COVID-19 response - Food Gardens
overview
The COVID-19 virus is having a huge impact across the planet with our most impoverished communities, who live from day-to-day, the least likely to survive being out of work. Many of the urban poor, who rely on day-labouring to support their basic needs, are migrants, often unregistered and unseen by government support programs. Already we are seeing these people fleeing cities to escape disease and to look for food in surrounding rural areas. For most, the lack of funds and documents means they cannot cross state & national borders to return to their home villages.
key outcome
Increased food production to help support unemployed people.
Controls have been implemented to limit the spread of COVID-19, but this has resulted in many people losing their livelihoods. Food gardens will help people grow the nutritious food they need during this difficult time.
People will need to be supported until their gardens are productive.
We are seeking to provide people with the training, seeds, tools and space they need to be able to establish their own gardens.
snapshot
how are we doing it?
We are seeking to empower people to be able to grow their own food simply and sustainably during this critical time. Our programs increase access to a constant supply of nutritious food, particularly important for those most vulnerable such as pregnant women and children. We have trusted partners in many countries who need support to quickly establish food gardens to meet the needs of those who have lost their livelihoods.
Project Activities:
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Build the capacity and facilities of the implementing NGO in finance, administration and technical skills.
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Provide seed cleaning and storage facilities.
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Identify key vegetables that can provide the nutritional requirements of families.
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Evaluate the performance of crops and continue to improve production.
In urban areas
In cities, although land for food production is very scarce, even in slums there are vacant blocks and small areas that can be used for vegetable cultivation. We tailor solutions for individual communities, to ensure they are easy to adopt right away and able to be maintained into the future.
We contract available land and set up facilities required to grow food. We provide tanks / drums for water storage and access to open-pollinated seeds, teaching people how to save seeds from their harvest for distribution to others. In cities there is access to an abundance of organic waste. Using locally-available drums, we make rotary composters which turns organic waste into garden fertilizer.
In rural areas
Rural areas are being impacted by an influx of people looking for food which, in turn, is threatening the food security of local communities. We help these communities scale up their food production and identify plots for migrants / refugees to plant their own gardens. Communities need financial support for key infrastructure such as fencing and increased water supply, as well as the acquisition of seeds and tools.
