Urban Crayola tools

Oh wow..! What a day it was… we started early morn the truck arrives with trees and bougainvilleas in all rainbow shades that lift our hearts already.

The new immigrants coming straight from Ulpan (Hebrew class) folding sleeves and starting to work the staff from Netafim (a big local-based and international irrigation company) that have been aiding us from day one and have agreed to come and pitch in.

It’s happening at last – we are growing and will now be able to offer 30 more plots for growing vegetables in the middle of the urban prairie. This move is after our 50 plots are already operated by families from the adjacent Ethiopian Absorption Center and people from the neighborhood have approached us wanting to taste some agriculture too.

This is an amazing opportunity in our cultural mosaic of a neighborhood, this is a real chance for people to meet and exchange knowledge, language and even just recipes.. Why is this exciting? Because as is common in many under-privileged neighborhoods the daily picture is one of suspicion, prejudice and a clinging to known ethnic groups.

What a loss! We have so much right here! So many tastes and music diversity and stories and languages.. Why travel far? Why seek exotic elsewhere? If we stop and listen, open our heart and mind we got so much to discover..

The Community Garden can provide a bridge across this vast ocean, cause while you’re busy with tomatoes, cabbages or reconnecting the irrigation you might not notice that you’re also creating a different kind of connection…

If we’re talking about creating sustainable models for urban living (which is what we do at Earth’s Promise) then any biologist knows – Biodiversity is key for any long-lasting balanced ecosystem.

So as we are concerned with growing a community beside those lovely veggies this next step is essential in our growth. A celebration of color and diversity that can be found in urban living!

Celebration and colors – smells like Purim and sure enough:

Next Up – The Purim Street Party in Be’er-Sheva!

A coalition of various organizations and businesses to create an alternative street celebration by the people and for the people! Reclaiming the streets socially and environmentally… Tell you all about it next month.

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