Initiated and sponsored by Stiftungsgemeinschaft anstiftung & ertomis
Sajjad Sajjad, 53 years old, was born in India, lives in Germany since 1972.His nature: organising ability, sympathy for the fact that social processes need time, tranquillity. His goals: To turn his garden project into a "garden family" The first thing you notice when meeting Sajjad is the speed and vividness with which he speaks. But when watching him in his garden, you will see a different side of him: He is a patient and considerate coordinator whose sereneness is just as contagious as his sense of humour. Sajjad has recognised that in such a young project it is very important to begin with familiarising the people with their new environment: Compared to your home garden, in which you are able to do what you want, the intercultural gardens have their own rules. Here, it is all about sharing space and especially at the beginning this can be quite a challenge for the participants. Basic necessities, such as the use of the water-hose and the common ground, demand good coordination. And this is based upon different languages, cultures and experiences. How to handle this best? Not that Sajjad knows the exact answer to this question but he is the right person to free the people from their initial insecurity and to animate them to actively participate. He says you cannot force anybody to do so but he is convinced that the atmosphere and setting of the intercultural gardens give the immigrants enough support to discover their own little niche, in which they can become active. The first motions are simple: On a regular basis Sajjad moderates discussions about the design of the garden. Here everybody is encouraged to participate. In that way the gardeners find out that they can advance their opinions and participate in the decision making. And once in a while, someone is quite surprised that his words are heard. |