Kitchen Garden

Back to YRC today to tidy up the kitchen garden. Our group of 7 volunteers and 1 team leader (Rochelle) are further split into a group of 4 people concentrating on improving health (Me, Megan, Danielle and Emma) and 3 people concentrating on livelihoods (Pavlina, Ellis and Cara). One repeated project by the health team is a kitchen garden, this is similar to an allotment in the UK where areas that are often full of stagnant water are cleaned, tilled and vegetables planted for consumption by locals. Malaria and as a by product, anaemia, are common in this area so the vegetables serve as a healthy diet. As vector bourne disease (diseases spread by an organism such as a mosquito as opposed to sneezing, blood etc) are a huge problem here, removing areas of stagnant water helps reduce the mosquito population as this is where their eggs are laid. Furthermore, stagnant water can also be removed by planting banana trees, making rock/sand pits and removing rubbish like bags/tyres that water could build up in. These are all solutions we would like to communicate to the locals. 

Kitchen garden out the front of the YRC when we arrived. It is difficult to ensure maintenance is continued when the volunteers leave so hoping to try some new ideas this time. 

Rochelle (left) and Pavlina (right) "helping". Statue of liberty eat your heart out.

Cleaned up garden. From left to right :- front row - Ellis, Danielle, Cara, Emma - back row - Pavlina, Me, Megan and Satish (doorway)