Help older people fight food insecurity in Bolivia

Your donations have helped hundreds of older farmers in Bolivia to provide for themselves, their farms and their families through the following projects that have taken place in Tarabuco, Chuquisaca:

• 65 micro irrigation systems were provided to serve 396 older people.
• 350 older people have reaped the benefits of new family gardens growing organic produce.
• 350 older people were trained in soil and land management.
• 1,250 older people benefitted from farming equipment, seeds and training across 6 municipalities of the Bolivian lowlands.

The micro irrigation systems implimented by the program have improved the lives of older people living in Tarabuco, Chuquisaca in numerous ways. Not only do the older people now have access to a safe, clean supply of drinking water, both for themselves and their livestock, but it has allowed 70 family gardens to be irrigated. In turn, these gardens are providing the local communty with fresh, nutritious produce, which grow both traditional crops such as potatoes and maize, but also allow new types of produce to be grown, such as peppers, tomatoes, broccoli and lettuce. These have such a high yield that some of the older farmers have increased their incomes by up to 90%, by selling the surplus crops in the nearby capital, Sucre. 

Having a sustainable food source, and a stable source of income has enabled these older farmers to achieve dignity and security, as well as the promise of a longer, healthier life. The farm equipment, seeds, and above all the training provided to the 1,250 older people has prepared them to be better prepared against the increasing flood and drought risks taking place in Bolivia, which are due in part to the changing climate.

On behalf of the older farmers of Chuquisaca, Bolivia - thank you!

Links:

• World Food Day: Tackling hunger and population aging