Urban Agriculture Innovation Centre, Erbil.
Support our cause. Plant hope. Harvest dignity.
We believe in using education and training to bring the transformative power of small-scale community agriculture to renew and empower communities uprooted by war. Our mission is to initiate and nurture gardening projects to provide employment and a pathway to reclaiming cultural identity, dignity, and a sense of purpose.
In the past year, we’ve laid the groundwork for an innovative food-growing projects in the Kurdish region of Iraq, designed to revolutionize the way internally displaced communities grow food. We collaborate with a local charity called Al Raja & Al Salam, to build polytunnels, hydroponics gardens and support communities through weekly educational and training programs.
Support our project: Plant hope. Harvest dignity.
Erbil training Centre
Erbil is the capital of Kurdistan, in northern Iraq. The city is described as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. At its centre is the Citadel, a circular walled ancient city that dates back nearly 4,000 years.
The Erbil training facility employs internally displaced people, training them to train the community in how to grow food using sustainable approaches to water use, and agriculture.
We are currently focusing on hydroponics because of its simplicity and sustainability. Hydroponics use modified drainpipes and pumps that make farming possible in urban spaces that don’t have access to safe soil or ample water. These systems are ingeniously designed to be low-tech, relying on materials that are easily accessible such as repurposed domestic items and recycled components.
With your help, we aim to turn urban spaces of displacement into hubs of flourishing greenery and growth. With your help we aim to provide the essential resources—seeds, plants, and gardening tools—needed to kickstart these transformative projects in both these locations. Each donation plants the seed for positive social and economic change, nurturing self-reliance and resilience in communities that need it most.
In the wake of conflict and war, urban communities often continue to face profound difficulties long after they have been deemed secure by the global community. The civil war in Syria and the war against ISIS has meant that the Kurdish region has become home to hundreds of thousands refugees and internally displaced people from across the region. Many of these will never return home. While wars rage in Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas it is easy to forget the devastation caused by the 2003 invasion as well as the Syria civil was and fight against ISIS. The Kurdish region was, and still remains one of the few safe areas in the region. This projects help these displaced people through employment, education and the implementation of practical skill to grow food for there communities and families.