Kitchen Gardening
Under this project, housewives are encouraged, trained and given facilities to cultivate vegetables on household level. Besides fulfilling their domestic requirements, they earn a fair amount of money by selling their production in nearby markets, respectively. One of the aims of the project is to popularize this concept in Pakistan as unlike the rest of the world, people here don't utilize this option to earn a decent livelihood.
So far, more than 500 families have directly benefitted from this initiative and providing inspiration to many others to join the suit.
Kitchen gardening at Tharparkar
A step towards food security and self-sustainability
Engaged in diverse activities to alleviate the sufferings of drought ravaged people of Tharparkar, Human Appeal International has initiated yet another project to bring about a lasting change in the lives of local people. The project "Food Security and Nutrition" aims at building the capacity of local farmers through on-field training and in-kind support to grow vegetables at pieces of plots adjacent to their houses, respectively.
To begin with, 25 local farmers have been provided with a four months long training to take up the role of master trainers and play a pioneer role in popularizing the concept of kitchen gardening in the area. As planned, these master trainers are currently engaged in extending a comprehensive training to as many as 175 farmers for the development of 200 kitchen gardens in the area.
Located in close proximity to the solar-powered water pumps installed by Human Appeal over a period of time, the project sites have enough water available for irrigation purpose.
Need assessment and tools distribution
Earlier, a comprehensive study was conducted in collaboration with CABI, an international organization in agriculture, to identify the nutritional needs of local people. On the basis of the study, training modules were developed and seeds purchased for sowing. Through different sessions, trainees received knowledge and practical skills to prepare land for cultivation, nutritious values of various kinds of vegetables and as how to grow them in unfriendly conditions.
Human Appeal believes that mere emergency aid and support is no solution to the sufferings of the people of Tharparkar. Recurrent droughts necessitate a long term solution, revolving around motivation and skill development to face the situation on self-help basis. The project fully coincides with this concept and has infused a new confidence, coupled with knowledge and skills, in local farmers to focus on agriculture to face the situation.