Intervida Philippines sets up family gardens to combat the nutrition which affects one in three students
Barcelona (16/07/2008). In order to improve the nutritional state of the children in the Filipino schools where INTERVIDA works, in which one in three students present symptoms of malnutrition, the organization has implemented a project to guide communities in setting up family gardens aimed at supplying them with healthy and nutritional products for their own consumption, as well as with additional income through the sell of excess crops.
According to the United Nations, the vicious cycle of economic poverty, hunger and malnutrition are prejudicial to health and the socioeconomic development of 30% of the world’s population, especially in developing countries. A good nutritional state enables people to grow, develop, resist disease and realize their full potential as individuals and as a society. In contrast, malnutrition, which affects 850 million people worldwide, makes us more vulnerable to disease and premature death.
In the areas of the Philippines in which INTERVIDA is active, it is common for children to have to walk long distances on an empty stomach to get to school. In addition to seriously affecting their health, this also leads to a lack of attention in class; the children are easily distracted, have great difficulty concentrating and may even fall asleep during the lesson.
In 2007, INTERVIDA observed that 41% and 39% of the students they work in in El Pilar and Legazpi, respectively, are underweight; these figures are well above the country average, which is approximately 28% of children under 5 years old malnourished.
As part of the program to improve health and nutrition in the communities where it works, –and complemented by nutritional attention and training on healthy habits in the primary schools and day care centers – INTERVIDA has setup Gulay sa Balay, intensive biological gardens, in 40 of the poorest homes in the communities of Millabas and Milagrosa in Sorsogon province, Buhatan in Albay, and Buluang in Camarines Sur, in an effort to improve the food security of the entire community. Growing their own food makes it possible for these families to access a healthy diet and guarantee the availability of food during periods of shortage. At the same time, these gardens can provide the families with greater acquisition power since they spend less on food and, if the production is sufficient, they can sell excess crops to earn income which, in turn, can be used to purchase other nutritional food products. Initiatives lie this one are especially important in rural areas where people have few income generating opportunities.
A well-planned garden can provide the majority of the basic food basket for a family for an entire year, including roots and tubers, fruits and vegetables, legumes, herbs and spices. Root vegetables and tubers are rich in energy and legumes are important sources of protein, fat, iron and vitamins. Fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals, especially folic acid and vitamins A, C and E. Fruits and vegetables are also a vital component of a healthy diet and should be consumed as a part of every meal. Meat, poultry and fish are good sources of proteins, fat and micronutrients, especially iron and zinc, which are particularly important in the diets of young children as they assure proper growth and intellectual development.
The establishment of organic family gardens is a basis for strengthening food security in the community and addressing the malnutrition suffered by the children of the archipelago, in which 20% of newborns weigh less than 2,500 grams. In the future, INTERVIDA anticipates expanding the program to include the planting of fruit trees, such as papaya or banana, as well as the breeding of poultry and pigs.
About INTERVIDA
FUNDACIÓN INTERVIDA is a nonpartisan, nondenominational and independent development NGO in special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Its objective is to contribute to sustainable human development towards improving the living conditions of the most disadvantaged communities. Currently, INTERVIDA is active in several countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia, offering its support to nearly five million people.
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