Projects Social Improvement
3 min.
A pilot initiative by the Internationale Organisatie voor Migratie (International Organization for Migration or IOM) and the Respons 4 Venezuela (R4V) program to have locals and (undocumented) immigrants working together on forest gardening projects in Curaçao has taken off. While forest gardening (“voedselbossen” in Dutch) can play a major role in producing less costly, locally harvested products, the initiative in Curaçao was also set up to encourage the integration of immigrants on the island, including the many Venezuelan refugees without papers. A win-win situation, so to say.
What is this about, exactly?
Before we dive into the IOM’s and R4V’s forest gardening project in Curaçao, we figured it could be useful to briefly explain what forest gardening is exactly. Forest gardening is a type of agroforestry, which is the practice of combining forest management and traditional agricultural processes, that is sustainable and requires little maintenance. By managing the creation and growth of forest and woodland areas this way, people can create natural habitats that are both sustainable and a rich source of nutrition for humans at the same time. It has been a known and successful technique for humans since prehistoric times, especially in more tropical areas where different types of agroforests represent significant sources of food and income for local populations.
Forest gardening in Curaçao
As part of the forest gardening project in Curaçao, small pieces of uncultivated land in different neighborhoods around the island are being turned into community and forest gardens. “Together with the IOM and the people of the Montaña neighborhood, we’re creating a new forest garden”, says Benjamin Visser of Samyama Permaculture Transition, “We went to look for a spot where we could also invite undocumented members of the community to join”. Program coordinator Joeri Arion of the IOM adds to that, “One of the topics we were not focusing on very much yet was integration. In order to facilitate the integration of immigrants from different cultures, we started a collaboration with the forest gardening projects being set up in various areas on this island [Curaçao]”.
At the moment, the IOM is running eleven different projects in Curaçao, including the ongoing forest gardening project. Where many of those projects focus on areas like security, education and food, the collaboration with Samyama Permaculture Transition is the first one to include integration as a topic of interest as well. At the moment, the interest of illegal immigrants in the project is still limited, but this is no surprise, says Arion. “It’s too bad, but this is a project that needs a bit of time in order to really take root [in the local communities]”.
The IOM coordinator also sees opportunities for the many new refugees from Venezuela that have made their way to Curaçao over the past few years as a result of their country’s political dictatorship and depleted economy. “There’s lots for them to win still in terms of integration into the Curaçaoan community”, he says, “The interest is there, but their priorities are determined by their own realities. Primary necessities naturally take preference over cultural exchanges and this situation has only gotten more complicated as a result of the COVID-19 crisis”.
For more information about forest gardening initiatives in Curaçao and if you want to find out how you can contribute as well, you can contact Samyama Advies here.
You can also get in touch with us at Future Islands here for more information and referrals.
The basis for this article was originally published on www.caribischnetwerk.ntr.nl in March 2022.
Check their 3-minute report on forest gardening in Curaçao Youtube here.
