The sinking of a water well at Triple S Centre of Hope ensured access to clean water for the children at the centre. But children do not survive on water alone, they need food. Though we have been blessing the centre with basic food items from the grocery stores we felt the importance of establishing a nutrition garden at the centre. Nutrition gardens play an important role in enhancing food security and dietary diversity. The Nutrition Garden will impact the centre in a meaningful way because it is a strategy to combat malnutrition at the centre.
We got funding for this project through Global Impact. We started off with fencing and clearing the area. This week the guys at the centre are busy making ridges in preparation for the installation of the Drip Irrigation system. Drip Irrigation is a type of micro-irrigation system that preserves water and nutrients by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants. If water is placed directly into the root zone evaporation is minimized.
The centre has access to the local Agricultural Extension Officer (AEO). This is a huge plus for them. The Agricultural Extension Officers are resource persons in the communities and they assist with advice on which types of crops to plant at any given time. We are working in close collaboration with the AEO to ensure maximum benefit for the children. This nutrition garden will make Triple S Centre a shining beacon in Domboshava, making it a centre of hope not just for the orphans and vulnerable children but for the community in its entirety.
This is a developing story. The next step is the installation process then the planting…..