As gardeners, we have all experienced the satisfaction of harvesting our own food and sharing it with friends and family. It is a reminder of the bounty of nature and the benefits of hard work. With easy access to grocery stores and farm markets here in the U.S., we may forget just how vital and life-sustaining, the ability to grow our own food is.
We recently received some pictures that we wanted to share with you. They are from the Kakuma Refugee Camp in the northwestern region of Kenya. Kakuma was established in 1992 to shelter young Sudanese refugees fleeing the Second Sudanese Civil War, many of them unaccompanied minors who came to be known as the “Lost Boys of Sudan”. Over more than three decades the camp has grown into one of the largest and longest-standing refugee settlements in the world, now hosting people from more than 20 countries, including South Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, and Ethiopia. Today, Kakuma and its neighboring camp, Kalobeyei are home to roughly 200,000 people. To put that in perspective, that’s roughly the population of Salt Lake City, Utah, except this “city” consists largely of tents and makeshift shelters surrounded by a dry, dusty landscape and its residents live with the constant uncertainty of displacement.
Back in April, we shared some images sent by a missionary who had taken our seeds to Kakuma. Of all the items she brought with her, the residents were most excited about the seeds. They would allow them to grow their own food to supplement their often uncertain food supply. Despite the arid conditions, the refugees have been able to grow a thriving garden.
The missionary recently returned to the camp, and just sent us the images below. Their garden has expanded and continues to grow with the refugees’ love and attention. As seed sellers, it is always our hope that our seeds grow into healthy plants that produce a bountiful harvest. It is even more gratifying to see our seeds help people who have so little, produce some bounty for themselves.
If you would like to learn more about or contribute to the Kakuma Refugee Camp you can visit the UNHCR website.
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Kakuma Camp 2010 Image credit: Mr.matija.kovac, CC BY-SA 3.0
