RHS Chelsea Flower Show

18 - 22 May 2027

Space to Grow 2019

The CAMFED Garden: Giving Girls In Africa a Space to Grow

Awards

  • Gold medal winner
  • People’s Choice Space to Grow Garden
Designed by:
Jilayne Rickards
Built by:
Cormac Conway
Sponsored by:
The Campaign for Female Education, thanks to the support of a private donor

This is a garden that captures the spirit of Africa with its vibrant colours and exotic flavours.

A representation of female-led, climate-smart agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa, it features edible crops, so vital in helping children to thrive. Iron-enriched beans, papaya and banana trees, sweet potatoes and grain crops grow in a landscape of red soil and rocks. At its heart is a rural Zimbabwean classroom, constructed faithfully in rendered concrete blockwork, concrete roof tiles and floors.

It draws attention to the urgent need to empower and educate young women in some of the world’s poorest communities most affected by climate change. Women produce much of Africa’s food, but struggle to access land, finance or training. When you support the Campaign for Female Education – CAMFED – girls in rural Africa can stay in education, develop thriving agricultural businesses, create jobs, and deliver prosperity.