With the trash in Nyabiheke Park all cleaned up, the water kiosk freshly painted, benches made and a pergola up – we needed to do just one more thing. Nyabiheke Park needed some greenery.
And we wanted to make the park as green and lush as possible.
We started with some climbers we planted at the base of the pergola – those will climb up and across the pergola, creating a natural shady spot for people to stop on their way by. We also planted a variety of trees, including palm trees to eventually bring some height and weight to the park.
Next the shrubs went in. There are two main paths that criss-cross the park and are lined with brick. We planted tiny shrubs all along the pathway that will grow into an attractive hedge someday soon.
But it’s not all about green. The park needed some color, too. So we chose marigolds and other flowers to plant throughout.
It will take a bit for all the plants to grow up and fill in. “This spot will be an oasis for everyone in the camp,” said Jacques. “I hope that we’ll be able to do this same thing in all the camps in Rwanda.”
Our last project in the Nyabiheke was completed just in time for our U.S. visitors to return home. But we did have one more trick up our sleeves – this change we had planned for outside Nyabiheke.
