In 2019 we started the pilot phase of the vertical sack garden project. By now we have distributed 251 vertical gardens, which provide nutritious food and an additional income for over 1000 people.
Seeing the amazing results that the gardens have brought to our beneficiaries, we would like to continue to grow the project supporting more children and their families!
How the project came to be
One of Make Me Smile Kenya’s objectives is to strengthen the capacity of households and communities especially in protecting and caring for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). In an assessment study carried out in 2019 we noticed that in many families the food supply at the household level was insufficient to assure food security which was leading to malnutrition. Especially children living with HIV are struggling to meet their nutritional needs, which are higher because of their medical condition. Very often the medication for treatment is not effective for those children because of the lack of nutrients.
What we have achieved so far
Since the beginning of the project in 2019 we have been able to implement the vertical gardens in 249 households in Kajulu, Miwani and Kolwa East Area. Two more vertical gardens are already supplying our Youth Friendly Center with fresh vegetables. The families were carefully chosen in partnership with a nutritionist of the Ministry Of Health and our social workers after the premise of either the children or the caregivers being HIV positive. Additionally, the households chosen did have less than 50Ksh (+/- 40 Cents) per day to spend on food.
The gardens are designed in a way that they withstand rainy season and need little water in dry season. The plants are chosen to meet exactly the nutritional needs of the children and to regrow quickly.
Well-tended and structured vertical sack gardens do not only complement the vitamin mineral requirements of people living with HIV, but also provide them with the necessary antioxidants to boost their health and immune systems. Next to this they provide a source of additional income. Beneficiaries have already spent less money on food and were able to safe 50-100Ksh (40-80 Cents) per week. Through this habit of saving they could join our saving and loaning groups.
Let´s grow together!
Every garden costs 60€ and supports 4-5 people in a household.
If you would like to support our child and youth welfare projects including the vertical garden project, you can do so here.
We want to thank the Hand in Hand-Fonds of the Deutsche Umwelthilfe e.V., the Austrian National Bank and the Entwicklungshilfeklub for making this project possible.
