Firstly, our thanks and appreciation to those who were able to love on Kajen through your gifts and your prayers. She deeply values everything you have given, and each one of you who have encouraged her. She has a long journey ahead of her, we ask that you keep her in your hearts.
We are proud of our rescued students, those whose families never returned from the captivity of ISIS. They joined in the funeral procession and went to comfort Kajen. Once again, we move as a tribe.
“And the Lord God planted a Garden in the east, in Eden.”
Genesis 2:8
Watching the seasons change in the Hope Garden is such a lesson for us all, in how to embrace and walk differently in each season, of life also. Each season holds its beauty and wonder, yet comes with its own challenges. As we come out of a week of mourning, we chose to focus this week on the life of the garden, its cycles, its periods of noticeable growth and its dormant periods.
Sami, Gardener
“I have tended the Hope Garden since we built it in January 2020. It has been a journey of learning, of really watching and listening to the soil and the plants and treating them as partners of dignity. The soil and plants are to be cultivated together, with understanding, patience. It is both a privilege and a responsibility to be a Gardener. I have to sense what the garden is wanting to do in every given season, I am the one to respond to the soil.
The Garden has grown and matured. It is a joy to see its seasonal produce being weighed and delivered to our students and the needy in the camp and the village. Since the beginning of spring we have given over 500 kg of cucumbers, 1500 kg of green peppers, 300 kg of grapes, 50 kg watermelon and 120 kg of figs and now the winter vegetables, the green vegetables, broad beans, radish and onions.
Seasons change quickly here, I am busy preparing the soil for next year. One of our greenhouses goes to rest as I enrich the soil to ensure a good harvest next year. Then I will do the same for the second greenhouse. Rest is one of the keys to a good harvest and good produce.
I want to thank you again for the gift of the cultivator which has saved my back many a time and continually proves its worth, saving hours of labour.
The Garden is a valuable food source for those unable to work, and for those with no money to purchase fresh produce. We give to the survivors of ISIS, to the orphans, the widows, the less abled and special needs and to whoever in the camp needs. It is a place of healing, a place of tranquility. I often see students just hanging out, smelling the mint or the rosemary, or taking a piece of fruit. It is a sanctuary in the midst of chaos and a place of stability in the midst of the unknown."
Sami. Gardener
Barakat, Gardener
"I am Barakat, Sami’s brother. We work together. Most of my time at Springs of Hope Foundation is spent in the garden. It’s not just a place of work, the garden is my home. I take care of it because I truly believe in its purpose. The name itself, The Hope Garden is its purpose. I am not a man who speaks much, but I see the faces of those who visit, and they change from week to week, and month to month in relation to the season. Every face shares a story, every face is different, some are curious, some are looking for hope, some hungry, some tired needing relief. I watch them walk around pausing to smell, to touch, to taste, to sit by the fountain or sit in the rocking chairs. I say hello to everyone but I let the garden give them what they need.
This garden isn't just about food. It’s about hope. We are not running a store or a stall in the market. We are offering hope and we do it freely. I am deeply grateful to all who donate so that we can keep the supply line of hope coming."
Barakat. Gardener.
“Their life will be like a well watered garden and all their sorrows will be gone.”
Jer 31: 12
Ayhan, Director of the Hope Centre
"Yes, I agree with Sami, every season has its difficulties. Winter has arrived and every day someone comes into the Hope Centre requesting help and assistance. For these people, the Hope Garden is a beacon of hope.
I have witnessed countless moments when individuals express their gratitude ( and relief ) with prayers, blessings and smiles, saying "I thank you for your kindness, I pray to God to keep you safe and make you happy." It’s in those smiles that I feel that we have given them a renewed sense of hope, that despite their suffering and tragic past, they see that there is still goodness in this world.
Their words of thanks for everything we do is heartwarming but I believe that the real thanks should go to you, the unseen, kind-hearted individuals who support us. It is because of your care and generosity that we are able to plant, to grow, to reap and to give. So I want to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to you, the compassionate souls that make this possible. Thank you for helping us to bring hope to those who need it most, in every season of the year and of life."
Ayhan. Director of the Hope Centre
“The best place to find God is in a garden. You can dig for him there.”
George Bernard Shaw
Ayman, Music Teacher
"The Hope Garden is famous in the camp and the village. There is no place like it and it is a very special place for each one of us. I believe that we have given produce to every single family in the camp at least once. No one has been missed or left out.
It is a source of nourishment in more than one way. It's a place where our spirits can recharge. We hold many activities there, classes, rehearsals, events, it has become the hub of the campus as its natural, peaceful atmosphere makes it the perfect setting. I hope that we will be able to maintain the garden for many years to come, for the benefit of all the community."
Ayman. Music Teacher.
“It’s the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine and things pushing up and working under the earth.”
The Secret Garden. Frances Hodgson Burnett
Nurse Salah
“The Hope Garden holds a dear place in our heart. It is a beautiful place that benefits the entire community in practical, social and emotional ways. It is a natural environment for our students both those who were rescued from ISIS and those who live as refugees. We literally watch their bodies relax and their faces smile when in the garden. When they are psychologically at ease and relaxed in their learning environment, their focus and ability to learn are greatly enhanced.
This beautiful space which tells a different story every season has become part of our educational approach, giving students a break from the conventional classroom session and providing them with a connection to nature and the world around them.
And for those who are unable to support themselves our garden offers a much needed source of nourishment and comfort. By providing fresh seasonal fruit, vegetables and herbs, the garden has become a lifeline where they can receive goods with love and dignity, helping to ease their daily struggles and bring comfort in times of hardship. The garden is a place of hope, education and generosity, where nature and community come together to provide both sustenance and emotional support to those who need it the most. Thank you all for your help.”
Nurse Salah
Bashiq, English Teacher
"I appreciate the opportunity that Sami gives us to engage our students in hands-on learning. He teaches them about planting, and growing, weeding and watering, caring for the crops which enhances their agricultural skills and creates care for the soil and the land. By weighing and packaging the harvests they learn about sustainable agriculture, and the importance of nutrition and nourishment. The garden is a strong symbol of hope and cooperation.
And Sami is awesome."
Bashiq. English Teacher
“When you see a bit of earth you want, take it child and make it come alive.”
The Secret Garden
Amal, Sewing Hope Teacher
"My Sewing Hope ladies are all survivors of captivity in ISIS. Some live in the uncertainty of the whereabouts of their family members, living with the stress and tension of hope yet lack of knowledge.
We use the garden regularly. We go to inhale the fresh air, to look at the beauty of each season, even now in winter with the cold weather, it is wonderful. We breathe in oxygen and feel revitalised. It is vital for our mental and psychological well being. The Garden makes us come alive."
Amal, Sewing Hope Teacher
Payiz, Director of Sewing Hope
"What sets our garden apart is the love and the care that is poured into it. No one steps in the garden by accident and leaves untouched. We all have a sense of reverence when inside. This garden isn't just about what it grows, it’s about what it gives. This is a garden which gives more than it grows. It gives food. It gives peace. It nourishes. It sustains. It gives the fragrance of life itself. It gives a longing to return again. It gives promise. It gives hope for the day and for the future. It is a giving garden that is dearly loved."
Payiz. Director of Sewing Hope
I am always amazed that when as a team we discuss a subject, we find ourselves on the same page, sharing the same vision, the same perspective and the same dedication to maintaining and keeping that part of the vision alive. The Garden is not just something we do. We don't just grow fruit and veg and give them away for free. As Payiz said so well, the Garden gives more than it grows, and in its giving it is erasing traumatic memories of having no food, it eases the fear of not having. The Garden provides comfort, solace, hope, it's a place of learning, of education, of stress relief. It's a refugee for the individual and a gathering place for the community. It's a place of silence and a place for song. I think of one sentence from The Giving Tree, "And the tree was happy." ( Shel Silverstein )
The Hope Garden, by honoring the community and its history, in giving place to the sacredness and awe of creation, and by providing sustenance for the basic needs, has by itself made the cucumbers, the figs, the peaches, the apricots, the peppers, very happy. The Garden is happy as it gives more than it grows.
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