By Parker McKenzie
During Melbourne’s lengthy lockdowns, Ferntree Gully local Aye Maung Asho felt more distant than ever from his homeland of Burma.
“I’ve been staying in this complex for five years now and moved to Australia 11 years ago,” he said.
“I love planting since when I was in Burma, when I reached here I still wanted to do planting, but I don’t know how and where.”
Mr Asho said during the Covid-19 outbreak in 2021, he had nothing to do and asked someone from the Community Housing precinct where he lives whether he could plant a garden.
“He said the garden belongs to everyone, so I can do that, then I started to farm last year,” he said.
“I watched and learn from the others since I was in Burma, I learned about farming from the people there.”
With the support of his family, Community Housing and other residents, Mr Asho has grown his garden and made it into a community project.
Community Housing national development officer Jamie Hutchinson said Mr Asho has taken a space being underutilised and created something people want to be a part of.
“He’s created an opportunity for people to come and see what he can do, and also encourages people to be part of that as well,” Mr Hutchinson said.
“We try and facilitate opportunities through community projects that we do in social housing to increase the health and well-being of people, but to also try and create more culturally inclusive communities and give people the opportunity to undertake things that they enjoy doing.”
Mr Asho lives in Ferntree Gully with his wife and daughter and said he grows various kinds of plants in the garden for other people’s pleasure and his own satisfaction.
“I don’t know Australia’s favourite fruit and vegetables, generally I only know about Asian plants,” he said
“I grew grapes and for others, I also grow seasonal plants such as gram pea, peppers, calabash, pumpkin and many others.”
Mr Hutchinson said the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to concentrate on supporting people to be part of the community.
“It’s extremely important for the people in that Ferntree Gully development to have these sorts of opportunities where they live, to kind of create those connections for each other.” he said.
