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Food for the Poor spearheads initiative to cushion economic impact on Solus Christus families
Food For the Poor Guyana Inc. has introduced an initiative to help boost the economic standing of some families in wake of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
The farming project at Solus Christus has proven to be a success.
The initiative has taken the form of self-sustainable farming projects implemented at Solus Christus, Union village, West Coast Berbice, Region 5, according to information released by the humanitarian organisation. Solus Christus is a community built by Food For the Poor Guyana Inc.
In order to ensure that the families there are able to survive and remain healthy during the pandemic, the organisation decided to implement a number of small projects aimed at boosting food security and increasing household income.
In March 2020, a kitchen garden competition was launched to encourage residents to eat healthy, promote self-sustainability and food security.
The competition, which is a collaborative effort between Food For the Poor and Farm Finders Global (an NGO located in Barbados which is dedicated to promoting food security in the Caribbean), was launched in Region 5. A total of 34 families signed up to participate in the competition. Over 2,400 vegetable seedlings were distributed to the families and they were encouraged to also plant reusable seeds and stems.
However, social distancing measures implemented by the Government to mitigate the spread of the virus made it difficult to monitor the competition, Food For the Poor revealed in a statement. Nonetheless, it was revealed that the families were encouraged to maintain their garden and care for their plants. They were provided with technical support from the National Agricultural and Research Extension Institute’s Regional Coordinator and Food For the Poor Guyana Inc. staff via telephone.
“As the country closed down and social distancing measures began to adversely affect families and food security throughout the country, residents of Solus Christus are not fully impacted; families are harvesting fresh organic vegetables which they are consuming, sharing with their neighbours and selling to earn additional income,” Food For the Poor has announced.
In the last quarter of 2019, the organisation revealed too that, “33 families benefitted from small income generating projects; 17 received layer chicks 13 broiler chicks and three families had their shops upgraded and stocked. Families who benefitted from the broiler chicks each received 60 baby chicks, feed and materials for the construction of a coop while those who benefited from the layer chicks each received 24 baby chicks, feed and materials for the construction of their coop; the families provided sweat equity for the construction of the coops.”
It was also noted that like the kitchen garden, these projects have provided safety nets for the families. The families, according to the Food for the Poor PR team “are consuming and selling eggs from the layer project and meat from the broiler project”.
The village of Solus Children was constructed by Food For the Poor Inc. in 2018. This projected targeted 64 economically marginalized and vulnerable families in need of adequate shelter who were relocated to the village. Each family was provided with a two-bedroom wooden house outfitted with indoor sanitary facilities and a rain harvesting component. Potable water was also installed in the community to allow each family to have easy access to same, while a community centre and playground were constructed to promote life and skills training and recreational activities.
The implementation of these projects was timely since their absence would have left these vulnerable families exposed to the harsh economic impact of COVID-19, Food For the Poor officials believe.
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