1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Fort-de-France (FUA) Region Europe Native title of the NBS intervention La Croix-Rouge et le Jardin des Antilles et d'Ailleurs Short description of the intervention The socio-economic and gendered challenges faced by female migrants in Martinique were highlighted by the NGO D’Antilles et D’Ailleurs. The organization emphasized that Martinique continues to suffer the lasting effects of colonial and patriarchal violence, particularly affecting migrant women from Venezuela, Dominica, and Haiti. Many of these women find themselves in vulnerable situations, often engaged in sex work. To address these issues, D’Antilles et D’Ailleurs and the Red Cross of Martinique developed support services to help women transition out of prostitution, assisting with legal and bureaucratic processes. One notable initiative was the creation of a therapeutic garden, part of a broader European "Green Health" project supported by Erasmus Plus. The garden, designed to resemble a "Creole Garden," serves as a nature-based solution (NBS), providing a safe and culturally familiar space for healing, community-building, and skill development. Women can engage in gardening, participate in workshops, and learn practical skills such as making natural products, budgeting, and learning French. Additionally, the garden offers a space for emotional recovery, helping women navigate the challenges of rebuilding their lives while waiting for bureaucratic and legal decisions.(1, 2, 3) Website of the intervention https://www.dantillesetdailleurs.org/en/ Principal problems Health, Well-being and Social cohesion Mental health issues (stress, anxiety) Loss of sense of place and identity Social fragmentation and isolation Poor community engagement Implementation area characterization Climate Tropical (Tropican rainforest, tropical monsoon, tropical savanna) Ecosystem Coral reefs Deep sea Mangroves Agricultural Address 122 Rue Lamartine 97200 Fort de France Martinique Location Point location, which indicates where the NBS takes place Area boundary (map-based) Area description Urban (main city) Type of area before implementation of the NBS Unknown Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) 2021 Start date of intervention (implementation process) 2021 End date of the intervention 2023 Present stage of the intervention Completed 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention To support the empowerment and skill development of vulnerable women through tailored learning opportunities. To enhance the competencies of adult educators in guiding vulnerable women toward integration and skill acquisition. To improve educators’ understanding of the intersection between eco-approaches, health, therapy, and learning. To expand educational tools and pathways for women facing severe vulnerabilities, promoting both learning and rehabilitation. To contribute to EU awareness on the links between environment, health, and sustainability. To foster EU dialogue on mental health and social exclusion among women. (4) Key Priorities Social Justice and community Sustainability challenge(s) addressed Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15) Green space creation and/or management Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10) Social cohesion Social justice and equity Environmental education Sense of community and community engagement Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities The Erasmus+ KA2 project “Green Health: Unlocking Skills through Healing Gardens” was launched in November 2021 with a duration of 24 months. Design and testing of an innovative learning path aimed at developing basic and entrepreneurial skills while rehabilitating through healing gardens. The project's online learning platform, offering training modules in areas including therapeutic garden creation, self-production, business creation, and the circular economy, was completed in 2023. (1) Type of NBS project Creation of new green areas Creation of areas for food production (community gardens, allotments) Knowledge creation and awareness raising Educational and awareness raising programs 3. NBS domains, ES and scale NBS domain and interventions Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented Community gardens and allotments Community gardens Amenities offered by the NBS Unknown Design elements for well-being Olfactory elements (e.g., floral scents, earthy smells) Tactile elements (e.g., natural materials like wood or stone, exposure to sunlight) Services Expected ecosystem services delivered Provisioning services Food for human consumption (crops, vegetables) Cultural services Mental and physical health and wellbeing Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational) Social and community interactions Scale Spatial scale Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings) Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area Fort-de-France, the capital of Martinique, has a population of around 84,000 residents, with a majority being adults aged 30 to 59 and a significant senior population. Women make up 54% of the population. The city has a median income of €19,190 and an unemployment rate of 16%, indicating economic challenges. Education levels vary, with about 22% having higher education and 35% completing vocational training. The city is home to over 11,000 families with children, and 5% of the population is of foreign nationality. These demographic factors shape the social and economic landscape in which the therapeutic garden was implemented. (5) Socio-economic profile of the area Low-income Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Yes Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities Low-income neighborhoods Coastal communities Minority or marginalized ethnic groups Non-government actors Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches Primary Beneficiaries Citizens or community groups Marginalized groups Specify primary beneficiaries The therapeutic garden was created to support women who have experienced sexual violence in the context of sex work, providing them with a safe space for healing and empowerment. Designed as a social project, it offers a pathway out of the violence of the sex trade by helping women gain legal, legislative, and therapeutic support. (1) Marginalized groups Women Measures for inclusion of marginalised groups It focuses on empowering them through tailored learning opportunities and skill acquisition, helping them integrate into society. The project also strengthens the capacity of adult educators to better support these women by deepening their understanding of the connections between ecology, health, skill-building, and therapy. Additionally, Green Health expands educational tools and rehabilitation pathways, addressing severe vulnerabilities while promoting EU-wide awareness of the links between environment, health, sustainability, and social exclusion among women. (6) Specify measures taken for vulnerable or marginalized communities Targeted outreach and engagement efforts with vulnerable or marginalized communities to understand concerns or identify risks Implementation of specific programs to address the needs of these communities Provision of resources tailored to the unique challenges faced by vulnerable or marginalized groups Other beneficiaries Local wildlife (e.g., birds, pollinators) Public health (e.g. increased physical activity opportunities, reduced stress) 4. Governance and financing Governance Governance arrangements Led by non-government actors Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative This project was funded by the EU through the Erasmus Plus “Green Health” initiative. The therapeutic garden, established within the Red Cross infrastructure, is jointly owned by the Red Cross and D’Antilles et D’Ailleurs. However, D’Antilles et D’Ailleurs led the project’s design, narrative, and implementation. The Red Cross contributed by providing the garden space and employing an independent permaculture expert to conduct gardening and therapeutic workshops. (1, 2) Key actors - initiating organization Non-government organisation/civil society Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) Citizens or community group EU body Transnational network Stages of citizen and community engagement On-the-ground implementation Level of citizen and community engagement Limited Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives Implementation of educational programs, workshops or trainings Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) Dissemination of information and education Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting) Uncommon actors ("Missing actors") Unknown Land owners Other Please specify other landowner Red Cross (3) Policy drivers NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy Unknown NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan Unknown NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan Unknown Mandatory or voluntary intervention Voluntary (spontaneous) Enablers & Barriers Type of enablers NGOs/Community groups driving the implementation Support from transitional governance actors Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives. Erasmus scheme (1) Governace and decison-making instruments Economic and fiscal instruments (e.g. subsidies or grants, charges or fees, payments for ecosystem services (PES)) Public - private business agreement (e.g. public private collaborations, public-private-partnerships (PPP)) Educational and knowledge sharing instruments (e.g. science/ living labs, awareness raising campaigns, specific educational programs, green hubs) Arrangements for governance cooperation Unknown Barriers Unknown Financing Total cost €100,000 - €500,000 Please specify total cost (EUR) 233,466.59 EUR (7) What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements? Unknown Source(s) of funding EU funds Type of fund(s) used Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities) Non-financial contribution Yes Who provided the non-financial contribution? Citizens (e.g. volunteering) Private sector (businesses, financial institution) Type of non-financial contribution Provision of land Provision of labour Co-finance for NBS No Entrepreneurship opportunities Unknown Business models Business models Local stewardship model Green education model Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model? Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation) 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits Environmental impacts Green space and habitat Increased green space area Achieved increased green space area Description of environmental benefits Creation of a therapeutic garden (3) Economic impacts Unknown Social and cultural impacts Social justice and cohesion Improved social cohesion Achieved improved social cohesion Education Increased support for education and scientific research Achieved increased support for education and scientific research Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits Achieved increased awareness of NBS and their benefits Description of social and cultural benefits -Achieved improved social cohesion: Upgraded basic and key skills and competences of 32 vulnerable women; Rehabilitation, Social inclusion and empowerment of 32 vulnerable women; Increased supply of high-quality learning opportunities tailored to the needs of vulnerable women (7) Achieved increased support for education and scientific research: A booklet for assessing professional roles, Modules for educators and youth on therapeutic horticulture -Achieved increased awareness of NBS and their benefits: An interactive platform for learning therapeutic horticulture. (6) Evidence for use of assessment Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process Yes Actors involved in the assessment, monitoring or evaluation of NBS impacts Non-government organisation/civil society EU body Presence of indicators used in reporting Yes Type of indicators Outcome indicators Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports Yes Link to monitoring/evaluation reports https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/2021-1-FR01-KA220-ADU… Availability of a web-based monitoring tool No evidence in public records Name of any specific impact assessment tools Unknown Use of GIS in mapping impacts No Cost-benefit analysis Unknown Transparency Unknown Justice Community satisfaction Unknown Trade-offs & Negative impacts Unknown Emphasis of existing social inequalities or injustices No information reported related to negative social justice-related impacts of the NBS project Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement No initiatives or policies were implemented High-quality & Transformative NBS Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community) No Goal setting and impacts delivery No, project goals were not set, and benefits were not delivered in all 3 key areas. Reaching original project goals All the intended project goals were achieved Please specify the achievements of the project goals Social goals: -Achieved improved social cohesion: Upgraded basic and key skills and competences of 32 vulnerable women; Rehabilitation, Social inclusion and empowerment of 32 vulnerable women; Increased supply of high-quality learning opportunities tailored to the needs of vulnerable women (7) Achieved increased support for education and scientific research: A booklet for assessing professional roles, Modules for educators and youth on therapeutic horticulture -Achieved increased awareness of NBS and their benefits: An interactive platform for learning therapeutic horticulture. (6) Long-term perspective Unknown: No information about the project's long-term sustainability. Cost-effective solutions Unknown Equitable impacts A. All stakeholders benefit fairly from the project Transformative capacity Social change (e.g. social relationships, networks and dynamics within them) Magnitude of change Incremental: shallow; that is, mostly maintaining business-as-usual approaches to adaptation Application of lessons learned The NBS has been shared or used as a good practice to trigger transformative change Perception of Environmental Change Unknown 6. Sources References 1. D’Antilles & D’Ailleurs (n.d.). Our Mission. Accessed on March 28, 2025, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. D’Antilles & D’Ailleurs (n.d.). Green Health - the project . Accessed on March 28, 2025, [Download]; 3. D’Antilles & D’Ailleurs (n.d.). Green Interculturality. Accessed on March 28, 2025, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. Innovation Hive (n.d.). Green Health: Unlocking Skills through Healing Gardens. Accessed on March 28, 2025, [Download]; 5. Ville data (n.d.). Nombre d'habitants Fort-de-France 2024. [Download]; 6. InnovHive (n.d.). HEALING GARDENS AS A MEANS OF EMPOWERMENT FOR VULNERABLE WOMEN. Accessed on March 28, 2025, [Download]; 7. (n.d.). EU Erasmus: Green Health. Accessed on March 28, 2025, [Download]; Comments and notes Public Images Image The Green health project https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=254391743940203&set=pb.100081081364398.-2207520000 Image The Green health project https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=254391743940203&set=pb.100081081364398.-2207520000 Image Unlocking Skills through Healing Gardens https://www.dantillesetdailleurs.org/projets/green-health/ Image Unlocking Skills through Healing Gardens https://www.dantillesetdailleurs.org/projets/green-health/ Image Unlocking Skills through Healing Gardens https://www.dantillesetdailleurs.org/projets/green-health/
Image The Green health project https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=254391743940203&set=pb.100081081364398.-2207520000
Image The Green health project https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=254391743940203&set=pb.100081081364398.-2207520000
Image Unlocking Skills through Healing Gardens https://www.dantillesetdailleurs.org/projets/green-health/
Image Unlocking Skills through Healing Gardens https://www.dantillesetdailleurs.org/projets/green-health/
Image Unlocking Skills through Healing Gardens https://www.dantillesetdailleurs.org/projets/green-health/
