Fatma is proud of her vegetable growing. She is almost equally proud of her recent pilgrimage to Mecca, which she announces on a banner outside her house in the West Bank. She has a husband, children, and, most importantly, a roof that can be used for modern plant farming, as soil in Palestine is a rare commodity. This is how Fatma can grow lettuce on her rooftop. She does not need much water, another equally scarce resource here.
As Jarosław Kociszewski writes, thanks to a Polish Aid project Fatma learnt to use the hydroponic cultivation methods where every drop counts. A little water, a proper fertiliser, and simple containers. A cheap and simple solution, provided that you are taught how to use it.
Read by John Beauchamp