Refugees invited along to sustainable allotment
NEW beginnings were marked at the spring equinox by an environmental group joined by a team of volunteers looking to rebuild their lives.
Transition Loughborough, one of a network of towns seeking solutions to the environment and energy crises invited refugees from Eritrea staying at the Cedars Hotel to join them at its sustainable allotment as the sun moved across the celestial equator.
Mekonen (35) and Wogan (29) said they were very happy to help prepare the flood–stricken soil for the growing year ahead as winter ends.
“Being here helps me relax, it’s something new for me to volunteer and help the community,” said Mekonen who otherwise spends his day sleeping and watching his mobile for calls from his two daughters.
A team of five sifted compost heaps lying neglected for years and rebuilt beds degraded by the year’s floods. Producing a fine tilth the men put in vegetable seed and seedlings to get the growing season off to a start.
During the relatively balmy evening Wogan planted out broad bean seedlings.
“I’m happy to be here to enjoy the nice weather when the day is as long as the night,” he said.
Eritrea has been described by human rights organisation Amnesty International as one of the most repressive countries in the world under the one – man dictatorship of President Isaias Afwerki. It maintains forced labour and conscription, no independent judiciary, legislature or civil society organisations and severe restrictions of faith, expression and opinion. Transition lead volunteer Martha Worsching said there were enough tools for the volunteers to clear the paths and they could all work without getting in each other’s way.
“They did a lot of weeding too to get a few beds ready then planted some broad beans and onions,” said Martha. “They loved sharing some coffee and tea, nuts and dates, so we really can see this as progress for our community gardening,” she added. Transition Loughborough invites supporters to its annual Good to Grow event at the King George Road allotment Saturday April 27th .