and uses these ingredients in many of her dishes.
“These vegetables are very practical and versatile for many dishes”, she says. “Plus, I enjoy the morning gatherings at the garden and the sense of calm it brings.”
Nisreen’s practical and creative approach to cooking is shaped by the challenges of camp life. She prepares dishes that celebrate her Syrian heritage while making the most of the ingredients available. Her success in the cooking competition reflects her resourcefulness, skill and passion for food.
Support people like Nisreen
Nisreen’s journey highlights the vital role that initiatives like the Azadî Community Garden play in empowering displaced people.
By supporting our gardening activities and garden and cooking competitions, you can help provide more opportunities for creativity, connection and hope in communities like Domiz 1 camp.
Please consider making a donation to support our work in Domiz 1 camp and beyond.
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