Provide Organic Gardens for 20 Indigenous Women

The women of Chumanzana have realized many sucesses during this year of 2012.  With their family gardens, they have saved a lot of money because of the vegetables that they are raising that they eat daily.  They are growing them without using chemical fertilizer which is another saving.  They are using organic fertilizer which they prepare themselves for their gardens.

The women planted seeds in egg cartons to grow seedlings that they can transplant when they are large enough.  They are all very interested in learning new techniques that they can use.

Catalina Quino is growing chili, herbs, squash, and radishes for her family to eat and to sell.  She is selling some of her chili seedlings and planting some in her own garden.

Isabela Morales has planted cilantro which her family uses and also is selling it to her neighbors.  The people in her village already know that she has a garden and they come to buy.

Candelaria has planted cilantro, radishes, herbs, and squash.  She doesn't have to buy food to eat daily because of her plantings.  She is very happy with her small garden.  Before she had to walk an hour to the store to buy her cilantro and herbs.  Now she only needs to go outside her door.

The other women have planted the same things.  They see it as a great help.  They now can eat fresh vegetables that they grow themselves.

They are using their new skills because they want to better themselves.  Even though they have a small area, they  want to learn as much as possible about how to raise their own food organically.

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Since the very first days of our Organic Gardening Program, the women of Chumanzana have set themselves to work, full of energy and enthusiasm. After attending just the initial training, this group of 20 women went straight to work, sowing tiny seeds into shallow egg trays. What seemed like such a simple act has since shown to have tremendous effects on the lives of these women, their families and their community.

As the seeds grew and came to harvest, the women who once were merely interested in learning how to plant, were suddenly astounded to see how the tiny home gardens were saving time and money while helping them provide healthier food for themselves and their families. Doña Calendaria used to walk over an hour to get to a place where she could by the herbs and other food items her family needed. As a grandmother, this walk was dangerous and often difficult. Now, she grows cilantro, radishes, herbs and squash right at home and is able to provide her family with healthier food at a lower cost while spending less time traversing the rural highlands on her own.

While the project has clearly had a direct impact on the wellbeing and livelihood of the Chumanzana group and their families, the project has also shown to provide some broader cultural benefits as sowing native and heirloom seeds are just another way to uphold local community traditions. 

To learn more about the organic gardens of Chumanzana, "Like" our Facebook page and stay up to date on this, and all our projects, with the Kateri Tekakwitha Fund.

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• Kateri Tekakwitha Fund on Facebook