A healthy and nutritious diet is important during treatment and management of cancer.This project will ensure that up to 200 cancer patients and their caregivers will gain food security and better nutrition through vegetable cone gardens.Fresh organic produce will provide proper nourishment for these patients as they undergo treatment for various cancers. The 2013 National Guidelines for Cancer Management in Kenya identifies nutrition care for person with cancer as an integral part of treatment.
The double burden of malnutrition is a common problem among cancer patients especially in developing countries. A large number of cancer patients in suburban and rural Kenya live below the poverty line and this situation was compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic which occasioned job losses and lowered family incomes, making it harder for patients to access and meet their nutritional needs. We need to provide culturally acceptable, easy to cook and sustainable fresh organic food to cancer patients.
Africa Cancer Foundation has been addressing the nutritional needs of cancer patients by installing vegetable cone gardens in Kisumu county, Kenya and would like to scale it up in the rest of Kenya. The 6-tier cone garden has a variety of vegetables that the patient can harvest and eat or sell surplus to make money for other necessities. The cone garden is set near the patient's house for ease of access to the fresh produce as well as to make it easier for them to water and maintain the garden.
Proper nourishment for the cancer patients as they undergo treatment for various cancers is beneficial and leads to better treatment outcomes. The end goal is to ensure food security and self-sufficiency for cancer patient and their families.
