Global Roots Children's Gardens use a foundation of food security to address area specific social issues. We are building a children's garden for a school for blind children in Tibet in order to remedy nutritional deficiencies in these isolated children. The project will also allow additional children to get education and vocational training.
In rural Tibet, poverty leaves a majority of children malnourished. Accurate statistics in Tibet are scarce, but reports say more than half (51%) of children show stunted growth and delayed development. There is not enough to eat, and what they do eat (Tsampa) is not nutritionally sufficient. For blind children, conditions are worse. Blindness is considered demonic or a sign of punishment in Tibet. Blind children are often neglected and are less likely to have their needs met.
Global Roots successfully uses a foundation of food security to address other regionally specific social issues. A Global Roots Children's Garden at a pioneering school for blind children in Lhasa will first address nutritional deficiencies in the school's children. It will then be used to expand the school's ability to care for additional children and to attract rural Tibetans to bring their blind children to the school for education and vocational training.
This garden program will bring rural Tibetan blind children out of malnourishment. It will reduce or eliminate stunting and delayed growth in the school's children. The aim is that 100% of the school's current children will be at healthy BMI ranges within a year of program launch. All incoming children will be at target for BMI within one year of arrival at the school. Further, this program aims to expand the number of children at the school. We will expand by 10% annually for five years.
