Growing Roots in New Soil: Gardens in the Lives of Kamza Residents

Mongillo, Audrey; Hulburt, Kendall; Cohen, Abigail; Allen, Jeremy

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Growing Roots in New Soil: Gardens in the Lives of Kamza Residents

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After the fall of the communist regime, migrants from villages in rural Albania began building homes on farmland near Tirana, eventually transforming the area into the city of Kamza. This project worked with a community organization, Grupi ATA, to explore the role private gardens have in creating a sense of home and belonging. Interviews with Kamza residents revealed that gardens not only allow residents to continue the tradition of gardening but are also communal spaces and places of refuge. In the garden, families gather, weddings take place, and gardeners unwind to relieve stress and improve physical health. Despite rapid urbanization, rising emigration rates, and an aging population, residents remain hopeful that future generations will continue to meaningfully connect through gardens.

This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

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