It all began as a simple idea amidst our struggle to secure funds for starting a demonstration farm. The challenges felt overwhelming, and at times, it seemed impossible to move forward. In the midst of these difficulties, we had a breakthrough — rather than renting land at a high cost, we decided to start small by utilizing what we already had. The solution was right in front of us: transforming our unused office compound into a living, breathing garden.
As we began, we soon realized that we had more space than we initially thought, and this revelation aligned perfectly with our values of sustainability and environmental responsibility. What started as a modest effort became a powerful step towards promoting our mission of sustainability.
When one of our members' businesses closed, much of its inventory was destined to be discarded. Instead of letting it go to waste, we saw an opportunity to build something new. From the remains, we salvaged shoe shelves and transformed them into a vertical garden.
The shelves, though slightly damaged, were reinforced with broken wood pieces, making them strong enough to support containers of soil. We aligned the shelves along the wall fence for additional support. Each shelf measured 30 cm in width, 1–4 meters in length, and 2 meters high. This setup allowed us to hold between 14 to 30 containers per shelf, maximizing space and giving our urban garden the vertical structure it needed to thrive.
To reach over 5,000 urban and rural homesteads by empowering families to set up their own mini urban farms through hands-on training and education, promoting self-sufficiency, sustainable agriculture, and food security.
To establish a scalable urban farm that empowers the community through sustainable agriculture, providing education, food security, and employment opportunities, while fostering environmental stewardship and economic resilience.
In our garbage collection venture with Julihos, a significant portion of the waste we collect is plastic. Rather than letting it go to waste, we decided to repurpose these plastics in creative ways — with many more ideas still in development.
How did we do it? We utilized large plastic containers like broken drums and crates, perfect for plants that require more soil to grow. These were placed in unused corners and spaces around our compound. For medium-sized containers, such as dispenser water bottles, we cut them into two parts, each able to hold multiple vegetable stalks or plants. These containers were then hung on trees, wood pallets, and even placed on shelves, which not only saved space but also beautified our surroundings.
In every container, we added well-mixed soil enriched with compost manure and created small drainage holes to ensure proper water flow, essential for healthy plant growth. Additionally, we’re exploring the idea of using plastic water bottles and other plastics to create plant ponds — a concept currently under development. This will allow us to expand our gardening possibilities and further contribute to sustainability.
The lawn at our office may appear larger with all the plants, but in reality, it’s just enough space for three medium-sized vehicles. At the front yard, right beyond the fence where we established our vertical garden, there was a small patch of grass, with the rest covered in gravel.
To make way for our garden, we had to sacrifice this patch of grass, though we preserved the grass outside the fence. Instead of digging up the soil and disrupting the structure, we chose to cover the grass to deprive it of light, allowing it to decompose and enrich the soil naturally.
We then lightly cultivated the top layer and added compost manure sourced from a nearby landfill. This landfill, which has been accumulating waste for over three decades, provided us with rich, decomposed organic matter, enhancing the soil's fertility.
Next, we transplanted vegetables from a small nursery bed we had set up in the backyard. To retain moisture and improve soil health, we applied mulch. We also surrounded the lawn with sacks and garbage bags filled with excess soil from the landfill. This soil, already rich in nutrients, was used to plant vegetables and root crops.
This approach allowed us to make the most of our limited space and resources, turning a small patch of lawn into a productive and thriving garden. In addition, we created raised soil troughs, lifted above the ground to replicate situations where planting might need to occur in a concrete environment. These troughs have helped us explore vertical gardening in limited space. We also set up independently standing shelves, which can be utilized from all sides for maximum planting capacity.
We repurposed dumped wood pallets to build a decorative rack, nailing several containers to it to hold soil. In these containers, we planted vegetables, herbs, and flowers, adding both functionality and beauty to the garden.
Prospectively we have many exciting ideas on the table. One of our future projects is setting up a hydroponic vegetable garden. To address the challenge of consistent water supply, we are as well developing a DIY irrigation system. Fortunately, we have an ample supply of containers that enable us to collect rainwater from the roof using a gutter system. During the dry season, we will supplement this with tap water to ensure our plants receive the moisture they need.