Das Nachrichten-Portal für eine bessere Welt.

by Kristin Frauenhoffer

Giving refugees back their dignity is a mission of the Regensburg-based association Space-Eye. Its members do this in various ways, whether by renting apartments for refugees in Athens, finding them jobs or even an entire piece of land that they can cultivate independently.

At Good News For You, we are passionate about the work Space-Eye does for refugees, no matter what country they come from. That’s why we’re also collecting donations for the organization at our booth at the Ostengassenfest in Regensburg on July 2 and 3.

Land of Hope: an own organic farming for refugees

It is the feeling of being independent, of being able to achieve something and to provide for ourselves that gives us strength and dignity as human beings. And it is precisely this dignity that is repeatedly taken away from refugees, for example by denying them the right to work. In Bihać, Bosnia, a unique project has recently been set up for refugees that meets the human need for self-efficacy and gives them a perspective. There, an organic farm was created where people can grow vegetables for their own use and for sale.

A joint project of Space-Eye and the Bosnian aid organization SOS Bihać.

In Bihać and the surrounding area, thousands of refugees live in extremely precarious conditions; they live in forests, ruins, and tents. Together with the Bosnian aid organization SOS Bihać, the Regensburg-based association Space-Eye has been supporting these people for some time with clothing, food and medicine. And now also with concrete help for self-help. The farm project was launched by both organizations in the winter of 2021. At the end of 2021, they signed the lease for the 20,000-acre site. And at the beginning of this year, together with refugees on site, they began with the development and the first plantings.

Local forces teach agricultural basics

In the meantime, work on the „Land of Hope,“ as it is called, has progressed and the first harvests are expected. In addition to the open-air cultivation, there are also greenhouses. Yet it is not at all easy to organize everything. After all, some of the refugees who work on the land have little experience in agriculture. „It is local people who teach the refugees the basics,“ explains Hans-Peter Buschheuer, press officer at Space-Eye e.V.

„We offer people a perspective.“

In the meantime, the association has already collected 10,000 euros in donations for the project. The fundraising campaign continues, of course. At the moment, those responsible are mainly looking for donations in the form of tools such as saws, pliers, shovels or wheelbarrows. After successful work on the current farmland, Space-Eye would like to lease additional land. They are continuing to collect monetary donations for this purpose. The goal is that the „Land of Hope“ will soon be self-sustaining and even profitable. Michael Buschheuer, board member of Space-Eye, explains: „We offer people a perspective and enable them to make the most of the time they spend waiting.“

The association supports refugees in many different countries and in different ways. At Regensburg’s Ostengassenfest, we are therefore collecting money not only for the „Land of Hope“ project, but for the association as a whole. Come by and talk to us. We look forward to seeing you!

More about the project „Land of Hope“ here.

And this video shows the progress on the site:

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