Garden to Market- Helping the poor to grow food!

Our Garden to Market project keeps going from strength to strength. At the end of the year, Hand to Hand gave 375 families we support four different Thai herb plants.  The 1 500 plants were cultivated from existing herbs by taking a cutting and helping them to regrow in bags which were made from recycled rice sacks. Local people who were unemployed participated in the project which enabled them to receive an income for the month of December. In this way, we were able to provide, food, gifts and employment! Unfortunately on the day of distribution, approximately 400 families arrived so we simply bagged up other seedlings we were growing and gave them away!

Three months ago we began a new community garden in a local slum area not far from our current garden. The gardeners in our original project have spent time with the residents of this community showing them how to prepare the garden beds, plants seedlings and care for them. The  Hand to Hand Foundation has provided all of the resources needed to create this garden including garden bead materials, soil, tools, seedling, water pumps and water tanks. This garden is now producing fruit, vegetables and herbs, which the community is sharing and selling. The garden has not only brought the community food but also a common goal that has nurtured deeper friendly relationships and self-esteem.

The garden at the Hand to Hand housing estate continues to produce an abundant harvest. The cucumber crop has finished and we now have tomatoes growing in our greenhouse. Gardeners are now regularly going to market to sell their produce!

Thank you to everyone for your generosity which has enabled us to provide food, employment and hope for the poor. 

Links:

• Hand to Hand Foundation

Our 'Garden to Market' project is flourishing with an abundance of food! Over the past few months, we have been growing Thai herbs, sweet potatoes, bananas, papaya, limes and cucumbers.

There are now 3 full-time and 4 part-time growers who tend the garden using the land and resources of the Hand to Hand Foundation. These growers are able to use some of the produce to feed their families and also sell the remainder to the foundation who then give the fruit, vegetables and herbs to the poor for free. The growers record the number of hours they spend in the garden and are rewarded on a pro rata basis.

Covid 19 restrictions have made tending to the gardens difficult with the restricted travel and numbers of people allowed to gather together. When there is a will there is always a way, and we have managed to comply with all government regulations and keep the gardens going.

We have also started to extend the project into a poor local Nong Yai area. The foundation has been given a small piece of land rent free which we are using to start up a new community garden. The first step was to clear the 'jungle' and fence the plot. Growers from our program then assisted the members of this community to build garden beds ready for fruit, vegetables and herbs to be planted. These growers are also raising the seedlings which will help give the garden a head start and they will be paid for these to provide an income for their families.

Covid 19 has disrupted the availability of many resources and we are waiting on a water tank to be delivered so there is a water source for the garden. A solar pump will also be purchased. 

 All resources including water, plants soil and tools etc. are provided free of charge by the Hand to Hand Foundation. Once the garden is established the community will be responsible for its care and also keep 100% of the produce.

Our goal is to keep reproducing this gardening project in many poor communities throughout the Pattaya area. 

Links:

• Hand to Hand Foundation