ALMOST GREEN
Francesco Sonetti
Urban farming is the social and economical future for the Palestinian refugies in Lebanon. A Social and Cultural association took the initiative to create a pilot project for rooftop urban farming on the roofs of Ein el-hilweh camp.
Ein-El-Hilweh is the largest Palestinian refugies camp in Lebanon with approx. 100.000 inhabitants. The camp is located at south-east of the port city of Sidon. It exists since 1948 and is a symbol of the most unsolved crises regarding the palestinian refugies camps in Lebanon. Legal, social and economic exclusion characterize the lives of the residents of the camp. In 2018, a wall was built around the camp in where crime, violence and drugs determine everyday life. Despite limited space and widespread despair among Palestinian refugees, several refugee families have always tried to keep their original connection to the farmland they lost during the 1948-war alive.By using any small space on their rooftops or balconies, they have tried to bring some green into their concrete living space.
