Week 8 Update (Semana 8 Últimas Noticias)

The 8^th and final week of the garden project has passed. It was an emotional and eventful week. We spent most of our time rehashing the themes of agroecology and allowing for the men of the garden to make decisions on their own. It was a period of time where we hoped to continue building confidence in the garden leaders, while also enjoying one another’s company.

Some of the tasks that were completed in the final week were the completion of the last garden bed, which was planted out with amaranth and spinach; we weeded the center heart-shaped bed and planted lavender and salvias in it as a means to further attracting beneficial insects; the final bed-markers were painted and installed; I was able to finish writing the manual for the garden (click here to see the manual) in an effort to document the information that was shared during the project; and, most importantly, we celebrated our new found friendships and the completion of a beautiful garden over dinner in the greenhouse!

Starting the last bed in the garden

Some of the hand painted bed-markers

Our celebration dinner in the greenhouse

In short, the last week of the garden project was bitter sweet. Both Moises and myself were thankful for the opportunity to have some rest once the project ended, but we also felt sadness because we knew we might never see some of the young men again.

Life is full of twists and turns. Some of the men we worked with have already left the Hogares Claret Foundation and could be living on the streets and returning to drugs, or they could be headed in a much different direction – we don’t know. What we do know is that we are thankful to have had the opportunity to work with the Johnny, Cesar, George, David, and Juan-Esteban. Those 5 men stuck with us throughout our 2-months in Medellín. They worked hard. It was hot some days. It was cold some days. It might have been boring some days. They didn’t receive pay for their work. Yet, I believe they enjoyed the project – I know that I did.

Johnny

Cesar

George

Juan-Esteban and David

Our hope is that these young men go forward in life with a greater awareness about health and that gardening can bring some love into their lives, as it has done for us.

With contented hearts,

Seeds of Nourishment