Community Garden

As Shanti Uganda marks the end of the 2017-2018 fiscal year, we celebrate the successes of the Community Garden and Nutrition Program. 11 garden workshops were conducted with 196 direct beneficiaries.

The key to the sustainability of our garden is seed saving. During this year’s two planting seasons, Ritah, the Shanti Uganda Agriculturalist, with support from Kato, the Groundskeeper, established numerous vegetable nurseries. These nurseries have been vital for demonstrations during the garden workshops, as well as in multiplication of high-quality seeds. After each demonstration, interested participants were provided with seeds to start their own small vegetable gardens. Over 97% of workshop participants received high-quality seeds for replanting from the Shanti Uganda demo nurseries. This seed-sharing program reduces household expenditures for participants, thereby encouraging them to put the theoretical knowledge taught during the workshops to practical use.

The community garden also acts as the demonstration site for good agronomic practices and environmental conservation. This quarter, the agriculturalists introduced biochar, the process of using charcoal to conserve water in the soil. At a workshop attended by 51 community members, the agriculturalists demonstrated how charcoal should be broken into small particles and placed on top of the soil. Biochar is especially useful for household gardens as it aids water retention in the soil.  This workshop encouraged participants, especially mothers, to grow vegetables around their homes year-round without any fears of the dry seasons. This enables households to provide nutritious food throughout the year, especially to children and expectant mothers.

Kato, the Groundskeeper and trained permaculture expert, reflected on the program: “After the workshop, I visited 10 households to ask how relevant the Biochar workshop was and found they all had started using charcoal in their sack vegetable gardens. I hope to learn more conservation techniques and continue training mothers and families around Shanti to grow food all year round.”