How this community garden is helping cultivate opportunities for resettled African refugees

After years of healthy growth, the garden is a beloved destination that’s rich with fruitful relationships and producing new opportunities for members. The idea for a garden was planted by Amazing Northern Multicultural Services (ANMS), a social welfare organisation providing support to new and emerging communities from East, West, Northern Africa and parts of Asia. 

Now as famous for its produce as it is for its community spirit, the garden has become a home away from home, a social gathering place and a networking hub for employment, trade and horticultural education.  Founder Muhama Yotham understands the psychological impact of being in a refugee camp. Originally from Burundi, he spent 9 years in a camp in Tanzania before resettling in Adelaide. Because refugees do not necessarily resettle by choice, it’s unlikely that they have existing family and friends to welcome or help them adjust. They also may not be able to join well-established communities on arrival because of placement in different neighbourhoods. Calling Australia home for 18 years, Muhama believed his community would reap the rewards of a central meeting place enriched with connections to home. 

“It’s where we meet and share stories, exchange language, work beside each other and grow and eat food the way we used to," says Muhama. We’re cutting from the trees and digging with our hands without machines, because this is the way we used to do it.”

Starting as a church, ANMS became a not-for-profit organisation which opened the door to funding land to harvest. Initially planning to rent, they realised that a collective contribution could raise the funds to buy instead. This achievement has also embedded hope in members who previously believed owning land here was out of reach. 

“As a not-for-profit, we had to come up with a 50% deposit, but we were able to do this together. Everyone in the community put in so we could buy this land. It has also been an inspiration to members who thought they would never have property in Australia. It has encouraged them to secure their own homes through the bank, but they did not think this was possible before.” 

Being able to grow food from home is a major drawcard. On Friday evenings, the garden often hosts ‘Eat and Grow’ cook-ups where everyone pitches in to cook dishes of African provenance from ingredients grown on-site.  

“Many families are renting with small spaces they maybe can’t use for gardening. Here, they can contribute to the growing and harvesting of seasonal fruits and vegetables they serve at their own tables.” 

The garden is also tending to employment and educational opportunities, with ANMS receiving a government grant to hire two full time horticulturalists. They help run education sessions so families can successfully grow their own food in the unpredictable Australian climate.  

“We have a rainy season in Africa. You don’t know when the rain is coming here,” he chuckles, “but that’s ok, we teach people how to work with this and use different irrigation systems. ”  

They have even developed something of a reputation for their African maize. When it gets close to harvest time, they are inundated with orders from buyers both locally and interstate.

“Australian corn is soft and easy to eat, but we like it hard so we grow our tough African maize. Gardening Australia did a story on us and reported they were ‘a-maized’ by our maize,” he laughs. “After that we had a huge demand which continues every harvest season. We’re about to plant the new crop now.” 

This economic success has encouraged bountiful offshoots where families are setting up their own community gardens in new areas, growing and selling African produce where there is a high demand. The garden also offers the chance for traditional farming techniques to be handed down to the next generation, and reportedly, the kids are only too happy to get their hands dirty.

Muhama affirms that the Davoren Park garden is proof that anything can be achieved when you work together. This is also the motto of his home country, Burundi, which continues to serve as a life philosophy. 

“Ubumwe, Ibikorwa, Iterambere. In Kirundi it means Unity, Work, Progress. So, everything is possible through unity.”