As he walks through the gardens he’s worked so hard to sculpt, it’s clear that Gaston takes great pride in working with the earth.
“I like the sense of nature that it gives,” he says. “It increases the beauty of the clinic and helps patients to breath easily.”
Gaston is the lead gardener for the land around Asili clinics. They’ve become an oasis of greenery, community, and a breath of fresh air. They’re a point of pride for the neighborhood, where people take wedding and family photos.
As our gardener, Gaston has played a huge role in making the gardens so stunning. And he’s right in the middle of work for Asili’s newest clinic location, planting seedlings and shaping the land. So for Day 302, we’re doing a little something to show our appreciation – and to make his work a little easier.
We got Gaston a tool bag, new tools, knee pads, new gloves, and other goodies that a gardener needs. Gaston’s smile grew wider and he looked through his new things. “This will be really useful for me. These are all things that I need,” he said.
He’ll use some of the tools at his home garden, too, where he grows fruits, cucumbers, carrots, and flowers. He’s been a gardener since 1988 and studied agriculture in school. For Gaston, gardening is a way of life.
“It’s all in my head – the flowers, vegetables, trees – all of it. I love to garden!”
Gaston is an Asili all-star that’s normally out of the spotlight. He’s played a huge role in making Asili what it is, in making the gardens meaningful for so many people. But he does so in his own quiet, unassuming way. So Day 302 was a day to let him know that we see his work – and all the good that he’s done.
