By By Susan Giddings/Lonny Ward | Operations Specialists/Operations Manager
Ever since she was a child, Casimira has loved nature. At the age of seven, she began to work on her father’s farm to help raise guinea pigs. She also enjoyed going out to the countryside to be with plants and animals.
Now in her 60s, Casimira, together with her grandson, takes part in a family vegetable garden in her community of Vichayal.Casimira says that she feels like a child again, remembering those days of happiness on her father’s farm. Together, Casimira and her grandson work side by side to increase nutrition and economic opportunities for their family.
The family garden project is part of a program led by CHOICE Humanitarian in eightcommunities in Peru to reduce childhood anemia and increase nutrition. Family gardens are relatively small plots of land with more variety than most large commercial farms.These gardens can supply important foods and nutrients for families. They also can provide income for families. The gardening methods use less water, which is critical, as many places do not have the water needed. These gardens take less space,yetthey will provide year-round abundance for the table.
CHOICE plays an important role in helping village families start their own gardens. Self-reliance comes first when you have the ability to feed yourself. Families learn the foods they can grow to improve their families’ nutrition and health. This knowledge is especially important for the extremely poor. CHOICE provides skills, training, and seeds to grow vegetables and fruits. CHOICE skilled in-country staff know the nutrient deficiencies common in their region, and they work to ensure that family gardens include the fruits and vegetables the families need for a healthy, complete diet.
CHOICE also has a Pay it Forward program where CHOICE gives the seeds/starts to begin the garden and, instead of paying CHOICE back,the families Pay It Forward by giving seeds/starts to another community member to begin their own garden.
Over a thousand children and their families have been impacted by this anemia and nutritionprogram. Within the 8 localities, the percentage of children with anemia has dropped from 50% to 10%. The communities now have 1,541 family gardens and sixteen chicken farms. These improvements encourage families throughout the community and beyond to learn about healthier living and find hope for a better future.
Join us in our work to improve the lives of women like Casimira and her family.
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