We are finally back from the Sahara after being caught in a sandstorm which delayed our flights. Sadly it also blew the roof of Hamdi’s house injuring two of the gardeners. Some bad scrapes and a broken arm. The roof is being fixed so that the rest of the house doesn’t fall down.
But before that happened we had a really positive time.
The race went well. We all completed what we set out to do and the girls were great at adapting to life in a refugee camp. They got on particularly well with Fatimalu’s children. They were all very sad to say goodbye.
We visited the vegetable farm and Fatimalu had a couple of surprises for us. One being that she had cooked the most delicious lunch with the vegetables they grow.
The BIG surprise was that they have created a wellness garden. After visiting the one at RHS Garden Bridgewater in the summer Fatimalu became interested in the link between gardens and mental health. She had already seen that people came to the Growing Hope Farm to relax and experience the healing power of nature.
They now have a place to sit amongst the flowers, listen to the birds and enjoy the greenery. See the pictures here
Part of the fun of the Sahara Marathon is the festivities in the days before and after the actual run. There a few videos here to give you an idea.
Thank you so much to all the wonderful people who have donated to the project over the years. What has been acheived by the team in the camps in truly amazing.
If you would like to make a donation, please go to our donation page or take a look at the gofundme page.