An Interview :Urban Farming Seaview Project

Our own Mellissia Bennett interviews two of the participants of the program, Roneil McKensie and Kemar Morrison, both residents of Seaview Gardens. They tell of their hopes for the program,and explain how they secured food within the community. Many of the participants in the program are unemployed and they have decided to use t he program to help them provide food and an income.

Urban Farming Update: Seaview Gardens Project September 6,2013

So the containers have been prepared for planting seeds and the participants are revved and ready to go. The team is overwhelmed by the interest from regular "ghetto youths" who are not afraid to try something new. These man have truly been put in a box, it is a true inspiration, that given different opportunities we can begin anew.

Well as you follow, let us know your comments and suggestions.

Resident "Pablo" getting his containers ready for seeds.

Residents pass by to listen to a presentation of the program

"Pablo" receives his seeds. 

Our Project Administrator Mellisia Bennett hands out seed packets to a resident.

"Tension" an aspiring DJ, prepares his containers for seeding.

"Tension" receives his seeds with a smile.

Oneil  does the "to the worl" pose as he collects his seeds

"Rupey" has eyes only for his seeds.

Mellesia adventurously journeys to the ends of Seaview Gardens, Backbush to present this participant with his seeds.

Keno the youngest member of the "Urban Survivors" is elated as he collects his seeds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKFPhn4Gh9M

Grow a Heart: Start a Farm

Scheed International implements and manages corporate, private and governmental investment into social projects that better the lives of consumers, communities, and the nation on a whole. The Grow a Heart- Start a Farm campaign is a Scheed International initiative and was officially introduced on August 30, 2013 in Trench Town. 

Five (5) adventurous young men: Raneil McKenzie, Oneil Riley, Keno Stewart, Paul Gregory, and Sheldon Harris from the Seaview Gardens community decided to become the pioneers of the program. Three (3) of these young men are unemployed and the other two (2) are  entrepreneurs.  

Scheed Cole the CEO of Scheed International received the vision and made it his mission to embark on this campaign. In his opening statements to the men present, he stated that this initiative was “God given and God driven”. The purpose of the campaign is to address the issues of poor nutrition, poverty and the lack of community involvement, by allowing inner-city residents to take charge of their own destiny, especially where food is concerned, through this urban farming. The vision is that this will blossom into various business ventures which will change the face of communities by empowering the members and expanding their capacity for change and advancement.

Scheed Cole who is a success story from the inner city, further stated that: “We need to sacrifice our own self interest in order to help others…If you want your own personal activity to succeed, you must see to the success of others.”

CEO Scheed Cole passionatly discusses Urban Farming with Innercity residents.

The aim of the program is to create competencies in gardening and farming that could be a source of employment and this technical skill may be used to develop other similar communities.

The participants are enthusiastic, as well as receptive and they feel like the initiative is very doable. After the presentation, they began to discuss and identify material and places in the community where they can start gardening.  One of the participants, Raneil McKenzie, a positive and driven individual, who hopes to have a career in music, enthusiastically shared with us that he felt very excited about the campaign. After the presentation, he was the first in the group to set up all his containers to start sowing seeds.

A possible location for urban farming.

The Grow a Heart- Start a Farm campaign will take a stage by stage approach, Scheed International will assist with material and financial investment based on milestones met by the community members. The first stage requires the participants to select their areas and to prepare this space for plating by collecting various recycled materials, and sourcing soil rich with nutrients suitable for planting vegetables. They are schedule to get their seeds and start planting on Wednesday September 4, 2013 if they manage to accomplish the first two task.

 

Urban Farming location.

The Grow a Heart- Start a Farm team from Scheed International would like to wholeheartedly thank our partners Dr. Henley Morgan founder of the Agency for Inner-city Renewal (AIR), who gave us the blessed opportunity of using the  conference room located at his HQ in Trench Town, to host our first meeting, Craig Williams who sponsored the catering, and MC Décor for sponsoring transportation, seeds and seeding containers.

Be sure that we will continue to provide updates as the program continues and follow the progress of the participants as they venture into unchartered territory under the guidance of the Grow a Heart- Start a Farm team of volunteers.

 

Submitted by: Melissia Bennett with Keisha DeLisser-Cole

 http://youtu.be/4QW75UPSonQ