Nour Al Barakah – Planting a Sense of Community (Amman, Jordan)

Store room and NAB sign logo

Nadia and I have known Rosemary Bdeir and her daughter Hala now for more than 10 years. Our original connection was through an invitation to consult on their family properties. It was obvious to Nadia and I that they understand the ethics of permaculture and the need for permaculture design in the broader landscape and community.

We were asked to gives talks to a group of their lady friends as they were going through the process of forming Nour Al Barakah (NAB) which translates as “the shining light of giving”. NAB is an NGO registered with the Ministry of Social Development. Once they had formed their organization, we consulted and presented at their first community garden/demonstration site whenever we could in our visits to Jordan. It was a very difficult site with awkward access and heavy shade from high buildings, but they persisted and got their first successful result.

Beautiful light through bottle walls

We consulted again when they decided to seek out a better and bigger site — one that was more visible and easier for the public to access. The site that was chosen is located just off Mecca Street in the Al Rabieh district, and it is owned by the Amman Municipality and loaned to NAB. It is an initiative for working with adults with intellectual disabilities (AID) through permaculture gardening on the project site. The ladies are a very special group that works as team of friendly volunteers who outreach to the local community through events which create a feeling of community pride in the permaculture ethics being demonstrated on site. Care for the earth, care for the people and return of surplus are the themes running through the whole site — how to reduce, reuse, recycle, and refuse to take things that are not needed.

Corner office reception

As NAB’s mission has been to provide an outlet for adults with intellectual disabilities while nurturing and merging with society at large in a healthy and organic environment, the organization counts on volunteer citizens to help make a difference. Weather permitting, NAB holds weekly meetings that are announced on its Facebook page, inviting volunteers — reaching out to members of society from all walks of life to work alongside these special adults. Hand in hand, responsible and passionate volunteers work with the NGO’s recipients to plant, weed, shovel dirt, make handicrafts, water, work on the compost, recycle, paint and help build and develop the centre.

Recycled Molasses drum walls cover with sweet potato and ceylon spinach

Bottle walls

A certificate of community service is offered to each volunteer after completing a minimum of 10 work days each semester. Students gain gardening knowledge, learn composting methods and tackle environmental issues, whilst helping the special needs segment of society through working in the community garden. There is now an Organic Farmers’ Market held on the site once a week and this is drawing more interest from people who wish to learn about the permaculture design systems used on site.

Recycled granite slab footpaths

The Nour Al Barakah Community Center Meeting Hall, built on site, reflects the organization’s vision. All the buildings on the site have been built with an environmentally conscious approach to design. No trees were removed at all during or after construction. Additionally, cross ventilation with good solar aspect were main considerations. Black and grey wastewater was directed toward a natural underground septic tank surrounded by plants for absorption; greywater from bathroom sinks is directed straight into an absorption swale which is planted with shade trees to help cool the building. A rainwater catchment system was made out of used molasses barrels to collect rainwater and double-function as walls.

Recycled molasses drum water tank walls, plumbed-in together to collect
rain water and support roof as walls

Garden and tyre retaining wall

Making use of the existing ground level, the layout allows for efficient accessibility by the disabled. A fully equipped bathroom for the handicapped with special equipment has been incorporated. Recyclable materials have been incorporated in the construction, such as glass bottles, aluminum cans, old iron works, used tires, used doors, old tiles and granite slabs. The garden shed was built out of used water bottles collected from restaurants and an arts and crafts room was created with used industrial pallets.

Industrial pallet tool shed

The garden incorporates permaculture standards in its functions. Swales are used to slow down the runoff water and to direct it toward the fruit trees for absorption. Five compost bins are available and are used to collect green household waste and brown garden waste from members, so as to create natural, organic compost. Companion planting gardening is utilized to exclude the use of pesticides and create a friendly bio-diverse environment. Mulch is gathered and applied to beds to minimize the effects of evaporation from the soil. Many of the fruit trees are deciduous in this dry Mediterranean climate and they provide shade in the hot summer and lose their leaves in winter, helping vegetables to grow in beds underneath.

Gardens with deciduous fruit trees

Lavender tyre gardens

Food gardens with deciduous fruit trees

Crossing swale being dressed up

2nd gravelled crossing swale

Gravelled crossing swale

Gardens with gravelled crossing swales on contour

Gardens and cross swales

Gardens

Compost bins

2m compost bins, turned one end to the other, then sieved

Latifa enjoys the playground

Hala in red, Geoff, Nadia and Latifa

Community hall classroom

Panorama of site, with sand-based basket ball court that the intellectually
handicapped can play on safely. Click for larger view.

Products for sale

Geoff teaching

Plastic bottle wall tool shed

Gardens

Play ground

Bottle wall again

Goods for sale

Latifa looking through the leaves

Pallet walls

Pallet tool shed

Recycled goods

Community meeting hall and classroom