SIMASENG VILLAGE GARDEN

Simaseng Village Garden is the latest project for the Mangrove Arts Foundation due to open in 2026. The Garden is form of what we call “social medicine”. Essentially a small “village” set the city of Port Harcourt where we practise a holistic indigenized environmentalism that works to heal from extractive industries, colonial practices and poverty mindset. Inspired by village life in Ogoniland at its sweetest, it is a space where ecological, intellectual, emotional and cultural healing and exploration can take place. We aim to share our research findings through meals, lectures, screenings, and other programming in a joyful space that is truly nature forward. A calm but vibrant oasis in the bustling urban Port Harcourt city.

Situated on a quiet piece of land in Port Harcourt, Simaseng Village Garden will contain a plant nursery, botanical garden, a state-of-the-art test kitchen and outdoor cooking area, a cafe, restaurant and bar where our culinary experiments will be shared. There will also be a library and screening room, a teaching space, art gallery and an international residency programme. This residency will be for chefs, artists, writers, academics, food producers and scientists to explore what the Niger Delta has to offer and also to share and exchange knowledge. A vibrant communal space delivering the social medicine that the region needs as it deals with the silent but potent impact of colonial legacy and the extractive industries. A site for the people of Port Harcourt and further afield to connect peacefully with nature and a place to learn about deeper ecologies and botanicals that are found in more inaccessible parts of the region.

Please consider donating to MAF to help us achieve this by clicking here. If you have any in kind support in the form of architecture and landscaping advice and knowledge we are equally happy to hear from you. Thankyou so much!