Community Garden

Like we've been saying in the past few blog posts, Mercy is an amazing organization - slum visits, orphanage, church plants, prison visits... and a garden project, something we had the privilege of taking part in. At this garden, community members are to grow vegetables, perhaps to sell at a local market. This had been made possible with the help of a landowner who had graciously donated this small plot of land rent-free. It had first began as a small initiative to help one member of the community and has since expanded into a venture aimed at bringing together and helping the entire community. It hopefully will foster growth, relationship and community within this slum.This project is a symbol of hope for each member who has gone through a lifetime of difficulty – each person with his or her own unique story. Even though their stories are very different, they are able to come together with joint purpose and create bonds that will tie them together. This creates a sustainable future for the members of this slum and their families.



We first heard of this project at the Mercy Center. We had been told by one of the staff that today was its first day the garden would be put into effect. She had asked if we were interested in going along to take pictures for them. Excited, we agreed and took a ride to the community. What's really comical here, is that we had no idea what we were getting ourselves in to.

After a quick tour of the community, we were stopped where the garden was to be planted, our host revealed a couple of hoes. She smiled and offered them to us. We carried them, unsure of what we were supposed to do with them. Blankly, we watched her take her hoe and start taking out the weeds and thick foliage surrounding the area. We finally clued in. They wanted us to help! Never having used a hoe before, we tried to imitate what the others were doing. We watched them raise their instruments, drop it to the ground, and blam - the weeds were gone. Likewise, we attempted to do the same only to end in confusion. No matter how hard we'd hit the ground, it seemed incredibly difficult to get rid of these weeds! The locals noticed and began to laugh, amused at our effort.

With the language barrier, they tried to show us repeatedly how to take the weeds out, but I don't think either of us really understood it. After a couple of failed attempts, both of us were soaked in sweat and dirt, feet covered in ants, and a bunch of new mosquito bites. We were a wreck and compared to the locals, they looked as if they hadn't even started to work. It was hilarious on both parts. I guess we just weren't made for this! We felt bad that our efforts fell short and had to take breaks, but it was such a sight to see them take a jungled mess and transform it into a top soil that would produce a beautiful garden. In a sense, this seemed metaphoric to me - through the chaos of poverty, together, they were going to clear that mess, till it, mind it, to grow together in community and result in a beautiful kind of love.
Although this farm is only in its initial stages, it is evident that excitement and hope lingers with the people. Already, they go together hand in hand to prepare the land for future growth. While the land waits for seeds to be planted and for water to make their crops grow, so they too wait for their work to harvest and bear fruit.