Cristiana Wu, Ashiana Community Project

"The ‘Growing Histories’ project aims at creating community gardens accessible to the community in Sparkbrook, emphasising the traditional ways to grow different plants since the community is multicultural. Thus, the project also has the goal to value and preserve the different techniques of planting of so it can be passed to younger generations.

Cristiana Wu

“I had the flexibility to choose which area I would like to do research on and, at the same time, contributing to the development of the project.”

"The first meeting with Alan, the person responsible for the project, was essential to define my role, as it is a broad project. It was extremely helpful to set a direction, defining which part I would like to focus on. Being a student volunteer, I had the flexibility to choose which area I would like to do research on and, at the same time, contributing to the development of the project.

"I confess that after the meeting, I was sceptical regarding the social impact of community gardens. However, after doing some initial research, I realised that there is plenty of studies supporting the benefits of gardens, especially in impoverished areas, which is the case of Sparkbrook. It definitely changed my perspective on this matter. Furthermore, I realised that it is not solely about food; it is also about the importance to maintain traditional habits – my own grandparents, who come from the rural part in China and who are living with my family in a city now, they like to grow their own food even though it is not really necessary. But they do it anyway because it is a part of their culture and it makes them feel less homesick. It made me realise that the population in Sparkbrook, who also come from different countries, may actually benefit from the project, allowing them to create a cultural legacy in their new country.

"Even though I enjoy doing research, Sarah, the co-officer of the project, asked if I would like to do an interview with one of the future participants of the community garden. It was a good opportunity to do something different, however, due to the incompatibility of our schedules, I did not get the chance to do it.

"The communication between me and the organisation was not always smooth, especially prior to the interview I was supposed to do. Sarah could not warn me before going to Ashiana that the person who I was going to interview was not available anymore. I have also asked again for a feedback on the work I submitted before, but they informed me that they were busy. For me, it was very important to receive a feedback to confirm that the work I did contribute to the realisation of the project.

"By taking part in this project, I learned that there must be communication between two parties in order to make something work. If there is a lack of communication, it also demonstrates the lack of commitment, which is fundamental for collaborations. The workings of the third sector are complex, so if I work or volunteer in this sector again in the future, I would emphasise the importance of communication and commitment."