Presidential visit to HIA’s model farm in Iraq
On Friday, 9 December, the President of Hungary, Katalin Novák, visited Hungarian Interchurch Aid’s model farm and education centre in the town of Alqosh on her official visit to the country.
The Christian population of the Nineveh plains in the north of Iraq was driven from their homes by Islamic State militants. With the support of the Hungary Helps programme, HIA has launched several projects in the region to help the persecuted population return to their ancestral land and support their livelihoods.
The model farm and agricultural training centre in the settlement of Alqosh located in the Nineveh Plains aims to introduce local farmers and peasants to sustainable farming methods. The project also offered training courses to those interested, 52 of whom successfully completed the course on permaculture.
The farm, now in its first full year of operation, has already brought a wealth of produce and success to the community this season. No wonder: the programme was specifically designed to address challenges specific to the area (drought, desertification, problems caused by monoculture farming), supporting the region’s resilience and the spread of sustainable farming.
🇮🇶52 farmers have graduated the @HIA_Hungary & @HungaryHelps course on permaculture design in #Alqosh, #Iraq after 10 days of extensive training in classes & on our demo farm. Mentored by experts, they have learned how to re-model their farms in accordance w/ sustainable methods. https://t.co/0LiIFTfEt7 pic.twitter.com/UjfUfXHH6H
— Hungarian Interchurch Aid/ HIA-Hungary (@HIA_Hungary) June 2, 2022
