From Syria with green fingers and smiles

He hasn’t been in the country a year yet, but Syrian refugee Khaled Al Jouja has already found his calling – growing food for those in need.

Al Jouja’s background as a market gardener made him a perfect fit as a part-time worker for Lower Hutt’s Common Unity Project.

The project, founded by Julia Milne and based at Epuni Primary School, is a communitybased urban food project.

Milne said Al Jouja had been employed to help the project ramp up its ability to feed those going hungry in Lower Hutt.

His background as a market gardener and orchardist in Syria were a great starting point, but there had been a bit of a learning curve for both him and Milne.

Permaculture was as foreign a concept in Syria as the English language, which Al Jouja ploughs on with by taking a course three days a week.

His gardening endeavours back home weren’t small-scale, regularly growing enough to feed many families in his village as well as his own.

But what were successful and commonplace techniques in Syria for growing fruit, vegetables and flowers were a far cry from what is done in New Zealand.

Manure was used widely but mulching and composting were unnecessary due to the rich soils.

The climate differences aren’t quite what you’d expect either. If you ask Al Jouja whether Syria gets cold, his response, with a wry smile is ‘‘yes, yes, cold’’.

How cold? It snows there yearly.

Al Jouja has lived in Epuni with his wife Aisha Al Kobbaji, sons Mohammad and Suleiman, and daughter Hamida for eight months.

Life in New Zealand is ‘‘good’’. His family are enjoying it here and he is getting to grips with the different climate and gardening techniques.

As well as working on the Common Unity Project’s main garden in Epuni garden he has helped prepare fruit trees for the Ngahere Kai project.

On Father’s Day, 250 fruit trees were planted throughout Lower Hutt to create community orchards.

He has also been working to graft roses at home and has plans to get a business up and going to sell them when they mature.

Milne said the funds to cover Al Jouja’s wages, paid at the living wage, were all donated and she hoped at some stage enough money would become available to increase his hours.

As Milne sees it, Al Jouja’s employment is a perfect example of those in the community with means doing the right thing to help out - by supporting him to support those needing the food he grows.’

It’s the Epuni circle of life.