The project will provide vegetable seeds, organic fertilizer, garden tools and equipment for Typhoon Haiyan survivors living in bunk-houses in hardest-hit areas in Leyte namely, the cities of Tacloban and Ormoc and the Municipality of Palo. Thousands of dislocated residents are housed in temporary shelters (bunk-houses) waiting to be finally resettled in a more safer place but this effort will take years. They can benefit meanwhile by utilizing available spaces around the bunk-houses as gardens.
Families living in unsafe zones ravaged by Typhoon Haiyan are living in bunk-houses in Leyte. One group of bunk-houses contains 300-400 families. They have nothing to do except wait for government and other donor support. They are restless and some are depressed. Meanwhile, areas around the bunk-houses are suited for gardens. When spaces is lacking, gardens can be done using recycled containers, bamboo and sacks. Gardening provides nutrition, extra income, use of time and good exercise.
The project will provide vegetable seeds, garden tools, garden materials such as recycled containers and technical training to families residing in 3 bunk-houses in Leyte. They then raise vegetables in small family plots or in containers when space is limited. The produce they can use to improve family nutrition and market the surplus for extra income. Families will visit each other's gardens and share success stories thus increasing closeness among each other.
The long-term impact is manifold; improve nutrition especially among children, improve income from the sale of surplus vegetables, good exercise, antidote to depression and providing the survivors with hope for the future as they create their own gardens. The gardens also provide them with a means to make use of their time, make themselves productive and a sense of being useful to their families and community. The learning they will get they can use when they transfer later on.
