Our project, Huertas Urbanas (Urban Gardens), provides 51 families (300+ ppl)--many forced to leave behind homes and livelihoods to escape rural violence--a stable income from the sale of produce, as well as a personal food source. Additionally, we prevent violence and crime in Comuna 8 by ensuring economic security for impoverished families and reclaiming neglected spaces where violence can brew. The presence of gardens also cultivates feelings of security, coexistence, and community pride.
Comuna 8 is home to 11% of Medellin's displaced population, of which 98% earn at or below the minimum wage. Families that have moved away from their rural homelands to escape violence leave livelihoods behind. They are then confronted with lack of economic opportunity, which often can lead to crime or violence. This puts impoverished children and families at risk of not achieving their life project, exposure to physical harm, poor nutrition, and low educational attainment.
We work with our local partner organizations in Comuna 8 to build gardens with participating community members. Many of our beneficiaries are single mothers, entrepreneurs, and individuals unable to support both themselves and family members on just the minimum wage. Growing and selling produce grown in urban gardens offers families an additional source of income with which they can invest in themselves and their families, as well as nutritious food.
The increase in income from the sale of produce will bring families further from poverty and closer to achieving goals such as higher educational attainment, household improvement, self investment, and entrepreneurship. The quality of life and life project of 51 families (300+ people) will be greatly improved. Additionally, the presence of the beautiful gardens will cultivate a strong sense of peaceful coexistence and community pride that will change the nature of Comuna 8.
This project has provided additional documentation in a DOCX file (projdoc.docx).
