Allotment

I went to visit my refugee friends this morning.  Among other tasks we made a trip to a plot of land run by Capital District Community Gardens.  This excellent organization turns vacant urban spaces into useable allotments where urban families can grow their own fruit and veg.  My friends live in an apartment without so much as a window-box, yet they are very able gardeners (they know not only their onions, but also their herbs, tomatoes and leafy greens).  So having a piece of land to cultivate, at just nominal cost, is an absolute godsend for them - not least because it enables them to be nearly self-sufficient in food for the whole growing season.  They had a plot last year, and today we got them on the list to continue gardening this year, too, when the gardens officially open next month.

On the way to visit my friends I saw the damage caused by a terrible fire that happened on Sunday just a few streets from their apartment.  They told me about the flames they'd watched reaching above the rooftops.  There are pictures of the aftermath here - though in fact three of the burnt-out buildings have already been bulldozed since these photos were taken.  The street is still cordoned off.  Thank goodness no-one was hurt, but twenty people were made homeless, including four refugee families.  I can't imagine how horrendous it must be to see your home burn down.  If in addition you've had to flee your country, exist at subsistence level in a refugee camp for two decades, then try and settle in an entirely new and confusing country...you must wonder what life has left to throw at you.