Community Gardening

The Community Garden program brings Israeli Ethiopian and veteran Israelis together through gardening. The garden operates as an environmental educational center and provides training to the community in the fields of practical ecology-gray water systems, garbage seperation and compostation, ecology gardening, and energey efficiency (water and electricity-wise). The Community Garden program is designed to empower the adult community and connect them to the land of Israel through work in the gardens, as well as establishing strong relationships with the community, and strengthening the bond between the children and the adults of the Shapira community.

Wajjed [a word in Amharic, the native Ethiopian language], the neighborhood renewal program, focuses on improving neighbor relations, practicing responsibility through gardening, and re-planning and changing the neighborhood’s public spaces in a sustainable way. Through the program, families assume responsibility over their health, become more environmentally aware, and receive practical tools to change their lives.

For a look at our community gardening efforts, check out our photo album.

The activity is ongoing in 5 buildings (each building contains 12 families). The tenants meet every week to nurture the gardens they planted in front their buildings, and take part in workshops regarding resource reduction and ecology.

Interview with Alex Chimadanov, Community Garden Project Manager

The story of Building 15

Learn more about our programs.