The Sahrawi people were living a nomadic life back in Western Sahara. People relied on their herds to survive, and those herds ate grass and herbs growing naturally in the desert. People would select a spot in the desert to stay in, and depending on how much grass was around for the animals, they could stay for a longer or shorter amount of time before moving to the next one.
In the mid-seventies, people were displaced and forced to settle down in refugee camps. Finding themselves no longer able to have herds as before, they lost the one thing they relied on to survive, and therefore became dependent on international aid.
The nomadic life is part of our identity. Even for those who were born in the camps, like us, the best thing to do is still having tea in the silent desert. The question here is: can we grow food while being nomads? What if we have to move again—are we going to just leave our gardens behind?
When we started the garden, we named it the Nomad Garden because the goal was very clear: if we have to move, so will our plants.
We designed a small wagon that can be pulled by a donkey, a camel, or a car. On this wagon, we installed a small sandoponic system to grow food. This will allow us to have our plants anywhere we go, or simply move the plants from direct sun to shade in summer.
We find this mobile garden very helpful, not just for us but also for nomadic communities around the world as well as communities who have faced displacement and uncertainty.
