A local organic farm in Egypt is becoming a hub for nature-lovers and family picnics. For the founder of WiiWii's farm, Wael Basheer Abdel Halim, it took some work to turn a small garden into a large sustainable farming site and a tourist destination.
There is a growing awareness about securing food and preserving land across all of Africa. While commercial entrepreneurship has been the dominant driver in the market, social and environmental forms of entrepreneurship are redesigning spaces that reconcile the relationship between nature, farmers and consumers.
WiiWii’s Farm also provides space for community gatherings and offers volunteering opportunities. The farm also hosts many gardening and farming workshops with the goal of demonstrating the benefits of using agriculture as a tool for community engagement, empowerment, and environmental protection.
“The farm is open to visitors and our marketing is mainly organic through friends and family as well as Instagram. My friend always visits and tries to stay as much as they can to enjoy nature. I also try to spread the culture of volunteering and bring awareness to different trends like farming and environmental awareness,” says Abdel Halim.
“Many of the youth invest in cafes or restaurants, or opt for commercial entrepreneurship, but they forget about environmental activities such as farming, which is a primary resource and is a factor of production. I am trying to create a space that reconnects people with nature.”
Abdel Halim wants the farm to be sustainable both in terms of waste management and energy usage. He hopes that the rules and regulations for organic farms become more supportive.
