community garden project
In 2018 ECCNSW worked with the South Sudanese community at the St Bakhita Centre to establish a flourishing community garden. According to the St Bakhita Centre, since the garden started it has not only helped the South Sudanese women in the community of Western Sydney to grow healthy food, but it also has grown meaningful new friendships.
The set-up of the garden started in June 2018 with a gardening expert developing a site design for the community garden.
Three large garden beds and five narrow grow beds were put together, levelled, raised and filled with soil and mulch. A green house, storage, work bench and a compost bin were also installed at the site.
Anna Dimo, Pastoral Care Coordinator at the St Bakhita Centre explains the intergenerational benefits of the garden:
“We have a playgroup at the centre so women bring their children when they attend our citizenship, English and computer classes. Now we have the community garden, they can teach their children how to grow food and hopefully inspire them to eat healthy, traditional foods rather than fast food.”
For the Australian South Sudanese community of Western Sydney, this initiative provides a sustainable way to access nutritional food and eliminate social isolation.
ECCNSW is committed to helping all multicultural communities in NSW, particularly the new and emerging communities, to develop ways to increase community connections. ECCNSW endeavours to support any community that requires assistance to achieve these outcomes.
Funded by the WestConnex Community Connections Program.