At Freedom from Torture, every day we see the power of gardening in healing people who have suffered horrendous violence. The peace and tranquillity of being surrounded by nature, the joy of planting a seed, and the routine of having somewhere to go every week can all have a profound impact on survivors of torture.
For survivors like Tanya, therapy groups offer companionship and understanding, which can be a crucial step on the journey to recovery.
After a while, the hands of the people in the group touched my heart and the atmosphere in the group helped me heal. Seeing things grow, something was growing in me.
Like other survivors in the gardening group, Tanya hasn't just been growing plants, but is growing as a person too. She was coming back from years of despair and returning to a sense of wellbeing. She was growing in confidence. Growing in independence.
With a donation today, you can help someone like Tanya rebuild their life through therapy.
Help us grow together
As we look to evolve the therapy programme, we're relocating our Chelsea Flower Show garden to our rehabilitation centre in London. The garden will be used by therapy groups as an ongoing place of peace and sanctuary.
Survivors will be able to grow familiar flowers from their home countries, while others from the bread group will harvest the edible produce from the garden and cook in the communal bread oven – bringing communities together to share, reflect and heal.
With your support, the relocation and replanting of the garden at our London centre will only be the start.
Right now, we have a waiting list of survivors who would love to join our horticultural therapy group. Will you give someone like Tanya the opportunity to recover from trauma and rebuild their lives, with a gift today?
