Non-Sectarian Gardening Project Helps Rebuild Argentine Community

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime". -- Lao Tzu, the father of Taoism

Drying gourds soon to be made into loofah sponges hang from the wooden rafters of Elana and Jorge's home. The family hen cockles from its pen beside their bountiful garden, which Elana is tending.

"We had to grow things to eat because of the crisis," she says, brushing her salt-and-pepper hair out of her face with fertilizer-stained hands. "We didn’t have work, and this garden allowed us to eat."

Prior to the economic meltdown that devastated so many families in Argentina, Elana, 43, and her husband Jorge, 45, enjoyed a middle-class lifestyle. They owned a craft shop in Buenos Aires where Jorge sold his handmade picture frames and other woodwork, while Elana held an office job. By mid-2001 Elana had been laid off and sales at the woodshop were down so much that they were forced to close. In a matter of months they could no longer afford basic necessities for their two teenage sons or the rent on their city apartment.

With little money and bleak employment prospects, the family was forced to leave the city of Buenos Aires. Jorge bought scrap wood materials of an old house at low cost which he then had transferred to a plot of land in a low-income neighborhood, in the province of Buenos Aires. The family lived in a trailer for a year while Jorge and Elana built their present home with their own hands. Still without an income, the couple began growing some vegetables out of the rocky dirt in their backyard a couple of years ago.

Despite their efforts, the "soil" was infertile and yielded little produce. According to Jorge and Elana, "The garden came alive and expanded," as a result of the Gardening Project which they learned about through their local church. "We started growing so many more things, and all organic," says Elana. Among the dozens of fruits and vegetables, the plot now boasts spinach, beans, cauliflower, and strawberries; spices such as curry, cilantro, and oregano; and natural healers like propolis that have medicinal properties. This produce has completely transformed the lives of Jorge and Elana's family, providing them a source of food and self-sufficiency.

Like more than 30 other families in need of food, Jorge and Elana received essentials for creating a thriving garden – seeds, tools and agricultural training – from the Argentine charity CARITAS, a Catholic organization that partners with JDC's non-sectarian division: International Development Programs (IDP).

The Gardening Project has also helped Jorge and Elana reconnect with their community by exchanging seeds, plants, and sharing their experiences. "After the crisis there was a lot of theft and mistrust among people," says Daniel, the director of the Gardening program who himself provides the agricultural know-how to all of the families. "Now all of the people involved with us share their vegetables and give each other the possibility to grow new types of produce." Others who are not involved with the project are also benefiting, according to Daniel, as people share their new knowledge and food with their neighbors. Through the project, participants are also beginning to again see their neighbors as people who have experienced similar hardship due to Argentina's troubled economic situation. "There is a new level of camaraderie and understanding among the community."

Meanwhile, until the country experiences a recovery and significant drops in unemployment and poverty rates, an increasing number of families are able to be self-sufficient and put food on their own tables as a result of the project. "I cook everyday with things from the garden," says Elana, who also jars tomato sauce, makes jams, and freezes "surplus vegetables" for the winter months. Their home is filled with natural art creations – including gourds carved and designed into potpourri and spice holders, as well as loofah sponges that they sell at craft fairs. "We use everything we grow. I don't know what we would have done without this garden."