L'Echappée Verte

Since 2022, FXB Switzerland, in partnership with the Stiftung Wirtschaft und Okologie, has been developing a therapeutic micro-farm project that promotes the social integration of people suffering from mental illness.

Context

In the harsh reality of asylum seekers and welfare recipients, isolation often weighs heavily, especially for those with mental health problems.

This situation is common among those who face major challenges in integrating socially and professionally. Moreover, for many applicants, the traumas associated with their migration have left deep scars, such as post-traumatic disorders, acting as aggravating factors in their fragility.

This mental distress often manifests itself in persistent moral suffering as well as physical complications, hampering their personal, social and professional lives. Already particularly vulnerable, these people often find themselves isolated at home or in foster homes, with no meaningful activities to occupy their minds or develop their skills. This prolonged isolation exacerbates their condition, reducing their autonomy and social skills. As a result, integration into society becomes virtually impossible, creating a vicious circle that must be broken!

In response to this problem, l'Échappée Verte, a therapeutic micro-farm that respects biodiversity, was established in 2022 in Switzerland's Valais region. The aim of this initiative is to support people suffering from psychological disorders by offering them a structured environment and a useful project based on contact with nature and working the land.

Project beneficiaries are men and women aged between 18 and 65. 35% of them are in the 16 to 25 age bracket. This approach fosters their recovery by offering psychosocial support in a non-institutional setting, helping to break their isolation and boost their self-confidence, thus facilitating better social integration.

Project summary

The main aim of the therapeutic micro-farm in Grenchen (VS) is to give structure to the routine of people who have no occupation and need special care. Its aim is to involve them in an enriching project to restore their self-esteem and break their social isolation. Although not directly aimed at integration into the job market, this initiative focuses more on personal and interpersonal development, paving the way for future reintegration into paid employment. At the same time, it encourages the acquisition of skills that can be transferred to a variety of professional contexts.

This project stems from a genuine desire to create rewarding workplaces, while respecting the environmental and human principles essential to any sustainable development. It also includes an economic component, with the establishment of a short distribution circuit for products from the therapeutic micro-farm. Organically and locally grown vegetables, herbs and berries are marketed to the kitchens of asylum seekers' hostels and other public institutions in the region, helping to create a virtuous circle for the well-being of beneficiaries.

 

At the same time, our project is committed to promoting sustainable development in Valais by forging partnerships with local educational establishments.

In the future, we will be opening our doors to classes, crèches and other extracurricular activities, with the aim of raising awareness among children and young people of the challenges of sustainable development, climate change and responsible agriculture. This collaboration also offers participants the chance to share their daily lives with younger generations, involving them in harvesting and farm work, thus fostering meaningful intergenerational and intercultural social links.