The project will provide low-cost, durable and scientific sanitation hardware and food security support via root crop and vegetable production for very poor, vulnerable families in selected target areas in Mindanao and mainly in the provinces of Misamis Oriental and Zamboanga del Norte. A total of 3,000 families is targeted for this project aiming to improve their health, hygiene and nutrition situation and enabling them to live with dignity and fully participating in the life of the community.
Very poor vulnerable communities often lack the resources to build their own toilet as well as to source good planting materials for their food production needs. This create a vicious cycle of poverty coupled with poor health due to diseases caused by open defecation. Poor farming families with this condition have lesser chances in life and mortality especially of children is high. With the so many poor in Mindanao, the government is unable to assist hence our solution and assistance.
The project will provide low-cost, scientific and durable latrines to very poor farming families who cannot afford to build one. Then we will also provide vegetable and root crop starter packs so they improve their farm production. Together with the support is localized training so that they improve their overall condition. To do this we will build the capacities of local volunteers who will act as "para-technicians" able to train others and use their areas as demonstration sites.
The long-term impact of this project is improved capacities of very poor farming families through focused sanitation and food security support involving low-cost latrines and vegetable and root crop planting materials. In so doing, these families will have a good chance in life compared to their present condition of powerlessness, hunger and disease.