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( Train Whistle Blows )
(♪ Soft Acoustic Guitar ♪)
( Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap... )
Narrator: IN THE SMALL TOWN OF CLARKSTON,
A DOZEN FAMILIES FROM OTHER LANDS AND LANGUAGES
CAME TOGETHER.
THEY TURNED A WEED-FILLED PATCH OF NEGLECTED LAND
INTO A THRIVING GARDEN.
MOST OF THE FAMILIES ARE REFUGEES,
NEW TO AMERICA.
THEY CAME FROM A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT CULTURES,
BUT NOW THEY SHARE A COMMON GOAL...
FRESH VEGETABLES FOR THEIR FAMILIES
AND TO SHARE WITH OTHERS.
Basmat Ahmed: SO I'M REALLY GLAD
THAT YOU GET INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT
AND I DIDN'T SAY THIS BEFORE,
BUT OUR NETWORK, CALLED "GLOBAL GROWERS NETWORK,"
GLOBAL GROWERS IS LIKE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD,
LIKE FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES,
ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO GROW.
WE COME FROM EVERYWHERE.
I AM FROM SUDAN.
OTHERS FROM BURMA, SRI LANKA, SOMALI, ANGOLA
AND DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD.
WE COME TO CLARKSTON FOR DIFFERENT REASONS,
BUT AFTER WE COME, WE JUST THOUGHT ABOUT
MAKING CLARKSTON AS OUR NEW HOME IN THE UNITED STATES,
AND BUILD THE COMMUNITY THE WAY WE WANT IT TO BE--LOOK LIKE.
THE GLOBAL GROWERS NETWORK
AND GEORGIA COUNCIL ON DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES,
THEY COME TOGETHER TO CREATE A COMMUNITY GARDEN
IN OUR TOWN.
THE GOAL IS TO BRING PEOPLE WITH AND WITHOUT DISABILITIES
AND HELP OUR COMMUNITY TO DEVELOP ECONOMICALLY
AND TO HAVE HEALTHY FOOD.
MOST OF THE REFUGEES ARE COMING FROM THE FARMING BACKGROUND;
AND WHEN THEY COME TO AMERICA,
THEY FIND OUT, IT'S--IT'S NOT REALLY EASY FOR THEM
TO CONTINUE THEIR LIFE WITH THE SAME THING.
SO, FROM THIS PROJECT, IT REALLY GIVES THEM ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY
TO GET BACK TO THE LAND AND PLAY WITH THE DIRT,
AND BE CONNECTED WITH THE SOIL.
(♪ Music ♪)
BY HAVING THIS COMMUNITY GARDEN, NOW WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY
TO CROSS BORDERS FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES,
ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE
FROM ABOUT 10 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES PARTICIPATING
IN VERY SMALL LAND,
AND NOW IT BECOMES LIKE AN OPEN PLACE,
A WELCOMING PLACE FOR NEW PEOPLE,
AT LEAST TO SHOW OUR CONNECTION IN THE COMMUNITY
AND ALSO HAVING HOPE FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO BUILD NEW PROJECTS
THAT ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE COMMUNITY GARDEN,
BUT IT'S STILL-- THERE IS POSSIBILITY
FOR PEOPLE TO WORK TOGETHER,
EVEN IF THEY HAVE LANGUAGE BARRIERS.
(♪ Music & Conversation ♪)
MY NAME IS RENU DULAL.
I COME TO AMERICA THREE YEARS AGO,
AND I LIKE AMERICA AND I LIKE GARDEN.
BECAUSE I'M WORKING IN THE GARDEN--GARDEN,
I'M EVERY DAY GO TO GARDEN.
BECAUSE I LIKE GARDEN, I PUT WATER, I CLEAN GARDEN,
AND COME HOME AND I'M REMEMBERING GARDEN.
I SLEEP AND THIS-- REMEMBERING THE GARDEN.
AND I GO TO GARDEN, I'M VERY HAPPY.
♪ ♪
FROM WHAT I LEARN ABOUT THE COMMUNITY GARDEN
WE HAVE IN CLARKSTON,
IT'S NOT JUST ONLY ABOUT GROWING FOOD,
IT'S NOT ONLY ABOUT GROWING TOMATO, EGGPLANT, CUCUMBER.
NO, IT'S ABOUT GROWING LEADERSHIP SKILLS.
IT'S ABOUT GROWING OWNERSHIP FEELINGS.
BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO ARE PARTICIPATING NOW
IN--IN OUR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY GARDEN,
MOST OF THEM, THEY HAD DIFFICULTIES
OF TAKING OWNERSHIP OF DIFFERENT THINGS,
THEY HAD DIFFICULTIES OF RUNNING THEIR OWN LIFE,
BUT NOW THEY PUT A LOT OF DIFFERENCE
IN THEIR SMALL FAMILIES,
AND NOW THEY'RE FEELING LIKE THEY COULD TAKE MORE--BIG ROLES
IN THE WHOLE COMMUNITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE,
AND ALSO OPEN DOORS TO PEOPLE WITH AND WITHOUT DISABILITIES,
REALLY, TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER
AND WORK EACH OTHER-- TO WORK TOGETHER,
IN ORDER TO BUILD THEIR CITY.
♪ ♪
WHEN PEOPLE REALLY WOULD LIKE TO GO OUT TO--TO DO ANYTHING
FOR THEIR BASIC LIFE,
LIKE GO TO SHOPPING, GO TO DOCTORS,
OR WHEREVER THEY WANT TO GO,
THEY WILL FEEL SAFE BECAUSE EVERYBODY
BECOME USED TO THE NEW PEOPLE
AND USED TO COMMUNICATING WITH PEOPLE
WITHOUT SPEAKING EVEN ENGLISH.
JUST BY BODY LANGUAGE,
THEY COULD UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER IN CLARKSTON CITY.
EVERY STORE THAT THEY GO TO DO SHOPPING,
IF THEY DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH,
STILL PEOPLE HELP THEM TO FINISH WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
IF THEY GO TO DOCTOR, ALSO, PEOPLE UNDERSTAND
HOW THEY COULD PROVIDE TRANSLATOR TO THEM.
SO CLARKSTON HAS BECOME A VERY WELCOMING CITY
FOR PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD,
AND I FEEL LIKE THIS IS-- COULD BE THE MOST DIVERSE CITY
AND BEAUTIFUL PLACE IN THE UNITED STATES.
(♪ Music ♪)