Croatia
participants
The goal of this activity was to teach participants about responsible food consumption and how to plant their own vegetable garden all while helping in providing one for the Center for Autism. In other words, we wanted to encourage participants to reduce their carbon footprint simply by planting their own source of food by showing that it is easier and more rewarding that it might seem and bring a little bit of joy to the people with autism living in the Center by providing them a new outdoor activity this spring.
In this event ESN Zagreb collaborates with Center for Autism Zagreb which includes its users and workers in the project and provides space for the event, association Biovrt which donated seed bags and a book manual for organic cultivation and association BIUS whose volunteers participate in the event, give instructions when needed and hold an education on the benefits of composting and how to do it yourself.
The participants list includes 1 worker and 6 users of Center for Autism, 6 ESN volunteers, 3 BIUS volunteers, 1 local and 2 international students. The event starts with setting up the raised garden beds after which users of the Center join in planting the seeds with the help of personal assistants and volunteers. Information and advice on cultivating the planted vegetables and the best options for planting in the future are provided by BIUS volunteers throughout the event. Once the planting is done, BIUS volunteers hold a short education on benefits of composting and how participants can make their own compost at home. After all participants have spent a fair amount of time in the garden and learning, expecting the seeds to grow over the following sunny days, they afford themselves some rest, sitting all together in the shadowed parts of the garden and spending some quality time bonding over coffee and snacks.
We received an invitation to come again and repeat the event for the Center for Autism, which we plan on in the form of harvesting and replanting by reusing the materials founded for this event.
This activity is part of the project:
Green Erasmus