Healthy Food Creates Healthy Families

In the past three months, the 30 women we recruited to double-dig and create their own organic vegetable gardens have been working hard. Under the direction of Apollinaire our guardian and farm manager they have come to weed on a regular basis and add nutrients, as directed by Thrive. Now the rainy season has stopped and they will need to water regularly as well. We are also appointing a new Manager for the farm to help Apollinaire work with the women and encourage them to stay the course until the harvest in the Spring. 

Once harvested, the women can use their vegetables as they wish - to feed their families, to sell in the marketplace to earn extra money or a combination of the two. We are also forming them into a cooperative so that they develop a sense of teamwork and also have money in the bank on which they can draw in times of need. 

It's a practical solution to the poor nutrition, poor health and grinding poverty in this part of the world. Healthy Food/Healthy Families is Bio-Benin's first step in gaining the trust of these women so that we can engage them in environmental projects and teach them how to preserve Nature. We hope to encourage them to switch to biogas to cook their evening meals, and to avoid cutting wood, which ultimately kills the trees and dries up the waterways. We will also start an annual tree planting event, with year-round protection of the trees, entrusting them to the women as their "guardians", almost like nurturing one of their own children.

Thanks for your support for making all this possible. With your ongoing help we hope to expand this farming venture to at least two more villages in the region. Please think about a monthly donation to make this happen. Thank you.