So I've started gardening. Indoors, I'm growing basil, coriander and 'living salad' (all for culinary purposes, obviously). Outside, we've finally been able to make things look presentable - the grass is short and the patio exists again. I did some weeding this morning so that perhaps I'll be able to plant something into the (very small) area of soil before we leave at the end of June.
My main priority in gardening isn't really waiting for things to grow - I'm far too impatient for that. It's mostly to ensure the garden looks tidy enough so that we can host BBQs and welcome people into our home to enjoy summer. But the other side of the story is the simple blessing of our garden. That we've got one in central(ish) London is amazing. That we've got one that's big enough to host BBQs is just lovely. And yet we've ignored it for most of the year.
In Zimbabwe, gardens are a massive benefit but they often need to be created. They're not just outside houses or villages. We visited communities across Zimbabwe on our trip in September. To be able to maintain a garden, there needs to be enough water. For that to happen, communities build dams to pump water either from a water source or water that's trapped in sand. These dams take months of hard labour in searing heat. And afterwards, communities have to cope with ever-changing weather conditions as they grow crops in their joint community garden. These crops aren't just for fun, like my basil and coriander, they provide the food families need to live.
And as I was weeding this morning I realised how unbelievably important their gardens are. I chatted to an amazing woman called Emmh in Zimbabwe. She's a farmer and works for a minimum of 6 hours on her crops every day. Her crops used to die because of the weather conditions and her work was in vain. But now she's able to farm three times more than before. And the reason is because Christian Aid partners are helping communities to farm in a new way. They're providing resources and skills and training so that farmers and gardeners have enough food.
It's Christian Aid Week and I'm excited for the fundraising that'll be happening in the office. But I'm also reflecting on my trip and remembering where the money's going. This week is called "Bite Back at Hunger". Focusing on food and water often seems a bit simplistic. But when the statistics are so stark - that one in eight people are hungry - it's something worth thinking about.
"Garden: a piece of ground, often near a house, used for growing flowers, fruit, or vegetables."
My main priority in gardening isn't really waiting for things to grow - I'm far too impatient for that. It's mostly to ensure the garden looks tidy enough so that we can host BBQs and welcome people into our home to enjoy summer. But the other side of the story is the simple blessing of our garden. That we've got one in central(ish) London is amazing. That we've got one that's big enough to host BBQs is just lovely. And yet we've ignored it for most of the year.
In Zimbabwe, gardens are a massive benefit but they often need to be created. They're not just outside houses or villages. We visited communities across Zimbabwe on our trip in September. To be able to maintain a garden, there needs to be enough water. For that to happen, communities build dams to pump water either from a water source or water that's trapped in sand. These dams take months of hard labour in searing heat. And afterwards, communities have to cope with ever-changing weather conditions as they grow crops in their joint community garden. These crops aren't just for fun, like my basil and coriander, they provide the food families need to live.
And as I was weeding this morning I realised how unbelievably important their gardens are. I chatted to an amazing woman called Emmh in Zimbabwe. She's a farmer and works for a minimum of 6 hours on her crops every day. Her crops used to die because of the weather conditions and her work was in vain. But now she's able to farm three times more than before. And the reason is because Christian Aid partners are helping communities to farm in a new way. They're providing resources and skills and training so that farmers and gardeners have enough food.
It's Christian Aid Week and I'm excited for the fundraising that'll be happening in the office. But I'm also reflecting on my trip and remembering where the money's going. This week is called "Bite Back at Hunger". Focusing on food and water often seems a bit simplistic. But when the statistics are so stark - that one in eight people are hungry - it's something worth thinking about.
"Garden: a piece of ground, often near a house, used for growing flowers, fruit, or vegetables."
Except gardens are so much more in countries like Zimbabwe. They're a means of living and they can transform lives.
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