Thamarai
Learning and Cultural Centre

THAMARAI'S GARDEN!

Thamarai's building way very old and run down until it was renovated and opened as a community centre last year.

The back yard is still in great need of attention. The soil is dry, there are piles of rubbish, old building materials and weeds growing everywhere. We have just planted some medicinal plants. Every day we care for the plants by watering them and by picking up some of the rubbish.

Using our big strong muscles,

we pull water up from the

deep well and put in into

buckets.

We have to be very

careful not to waste water

because it is very dry at

this time of the year and

water levels are low.

We collected some old

broken bricks from

around the village

and have made a

fence. This will

protect the plants

from being trampled

and help us to

remember where to

sprinkle the water.

Here we are using leaves to mulch the soil to make it possible for the plants to grow.

Scattered

around

Thamarai's

Garden there

are a few fruit

trees that are

many years old.

We have banana

trees, lemon

trees and

papaya trees.

We also care for these plants and sometimes even eat the fruit! Sometimes when it is hot we make a special Indian lemonade. It is made from water, sugar and lots of lemons. It's delicious! If we have lots of lemons, everyone gets to take some home to share with their family.

In a few months time we are going to transform Thamarai's garden and do some more planting to make it a beautiful place for us to play.