Waiting for Trees: Our talk at the Kew Mutual Improvement Society
We are delighted to be speaking at the Kew Mutual Improvement Society on Monday 18 February. In our talk, “Waiting for trees: How garden competitions in refugee camps are transforming the landscape”, we will discuss our work in supporting people affected by war.
Gardening is a powerful way to connect with people affected by war who are rebuilding their lives away from home. The simple act of nurturing trees and flowers amid a refugee camp is a beautiful subversive act of resilience.
We help refugees and IDPs (internally displaced persons) to plant trees, create home gardens and take part in the garden competitions we have introduced in refugee camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
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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