Branching out as green guides

Some members of USJ14 community garden contribute their gardening expertise while others help with general maintenance work. — Courtesy of USJ14 Community Garden

As community gardens continue to offer a space for people to grow their own produce and socialise, two such places in Subang Jaya are extending their scope by serving as a learning space and job training centre respectively.

These two gardens are also recipients of community grants introduced this year by Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ) for community-oriented projects that will improve and uplift the city.

Showing the ropes

USJ14 Community Garden is a hidden oasis in Jalan Mulia, USJ14, tended by a group of 15 apartment residents who are also gardening enthusiasts.

“A group of us started this garden in August 2018 on a piece of unkempt land next to a park in USJ14,” said association secretary Muhammad Adam Abdullah.

“We live in various Goodyear Court apartments surrounding the park, so we have limited access to open space for gardening,” he said.

The group then sent an appeal letter to MBSJ for more space, and were granted permission to use an open area measuring about 0.1ha next to the park.

“Our members are multiracial and even multinational, so we also grow and learn about plants that are unique to certain communities, such as ulam raja for the Malays and moringa for the Indians,” he added.

The five-year-old garden, which has since doubled in size, also serves as a learning centre for schools, corporations and other groups interested in having hands-on learning in a garden setting.

In addition, it is a social and recreational space for local residents and senior citizens and helps beautify part of the park’s landscape.

“Kindergarten and school groups organise visits here so city children can get a feel of a working garden and understand what real plants are like.

“Parents can even drop by with their children on weekends or during school holidays where there will be an association member on hand to brief them about the garden.

“Shortly after we started the learning centre early this year, we also introduced a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme.

“A corporation adopted and paid for a small plot, and our members maintain the plot for them,” he said.

The community garden grows a variety of vegetables, herbs and fruits, and the list includes long bean, gourd, sweet potato, lemongrass, ginger, okra, cucumber, assorted leafy vegetables, dragonfruit, banana and belimbing buluh.

Muhammad Adam said the sale of organic produce and compost, along with proceeds from the learning and CSR programmes, would go towards making the garden self-sustainable.

“When we started, all association members contributed funds to buy the tools and equipment needed.

“We also received support from MBSJ, Zone 3 Residents’ Representative Council (MPP) and our elected representatives.

“We currently work closely with MBSJ’s Landscape Department and Selangor’s Agriculture Department (DOA), which provide us with compost bins and technical advice.”

He recounted that during its initial set-up, the garden faced many challenges, such as apartment residents who were against having a community garden for various reasons and lack of a piped water network.

“The committee members continued working hard and took brickbats in our stride.

“USJ14 community garden thrived well enough to participate in competitions.

“Any money won went back to upgrading its infrastructure, including building a piped water network,” said Muhammad Adam, adding that the garden had won about RM30,000 in awards and grants thus far.

While some association members contribute their expertise and passion, such as composting, aquaponic farming and building garden structures, others help with general garden maintenance work.

“Where possible, we will repurpose discarded materials such as wooden pallets and bamboo into fences, shelves, archways and other garden structures.

“MBSJ recently approved a RM21,000 community grant that we will use to build a dedicated shed for composting and another structure for our learning centre,” he said.

He added that the garden received a Malaysia Good Agricultural Practices (MyGap) certification from DOA around mid-2023, which recognised that it had good agricultural practices and produced safe, quality produce.

Kindergarten and school groups organise visits to the USJ14 community garden so city children can get a hands-on feel of a working garden. — Courtesy of USJ14 Community Garden

It will also be working with DOA for a fertigation project to grow chillies, with proceeds channelled back to the garden.

The association’s future plans include planting more flowers around the garden for a kelulut (stingless bee) project and conducting exchange programmes with other gardening associations or groups.

Catering to special needs

P3KU Garden and its related predecessor P3KU Centre, located in USJ18 and USJ2 respectively, were initiated by a group of parents who wanted to train and nurture their special needs children.

Muhammad Adam says proceeds from learning, CSR programmes go towards making the garden self-sustainable.The centre provides free living skills training and activities for those of schooling age, while the garden offers job training and income generation opportunities for special needs young adults.

“We started P3KU Centre 13 years ago as an after-school place where special needs children could learn how to take care of themselves and be independent.

“It offered lessons such as managing personal hygiene, reading and cooking,” said P3KU Garden chairman Jessie Yau.

She said most of them did not have job opportunities after they turned 18 and had completed their schooling.

“So P3KU Garden was initiated as a place for special needs young adults to learn additional living skills and earn money from working,” she added.

The children and young adults have been diagnosed with Down Syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, global developmental delay or cerebral palsy, or have physical disabilities.

P3KU Garden sits on a 0.81ha piece of land gazetted as open space that belongs to MBSJ, and was initiated with the support of the city council and Zone 3 MPP.

Yau recounted that it took a lot of work for volunteers to chop down trees and make the site suitable for farming back in 2020, using whatever time available during the Covid-19 lockdown period.

P3KU Garden on 0.81ha land belonging to Subang Jaya City Council, relies on sponsorship and contributions for its infrastructure and facilities such as training cabin (right) and systems for fertigation as well as hydroponic and aquaponic farming.

“We began planting the following year, starting with flowers and decorative plants.

“Then we moved to planting vegetables, using conventional and hydroponic methods.

“The garden relies on sponsorship and contributions for its infrastructure and facilities.”

Among the items funded by its supporters are a training cabin, systems for fertigation, hydroponic and aquaponic farming, furniture as well as utility set-up.

“We teach special needs young adults by demonstrating what has to be done and repeating instructions multiple times.

“We have to give simple instructions and be patient in making them understand what we want.

“They work here on weekdays from 8.30am to 1pm.

“Their duties include watering plants, raking, packing and simple composting work,” said Yau, adding that there were able- bodied adults on hand to handle more complicated work.

Yau (right) supervising her daughter Ng Poh Li as they work at P3KU Garden’s composting corner. — Photos: RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star

Full-timers are paid RM1.50 per hour while part-timers are paid RM1.20 per hour.

The special needs young adults also get a monthly RM450 allowance from Social Welfare Department.

Helena Teo observed that her son, Justin Wang, 26, was happier and more independent after working and making friends at P3KU Garden.

“Justin also helps me with my part-time accounting work at home.

“All the money earned goes to his own savings.

“He is able to do simple banking transactions and supermarket shopping.

“I hope to train him to be independent enough to live on his own someday,” said Teo.

Similarly, Christine Teoh is grateful that her daughter Looi Huey Tsyr, 23, was able to undergo training at P3KU Centre and now P3KU Garden, as both places allowed her to gain living skills and integrate with society.

“All these have helped with her social skills and build up her confidence.

“Huey Tsyr also helps out at home, using the skills she learnt at these places.

“While most of the money she earns is saved in a bank account, she will occasionally use it to treat our family of six to breakfast,” said Teoh.

The garden’s produce is usually sold weekly on-site, with notices posted on social media on available harvests.

Yau also sources organic produce from friends and Universiti Putra Malaysia as additional items to be sold.

Among the items grown and sold are lettuce, sawi, kangkung, brinjal, okra, tomato, chilli, guava, corn, passionfruit, dragonfruit and sweet potato, while compost is also available.

“We will be using the RM24,000 community grant that MBSJ approved in September to build a proper pathway from the gate to parts of the garden.

“This pathway will make it safer and easier for senior citizens and wheelchair users to move around,” said Yau.

On future plans, she hoped to expand the garden by growing more produce and diversifying the plants grown as well as upgrade the on-site kitchen to run a small cafe.