A garden, a cat and a home that is sanctuary
Luka, a Kensington resident from South Sudan, finds peace and joy in his community garden, where he tends plants with his beloved cat, William, despite the trauma of losing his family and his home in the war.
Luka’s one-bedroom apartment is his sanctuary. Outside his front door is a green oasis including an award-winning food forest, resident garden plots and very healthy compost bay.
“The garden makes me very happy. I love to work in the garden and often take William with me,” Luka smiles.
Luka is very active in Kensington’s common garden area. He has his own garden plot and being generous of spirit, helps where he can to keep the grounds looking tidy.
Everybody has a story to tell. Luka’s story starts on his family farm in Abyei, South Sudan. His family grew sorghum, maize, vegetables such as tomatoes, okra and pumpkin, they tended sheep and goats and were “cattle keepers”. In South Sudan, your wealth is represented by the number of cattle you own, not the amount of money you have.
Luka explains, “Cows are everything. We use them to trade. Nobody cares about money. Where can you spend it? You are wealthy if you have many cows.”
One cannot begin to fathom the tragedy and trauma of the Sudanese Civil War. The war took many things from Luka. At the age of 10, he lost his parents, his farm, his animals and his youth. He sustained gunshot wounds and was separated from his siblings (two brothers and a sister).
Luka, the eldest child, then lived with and cared for his grandmother. Luka adored his grandmother who was a big influence.
“She was everything to me. My grandmother was like the community elder, and I watched her support people in our community. She taught me to be kind, generous and respectful. She welcomed all the children in the area into her home, and she taught us how to read the bible and sing hymns.”
Luka’s grandmother died when he was fourteen. An orphan and still needing treatment for his wounds, Luka was found by “Doctors Without Borders” and taken to a hospital on the Kenyan border, where he stayed for 6 months. From there he went to the Kenyan Refugee Camp for another 5 years.
Luka made the journey to Melbourne in 2004, as a teenager and on his own. He has lived in a number of places over the past 20 years. He has worked hard as a labourer on construction sites, volunteered on projects, travelled all over Victoria as an Apprentice Framing Carpenter and supported his Sudanese community. All the while living by the values instilled by his grandmother.
Luka moved to Kensington two years ago (from another Unison property). His injuries, both mental and physical take a toll, however his enduring resilience is remarkable. Kensington, it seems, is a perfect place for Luka and William.
“The great thing about living here is the quiet and I live a life with peace. Straight away I met good people.”
“I have had William for two years now, and he has become a big part of my life. William knows when I am feeling down and he is always there for me.”
You can literally see Luka’s face shine when he steps outside amongst the green.
“Whenever I walk through the garden, I always see things to do. I love working in the garden.
I feel like I am back home when I was young.”
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