Gorret Mulenga is a member of the Chikanjebela Women’s Club. We’re working with them through our participation in the SANI Twinning Initiative, helping women to take control over their health through the power of nutrition.
First, we worked with CWC to provide training for its members. Women got to learn about their specific nutritional needs as women, as mothers and, in some cases, as people living with HIV. They increased their understanding of balanced diets and about the foods they can eat to increase their intake needed vitamins and nutrients.
They also learned about the foods they can feed to their children to support healthy development.
Next, we provided CWC’s members new seeds and tools. We connected them connected with support from agricultural extension workers. The women have been busy these last months expanding their household gardens with new crops.
Gorret Mulenga is a single mother, living with her parents in Idola village.
She is living with HIV and is on medication, but thankfully her son has consistently tested negative. Prior to taking part in the project, Gorret had done a little gardening with her family, but mainly just maize which is the primary crop in the area.
Gorret has been busy expanding their garden to grow tomatoes, cabbage, eggplants and amaranthus. She will also soon be receiving egg laying hens to provide a sustainable source if protein.
When asked about her experience so far, Gorret says:
“It has really helped me not only for nutrition purposes but the money from the sale of surplus vegetables some is used to buy little things that we are missing at home. It also helps in buying books, pencils for school going children and to buy seeds pesticides and fertilizers for the garden to continue.”
This twinning project is part of the Southern African Nutrition Initiative . SANI is undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through Global Affairs Canada.
