Capturing Stories of Growth and Collaboration

The past two weeks were spent within the Mazingira Institute’s office. I worked on several of my usual tasks, which included analyzing the mobile application and database, uploading photos and creating social media posts for communications purposes. Furthermore, I also completed the first draft of the newsletter for the Montreal Study Visit and worked with the team to discuss the documentary. These activities were necessary to document and show the progress of the Women’s Spaces Project. The documentaries, in particular, serve as a case studies showing progress through interviews with project participants. 

I also met with the Youth Hub during their monthly meeting at Mazingira Institute and completed an activities report based on their discussions. I had previously met the members on many occasions, including their previous meetings and the NEFSALF Forum. Each member became involved with the Youth Hub after attending Mazingira’s Gender, Urban Agriculture and Food System (GUAFS) Training at different points in time. The members come together on a monthly basis to discuss their farming activities and make plans for their group. The Youth Hub is part of Mazingira’s network, frequently collaborating with them and recommending people for other training sessions. The Hub has benefited from the Women’s Spaces Project in many ways, such as learning new urban agriculture skills and gaining access to important resources. As a ripple effect, many of the members have shared their knowledge with their families and communities. 

The Youth Hub serves as an excellent example of a group who empowers each other through urban agriculture activities. As I meet with more participants for data collection, I will continue to encourage them in the way that the Hub members encourage each other.