By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
TALK about a deep-green immersion.
More than 100 asylum seekers and refugees topped off a six-month sustainability course with a mini-market at Noble Park AMES last week, selling fridge magnets and herb pots made from soft-drink bottle parts, and doorstoppers from recycled newspapers and fabrics.
The AMES clients, with the help of an Environment Victoria grant, also sold second-hand clothes, hosted a rubbish-free picnic and a supermarket reusable bag exchange as part of the Home Planet project.
AMES teacher Julie Holland said the aim was to give asylum seekers, many of whom are still learning basic English, an applied lesson in sustainability.
She said the students were also spreading the word to their friends and families.
“We have about 120 clients involved but in the end, you could say there are about 300 ‘students’ learning from the program.”
Along the way they’ve collected litter, toiled in the AMES community garden, visited a recycling plant, timed their showers and cooked sustainable foods – which means essentially non-packaged and non-processed delicacies.
“They’re just so excited about the market,” Ms Holland said.
“This is applied learning.”
