Expatriates who grow vegetables in their backyards, defying the extreme climatic conditions of the Kingdom were honored by Thanima, an Indian socio-cultural organization at a symposium entitled “Backyard farming and changing lifestyles”. The ceremony was held at Paragon restaurant's auditorium in Dammam, Friday. On display were photographs of the vegetables and fruits grown by the expatriates. There were also discussions on methods of farming in the desert, vegetables that can be grown in the backyard, the challenges of backyard farming and success stories. Dharmaraj, an Indian expatriate who works at Chevron, has been sustaining vegetable and fruit patches for the past six years in his apartment. He told the symposium that he had reaped around 100 kilos of bitter gourd which he distributed free of cost to his friends. “Along with bitter gourd, I have also grown tomatoes, potatoes, beans, chilies and many other vegetables. For around six months, I did not buy any vegetable from the market, instead using all that I have grown so that I can feel safe that the food I eat is free from pesticides and other toxic chemical fertilizers,” he said. “With a little determination and hard work, anyone can make the desert bloom,” he added. Dharmaraj has been living medicine-free for the past six years. “I was a high blood pressure and cholesterol patient six years ago. Since I started farming in the very little space in my apartment's backyard, I found out that my cholesterol level decreased, perhaps due to the hard work I put into farming, which is a good exercise. My blood pressure has also gone back to normal and I feel that this is due to the mental satisfaction I get when I grow plants.”Sashikala Jeevan Kumar, a teacher at Al Khosama International Indian School in Al-Khobar, came to the symposium with a handful of jasmine flowers that she has grown in her backyard. She said that she had been growing curry leaves regularly in her yard, which she has been distributing to her colleagues. Ruby Joseph, a senior teacher at International Indian School Dammam and a longtime vegetable grower, said that she had even tried poultry farming in the little space of the compound she had been living in for a long time. “I had around thirty different kinds of birds, which is a hobby for me. I had grown hens and ducks in the backyard along with different types of vegetables. This I do basically for my children as they get a chance to see all these living things and lead a nature-friendly life,” she explained. The symposium was held as part of celebrating World Environment Day, Saturday. The backyard farmers who participated said that their success stories are a proof that it is possible to farm and live naturally even in a desert country like Saudi Arabia. Around 14 expatriates who grow vegetables in their backyard were honored in the event. The program was inaugurated by Shridevi Menon, Principal of Al-Khozama School. She said that the idea of honoring backyard farmers was very inspirational. “It is a very rare event and I feel proud to be a part of it. I was very much inspired by the idea,” she said. A Thanima member, Shabeer Chathamangalam, have the keynote speech and noted that it is a dire need of our time to grow our own vegetables so as to escape from the toxic fertilizers that are being used in large-scale farming. He said that due to the high cost of organic vegetables, it is not an affordable alternative for middle-income expatriates, who form the majority of expatriates living in the Kingdom.
