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Two women from different parts of the world share the stories of their lives

Two women from different parts of the world, united by a common passion, experience or expertise, share the stories of their lives.

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The Conversation: Women on allotments: soil in the city

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Women on allotments: soil in the city

27/05/2024 GMT

BBC World Service - The Conversation, Women on allotments: soil in the city

Ukrainian cook Olia Hercules and Kenyan creative JC Niala on growing food on allotments

Datshiane Navanayagam talks to Ukrainian cook Olia Hercules and Kenyan creative JC Niala about allotments, why they love to grow food and the camaraderie among gardeners.

In recent years women have overtaken men as the majority on allotments and community gardens. These spaces for growing fruit and vegetables to eat at home have been peaceful places that provide families with healthy food. Datshiane Navanayagam talks to two women from Kenya and Ukraine about the appeal of these plots.

JC Niala is a writer, academic and creative from Kenya who has written about the history of allotments. Alongside Greenpeace, she has co-created ‘The Waiting List’, an allotment-sized artwork highlighting the significant demand and lengthy waiting lists for allotments. 

Olia Hercules is a Ukrainian cook and author of the award-winning Mamushka cook book. Raised in rural Ukraine she later moved to London where she missed the fresh tastes of homegrown food. This led her to start the lengthy process of securing an allotment, which she says helps make a place feel like ‘home’, particularly during times of war and displacement. 

They've written essays for a book celebrating allotment life called This Allotment: Stories of Growing, Eating and Nurturing.

Produced by Jane Thurlow

(Image: (L) JC Niala, courtesy of JC Niala. (R) Olia Hercules, credit Joe Woodhouse.)

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