Women managed vegetable gardens empower women to feed their families, earn income, reduce social isolation and, overtime, achieve greater self-reliance and community respect.
“It has also reduced the level and rate of domestic violence because if the man doesn’t have money to buy, say, tomatoes, when you request for that money, he can yell at you. But now, since we don’t over rely on them, there is a peaceful environment at home. Love is at its best nowadays in our families.” – Gardener in Kyabarungira Sub-County
1000WG staff work to establish 75 new women-managed gardens each rainy season (2 times per year) with vulnerable households, especially grandmothers caring for young children, young mothers and mothers of orphaned children. Three years after the start of the project there are over 600 organic home gardens and 44 community gardens in seven sub-counties of Kasese District.
Listen to the Doreen, the director of 1000 Women’s Gardens, share about the history, practices and success of the project in the lives of women and children.
1000WG staff have observed that as many or more ‘adopter gardeners’ are practicing some form of organic vegetable gardening as well, learned from their relatives and neighbors. The goal is that by 2027, at least 40% of households in villages where 1000WG works will be practicing organic gardening, together making a large and sustained difference in the quality of food security, nutrition and health for these families.
Model Gardener Volunteer (MGV) program empowers outstanding women gardeners to monitor and support prior & new gardeners, allowing 1000WG to grow sustainably
The MGV program enables local women to become leaders in the monitoring and sustainability of earlier phases of 1000WGs, while RCRA staff can focus on recruitment and training of new gardeners. Thus far, 22 exemplary gardeners and community role models have been selected as MGVs, each responsible for an average of 25 women gardeners in (or adjacent) to their villages. MGVs receive additional 1000WG training in priority and complex topics, such as formulation of botanical pesticides, organic soil amendments, value addition and marketing strategies, then pass on the knowledge and techniques to the greater community