During a recent monitoring mission in Senegal, near the small village of Dawady, the Designing Hope team discovered an astonishing calebash growing on the roof of a traditional house. In many parts of West Africa, these gourds are harvested, dried and then cut in half to make bowls, calabashes and other entirely natural containers used for meals or storing food in the home.
Back in Paris, as part of its cultural exchanges and bridges programme, the team suggested that the children of Bercy plant the seeds of this gourd in the Traversine Bercy garden. The idea was to let the plant climb up the garden pergola, just as it had done on the roof of the Senegalese house where it was discovered.
Over the coming months, the children will have the pleasure of watching the plant grow and seeing its hanging gourds appear. A simple and concrete way to connect gardens, know-how and cultures, from Senegal to Paris.
