Dubai: A vegetable garden in a balcony in their one-bedroom apartment in Hor Al Anz has fetched the first prize for an Indian family in the Grow Your Food contest by Dubai Municipality.
Sam George Abraham, a technician with Dnata, received Dh5,000 cash prize for growing 10 varieties of vegetables in their vertical garden with around 180 pots as well as vines climbing up from the ground floor balcony.
“I started growing plants at home to teach my daughters about it. My elder daughter used to ask some doubts about vegetables when I took her to the supermarket. We have been growing our small garden for almost seven years now,” Sam, who has two school-going daughters, told Gulf News after the award ceremony on Sunday.
His wife Bindumol, a nurse, said her husband made the maximum use of the space available by fixing wooden planks and creating a vertical garden.
The couple said they grow tomato, chilli, eggplant, cabbage, cauliflower, bitter gourd, bottle gourd, spinach, capsicum and curry leaves. “We receive about 15kg of vegetables every year. We share it with our friends also,” said Sam.
The second prize of Dh3,000 was grabbed by Ashimol Shabu, a housewife, whose family lives in a two-bedroom apartment on the fifth floor of a building in Al Ghusais. Her husband Shabu Lonappan said his wife switched from flowering plants to fruit and vegetable plants after the launch of the first cycle of the campaign.
“Now, we are growing some 60 varieties of vegetables and herbs in our balcony.”
The contest ran for four categories; educational institutions, government and private companies, centres for ‘people of determination,’ and the residents.
The criteria of the judgment included creative utilisation of space, healthy ways of growing, sustainability, water saving (utilisation mechanism), varieties farmed, team work, planning and cleanliness.
“We saw a huge increase in the number of participation from 250 last year to 1,600 this year,” said Eman Ali Al Bastaki, director of Food Safety Department who distributed the prizes.
“Out of all the categories, the most surprising category was the schools, which were outstanding in their dedication towards sustainable environment. They used methods to reduce food waste by having Bokashi bins, using organic pesticides, fertilisers and recycling methods,” she said.
Gems Our Own Indian School in Al Quoz bagged the first prize in this category. “We started off with vertical gardens and graduated from vertical gardens to hydroponics. Now we have tyre gardens, bottle gardens, and recycled hydroponic gardens… We have 47 varieties of fruits and vegetables and 117 varieties of plants,” said student Jennie Joseph.
Gems Modern Academy students, who won the second prize, said their success came from the team work involving students, including those with special needs, teaching and non-teaching staff and parents.
Educational institutions category Winners
GEMS Our Own Indian School
GEMS Modern Academy
Special Legacy Award
Habitat School, Ajman
Best Innovative Approach Award
Al Sadiq Islamic English High School
Best Recycling Methods Approach Award
American School of Creative Science
Best Sustainable Approach Award
British International School, Ajman
Nursery Category Winners
Emerald City Nursery
Indigo Valley Nursery
Crystal Valley Nursery
Yellow Brick Road Nursery
Residents Category Winners
Sam Abraham
Ashimol Shabu
Special Recognition
Abdul Shukoor
Mohammed Rasheed
Joseph Poulose
Corporate Category Winners
Abela & Co
Dubai Police
