16/10/2013
One of the things that we've come across in Bratislava is the passion of young people doing what they can to improve their lives and the communities that they live in. There is a real sense of activism here which is very different to that in Vienna. This is mostly due to the fact that the city of bratislava does not have the resources to fund many social or community projects. Rather than sulking at the situation these young bratislavans do what they can. One such example is Sandra and her husband Michael and her community gardening initiative.
Just to rewind quickly. After they moved to Amsterdam and knowing absolutely no one or nothing about the city they found a small community gardening centre in their neighborhood, this quite literally changed their lives.
As a student of urban sociology and on the lookout for a masters thesis, Sandra set up a community gardening centre on a plot of land right behind the police station. Set up in April 2013 they now have 44 small boxes of earth spread out in this plot of land. Each box belongs to different inhabitant in the neighborhood. There are some people who have literally lived side by side for over 40 years and never met. Now, through their common interest in gardening, or, that there is finally something to do, they have become friends.
Plot owners can plant what they want, usually though it's just a few tomatoes and bell peppers. Every second Sunday of the month Sandra and Veronica, a friend and helper who lives in Vienna, organise a pop up cafe where they serve what grows in the garden to passers-by or friends.
When asked why Sandra and her husband, both 24, set up the project the answer was (masters thesis aside) "We wanted to show Bratislavans and ourselves that social projects can tighten the fabric of urban communities"
