Last Updated on Tuesday, 03 November 2009 16:38 Written by Larissa Saturday, 26 September 2009 01:22

That means urban gardens.  Those of you who have visited know that Arequipa is very much an urban setting, with more sidewalks than parks and very few family yards.  It is not uncommon for your average household to have absolutely no patch of dirt or grass on their property.  Thus, in our desire to teach our neighbors how to grow some food for themselves, we have had to explore how to make this possible for the average family.  Thus, our families have been experimenting in how to germinate seeds and the best makeshift pots using everyday materials.  Plus, since Arequipa is located in the desert, we have very strong sun, dry air, and cool nights, which all must be taken into account.  We have had some flops and are still in the process of figuring this thing out, but we have enough obvious successes (so far!) that we are very hopeful.

One such success was our first workshop of a three part series.  It took place at one of the comedores in our area, in a different location than the library.  We had eight women attend, including our good friend Manuela.  This first phase covered a few methods of starting seeds and turning a large soda bottle into a self-watering planter.  We provided a few basic materials and seeds so that they would have samples to take home.  At the end, we set up an assembly line and prepared a planter for each woman.  Overall, we were pleased with the level of interest they showed and look forward to part two, which takes place in a couple of weeks.  We will discuss turning 5 gallon buckets into self-watering planters large enough to house almost any vegetable plant.  The final session will cover composting in order to keep the plants well-fed and healthy.

We are repeating the first workshop again next week at the comedor that also houses the library.  A previous attempt proved frustrating, as no one attended, so we are happy to report that we have had a dozen women sign up.  Around here, that means we will hope for about eight again, but that works!  Please keep these workshops in your prayers as we continue to reach out to those around us and help improve their lives in real, practical ways.