Over the past three years, in cooperation with Inwole e.V. and Flamingo e.V., we have established a small garden in Potsdam. With the support of the Urbis Foundation this year, we were able to continue with this important project. A total of ten women were involved in tasks such as tilling, planting and watering.

Those who had participated in the project two years earlier acted as mentors to those who were getting involved for the first time. We planted various salad vegetables and culinary and medicinal herbs, such as basil, rosemary, thyme, lavender and parsley. On top, we grew courgettes, pumpkins, squash and capsicum plants.

The project aims to bring women together to experience a sense of community and social connection, break down isolation, and teach them about the health benefits of herbs and vegetables.

It also aims to encourage the women to become actively involved in the work of Women in Exile. Forge connections with individuals involved in social work and cultivate relationships within the community.

The meetings and workshops on the ground were educational for the women, who had no idea about some of the plants beforehand, or who knew about them but did not know their medicinal value. A few women joined a workshop at the Flamingo Gardens in Berlin-Neukölln, where they learnt a lot about different herbs and how they are used.

The following are feedback comments from the women* who took responsibility for the garden:

L: “I had a great time working in the garden with the other ladies. The only negative was when I was stung by a plant and my leg felt like it was on fire for two whole days. But I didn’t mind because it was for a good cause.

– Second experience is when I was told that I uprooted herbs along with weeds during weeding. I learnt that there are so many plants one can learn about if we open ourselves in learning. Fortunate enough my colleagues helped me to replant the herbs.

-I had transport challenges too. When I water the garden in the evening I sometimes struggle to get home in time. But I realised that watering it in the morning can do though I was worried if the water could last till Sunday.”

V: “The few months working in the garden were memorable for me.
– Taking care of the plants and seeing them produce without the use of any chemicals was an amazing experience that brought me closer to nature.

– It was nostalgic when weeding because it reminded me of times back home in our corn, bean, peanut or potato fields, but the difference here is that we have to water unlike at home where it rains enough to make the plants grow.
– The observation I made here is that tomatoes does not need alot water to produce good fruit. but we did our best.
Thanks for allowing me to spend this time with you.”

A: “The process from tilling to harvesting was both grounding and rewarding, it gave me a real sense of how much care and patience the earth requires.
– Working alongside others created a strong feeling of community; everyone had a role, and we supported each other through every step.
-I also learned a lot about the importance of timing and consistency in nurturing plants.”

M: “Gardening with the team was a wonderful experience. Here is my experience:
-I liked sharing knowledge, and discussing challenges with the team members.
-Assigning tasks based on strengths and interests was a nice idea, it increased efficiency and productivity.
-Working together we overcame obstacles and found solutions, like we had on tomatoes rotting because of much rain. We had some knowledge that tomatoes doesn’t require a lot of water.
-Learning from each other’s experiences, skills, and perspectives was great.
-working as a team, helped us build relationships, trust, and achieved skills.
-Through the great team I was motivated on how to maintain the garden. It brought different ideas and approaches to gardening, that led to innovative solutions.
It was nice working with you all in the garden.”

C: “Thanks a lot for letting me take part in the garden work this past months. I really enjoyed taking care of the plants and I learnt a lot about teamwork too. It was such a rewarding experience.

-Throughout this experience, I gained valuable knowledge not only about preparing, planting, and caring for the garden, but also about the importance of teamwork and accountability in carrying out my duties.

-Working in the garden also taught me a deeper life lesson: just as plants require time, care, and dedication to grow and eventually produce a harvest, so too does one’s personal life. The experience reminded me that we can only harvest what we have planted.
-I am truly grateful for this opportunity, it has been both rewarding and inspiring.”