If you cannot work or lose your job due to the crisis, how do you feed your family? Let's provide 350 families with the knowledge and tools to grow their own food! We plan to co-design and build 20 urban food gardens with local communities whose income have been severely affected by COVID-19 and are struggling to feed their families. The families will also receive training so that they can use these gardens sustainably to provide food for their families now and be more resilient in the future.
The COVID-19 sanitary crisis has had numerous impacts on vulnerable communities all around the world in terms of health but also significant economic impacts. Vulnerable communities in Chile are highly dependent on informal work to support their families, work which has been highly restricted and limited due to the strict quarantine conditions facing all of Santiago. This has led to an alarming rise in food insecurity with families not being able to provide enough for their families.
Each of the 20 urban gardens will provide 19-25 families with the space to grow fruit and vegetables as well as spaces where they can learn and share their experiences. This will enable each family to reduce their spending on food without compromising their health and nutrition. The urban gardens will be set up in at least 4 different districts of Santiago. By teaching and providing the space to grow food, Cultiva is providing a solution to fight food insecurity in a sustainable way.
As there are no certainties as to when the economic impacts of COVID-19 will be curbed, Cultiva believes that community-based solutions are the best way to empower communities and provide long-term solutions to their difficulties. Via the designing of urban food gardens, training, and supporting the families with how to best and most sustainably produce food, we will enable a solution to the current economic difficulties but also fortify the community spirit and provide a new local economy.
