Your rooftop, Your Paradise: Initiative to plant Egypt’s rooftops

CAIRO – 4 May 2021: A grey-look of old and rusty antennas is what you mostly get when you see buildings’ rooftops in Egypt. However, Alaa el-Leqany, who is currently growing his food on his roof-top, had another thing to say about that.

From his home city Damanhur in Nile Delta’s Beheira governorate, El-Leqany launched an initiative called “Your rooftop is Your Paradise,” to turn roof-tops into gardens.  

The initiative was highly welcomed by social media users, who supported him with agricultural tips and instructions.

“The idea of the initiative started last year thanks to Corona lockdown,” he said, adding that the initiative aims to make use of the buildings’ rooftops in a beautiful way by planting vegetables, fruits and ornamental plants instead of using them to store unnecessary household items.

El-Leqany explained that the initiative has positively affected his life, where plants and trees became an essential part of his life. He further adds that his initiative will achieve self-sufficiency of fresh vegetables and fruits for his family, as well as save money.

Regarding the crops he cultivates, El-Leqany affirmed that he grows necessary fruits and vegetables, such as: tomatoes, strawberries, figs, green peppers, lemons and mangoes, in addition to aromatic plants and mint of various kinds.

Alaa Al-Laqani called on all young people in all governorates to use the roofs of their homes for agriculture, advising them to use the internet for instructions on how to do it.

In 2015, the state launched a green project aiming to utilize roofs of buildings as training centers for university graduates and unemployed youth. In 2018, three governmental buildings decided to join the project and used their rooftops for agriculture.