The KiwiKit Community Trust — which is rebranding to the Lakes Multicultural Collective — is dedicated to supporting and empowering migrants and newcomers into the community.
Having been gifted a plot at Queenstown Harvest Community Garden, just off Gorge Rd, trust ops manager Illizannate ‘Liz’ Kaloudau says they feel hugely blessed, because it allows them to bring more people together, learn a new skill and, more importantly, give back.
A series of working bees has seen their plot transform from dirt and a green house overgrown with weeds and bushes, to functional garden beds.
"We had people from all over the community, from diverse backgrounds, coming in to help us on those working bees doing weeding.
"Just before winter, we mulched the soil with the compost and manure and stuff then covered it with cardboard, just so that it didn’t frost."
Now, after a series of community planting days throughout November, tomatoes, peas, zucchini, cabbages, and some herbs have been planted.
Kaloudau says once the produce is ready to be harvested, it’ll be donated to Queenstown community support centre Happiness House and local food rescue charity KiwiHarvest.
Anyone is welcome at the garden — those interested are encouraged to register at shorturl.at/8hbd9
