GBM Blog

Wanjira Mathai makes her first visit to the Wangari Gardens in Washington DC

May 10, 2013 - 08:35AM
Published by David Kamau

 

Saturday May 4th was a special day at Wangari Gardens in Washington DC. Wanjira Mathai, Wangari Maathai’s daughter and Vice Chair of the Green Belt Movement (GBM) Board visited the Gardens for the first time. Wanjira met with the residents who started the gardens in 2012. 

  

Wanjira Mathai meets Josh Singer who started the Wangari Gardens                                                                          

The Wangari Gardens are a 2.7 acre garden park built in a North West Washington DC neighborhood that has little access to healthy, affordable food. Josh Singer, inspired by the legacy of Professor Wangari Maathai, formed the garden to help combat the high obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and malnutrition affecting many of its residents.

 “It was a very inspiring day to see how a community is building links and friendships one garden at a time"

Wanjira said about her visit to the gardens:

"It was a very inspiring day to see how a community is building links and friendships one garden at a time. They are growing vegetables and herbs and sharing the joy of gardening with their children, many of whom had never done gardening before, let alone grow their own food.

There are 99 plots in the garden all with proud gardeners from the local neighborhood. One of the plot owners, Juanita, has planted onions, spinach and basil on her plot. It is amazing to see how the gardens have changed the community. The simple act of planting vegetables together has changed their relationships with each other and the soil and is a wonderful example of what we can do for communities everywhere. We can all be hummingbirds!”

 

Wanjira met with the residents who started the gardens in 2012