Harvesting joy and connection by planting vegetables

Connections cultivated with gardening at Öldutún!

Indeed, human development and strengthening connections were the main themes of the get together of families from Hafnarfjörður and refugee families who met in the schoolyards at Öldutún earlier this week. It was an opening event for the harvest project run by the town of Hafnarfjörður and the GETA aid organization. 24 families were registered and a large number of people showed up to strengthen ties and enjoy the experience.

The goal is to connect these families, who all live in Hafnarfjörður, and give them the opportunity to share their experience and knowledge and with that help each other to grow their own vegetables this summer. Carmen Fuchs, a refugee specialist at the town of Hafnarfjörður, is in charge of the project. She says that cultivation is practiced all over the world and is therefore ideal for strengthening ties.

“It is not only immigrants who are adapting, but also the community that receives them. The families from Hafnarfjörður are open to learn from the immigrants, and at the same time show them what is available in their hometown,” Carmen said in an interview on the morning radio, channel 2 (Morgunútvarpið, Rás 2).

Translators and horticulturist connected the group

The families registered are from five different countries. Three interpreters/translators, Arabic, Ukrainian and Spanish, were present to ease the communication at this first get together and a horticulturist gave good advice regarding the cultivation. Joy reigned and the children ran merrily around the garden that had been ploughed by volunteers for the planting that afternoon. Now Google translate takes over when the families grow their garden together this summer. Carmen says that after the summer, the goal is to harvest richly, create better connections, a better community and good vegetables.

Important to cultivate the connection

The refugee families taking part in the project are both with and without social security numbers. They are at different points in the application process but have already taken their first steps in society. It is therefore important to cultivate those relationships. The municipality of Hafnarfjörður is working on the project with GETA, an aid organization that supports refugees and applicants for protection and promotes positive integration into society.

• Here you can listen to the interview with Carmen and Ingunn Fjóla Ingþórsdóttir from the GETA aid organization on the morning radio.
• Here you can get to know the GETA aid organization better
• More about the Growing Roots project here