Solidarities humanitarian work in Kenya - Sack Gardens - prototype for a global paradigm shift?

A great example of creativity & resourcefulness!

"In Kenya, food represents the majority of the household budget. Inhabitants of Kibera (one of the largest shantytowns in Africa) are struggling to feed themselves due to lack of access to food: a basic meal costs around $1 but most of the population does not even earn that much in one day.

Working with community participation, the "sack gardening" project was initiated by SOLIDARITÉS in 2007. It has opened the way for market gardening in limited spaces and restored purchasing power for recipients, improving their access to a variety of products such as cabbage and spinach which are highly desirable in this Eastern African region.

First, community organizers are recruited, who are the linchpins of the project since they are responsible for training aid recipients. Parcels of land are selected and used to cultivate vegetables until they are mature. The plants are re-planted in sacs, where the vegetables continue to grow and are harvested every 15 days.

Most of the produce is consumed by households. Any surplus produce is sold at the markets, providing households with additional daily income."

While most people in the Untied States are not challenged to live on less than $1 a day, we are nutritionally challenged on every level, from the richest to the poorest. Many of the working poor are captive to "junk food" because it is cheap and plentiful. Urban dwellers typically do not have the green space in which to plant a garden. The possibility of enrolling youth as the innovators in participation and then encouraging them to enroll others would create a grassroots momentum that might conceivably impact the quality of life via nutrition and economy, educate via shared information through virtual "hook ups" and community gatherings.

I have sent a friend request to Peggy Pascal with Solidarities - I do not even know if she speaks English!