An idea for desert agriculture course for asylum seekers from Africa, as part of an inspiring educational-activist series called ACTS in the Sand, brought us to Nitzana area, a distant area full of army bases, jails and greenhouses.

The course is intended to bring professionals and researchers to teach asylum seekers from Sudan and Eritrea staying in Holot principles and know-how for sustainable desert agriculture while sharing local and traditional knowledge from their agricultural past.

Nur and Jammal, raised in agricultural villages in Darfur and living in Israel for over 7 years told us about their youth and painful journeys through Lybia, Egypt, South Tel-Aviv and Eilat, and wandering in the desert around Holot detention center. They also talked about popular crops and traditional growing methods in Sudan and showed through their stories how much we, in the technological and connected ‘First’ world have to learn from the 'Third’ world with its connection to nature and to local smallholder farmer knowledge.

Ofer, a charming agronomist from Ramat Negev Desert Agriculture R&D Center explained about designated research for growing cherry tomatoes, cucurbits and strawberry varieties in the area’s climate and educational programs for farmers from third world countries. Ofer shared his concerns about the national crisis in employment of foreign workers, a result of the rising standard of living in Thailand, and the permanent need for trained foreign workers.

Yair, a doing man of education and social change, living in the educational community of Nitzana took us to experimenting greenhouses build by Rafael Eitan, mostly deserted, some rented to grow crispy and salty Salicornia for top-grade restaurants. We also followed him to a gorgeous orchard maintained by young volunteers and hosting asylum seekers finding a pleasant refuge in their desert walks.

In a distant vision, integrating asylum seekers in Israeli agriculture can provide them with honorable work, their distribution throughout the country, and spread advanced Israeli agricultural technology wherever they go as know-how agents. At the same time, solve the need for thousands of foreign workers in the agriculture sector. As a pilot, this course could provide occupation and education to several young, talented, aimless men, locked away from the public eye for months and years. We need help making this seed grow. contact onyacity@gmail.com or via facebook