A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS SOLVING
A world where all children, adolescents, women and men realise their right to holistic nutrition.
Food security and nutrition crisis in South Africa is intertwined with the country’s changing temperatures and rainfall patterns. This has resulted in an immediate need for a review of food systems to address the increasing triple burden of malnutrition amongst the most vulnerable in our society. In addition to the socio-economic impact of COVID-19, the recent/ frequent flooding in the northern parts of the country and the extreme drought in the Eastern Cape continues to exacerbate the situation and make interactions even more complex. The need for sustainable and resilient food systems is clear. Climate-smart methods of growing food are needed to ensure sustainable diets that are adequately diverse, nutritious, and better aligned with local contextual ecosystems function. This investment in the planet immediately includes communities in environmental conservation while enabling them to own the sustainable nutritional programs implemented by Operation Hunger.
DEMOGRAPHIC FACTS
Low-income households are more likely to purchase foods with high energy but low nutritional content.
3.6 million South Africans (7 percent) were considered multidimensionally poor.
36 percent of South Africa’s households are categorised as having a low dietary diversity score.
Eight out of the ten food-stuffs that had the largest increase in prices were vegetables.
9.34 million people in South Africa experience chronic hunger.
The average national intake of fruit and vegetables is 200 grams per person per day – half the WHO recommendation of 400 grams per day.
On average, healthier diets cost almost 70 percent more than less healthy diets.
2000 beneficiaries per garden
Grow diverse organic produce
25m x 25m (bio-diverse vegetable garden)
Produce sold to community residences for income generation and project sustainability
FULLY FENCED
Soil management will be through green regenerative methods
Produce to support Operation Hunger’s local broad-based feeding schemes (350 families a day)
Plant methods will include organic, permaculture and plant companion methods
SOCIO-ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO COMMUNITIES
Benefit 1
Pride in community and ownership
Objective 2
Nutritional benefit by addressing hidden hunger and triple burden of malnutrition (education and sustainable food supply)
Objective 3
Access to direct market
Objective 5
Indigenous knowledge integrating strategies
Objective 4
Income generation
Objective 5
Skills development
Objective 5
Self sustaining project for long term
GARDEN BENEFITS TO COMMUNITIES
ENHANCING FOOD AND NUTRITIONAL SECURITY
- In the area of food insecurity and nutrition:
- reduces the cost of nutrition dense foods
- immediately increases the range, scale, and coverage of child-centred food system interventions available to vulnerable families and low income consumers at risk of malnutrition.
- In the area of access:
- promotes and improves the beneficiaries physical access to diverse types of food environments by restoring four types of entitlements:
- production based entitlement (growing food);
- trade based entitlement (buying food); own-labour entitlement (working for food);
- inheritance and transfer entitlement (being given food).
- promotes community ownership and restores community resilience.
- Introduces availability of diverse dietary nutrition crops
- improving both consumption patterns and dietary practices
- immediately improve the health of the environment and its residents
COMMUNITY PRIDE AND OWNERSHIP
- The safety and vitality of a healthy community relies heavily upon the invested pride and ownership it’s members have for their neighborhood.Operation Hunger’s methodology places emphasis on participation of the people that it seeks to assist and other available interested stakeholders / role players. The methodology follows the principle of reconstruction and development. Implementation of activities follows a development circle which commences with project entry, needs assessment, prioritising planning of interventions, procurements, and implementation of planned activities, monitoring and evaluation and exiting. The organisation believes in linking development initiatives to alleviate and combat poverty and malnutrition in a holistic manner.
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
- Green vegetation can reflect as much as 20% to 25% of radiation from the sun, thus reducing the heat island effect in cities and cooling the climate.
- Garden soil is an absorbent substance that reduces runoff from the rain and helps minimise surface erosion.
- Gardens reduce pollutants in our air by absorbing carbon dioxide
- Gardens initiate and utilise ecologically friendly approaches for food production while conserving biodiversity and natural resources.
EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS
- OH Nutrition Specific Education from production of food to dietary requirements to preparation and consumption practices.
- Produce market skills for incoming generation
- Enhancing Gardening skills and environmentally friendly practices.
- Hands-on exposure to community gardens teach children and community members about the sources of fresh produce, demonstrate community stewardship and introduce the importance of environmental sustainability.
ECONOMIC BENEFITS
The gardens are set up to be income- generating for their sustainability.
our HUNGER heroes
Our support to the communities during this time would not be possible without our generous donors, sponsors and partners.
We thank you for your continuous support.
get in touch, HELP SOUTH AFRICA
Achieve sustainabLE NUTRITIONAL SECURITY!
There are so many ways in which you can get involved to help contribute to fighting malnutrition in this beautiful country. We look forward to hearing from you.