Provide Care for Afghanistan's Abandoned Children

The biggest news is that earlier this year the Baharak Children’s Garden absorbed 50 displaced children! 

As we reported previously, the Taliban invaded Badakhashan in 2015 and have been active across the region ever since. They took a village not far from Baharak a few months ago and 50 children and their mothers fled for safety at our Children’s Garden.

We are so proud that our local manager took them in!

The World Food Program (German-funded division) then stepped up to create a special refugee camp but WE now feed, educate and entertain these children three days a week. The food comes from our chicken eggs (100 egg-laying hens), produce and milk from two cows and honey from the local market. 

Great news, too, from Faizabad. The woman’s center with which we started to build up a relationship (see attached photo of warm clothing and footwear distribution over the winter) is now being funded to make uniforms for over 150 orphaned children who currently go to school in rags.

We are so proud to play a liaison role between the woman’s vocational center and Faizabad’s largest orphanage. We are now creating a vegetable garden and greenhouse next to the orphanage. We are doing this because the metrics at our projects worldwide tell us that children can’t grow without nutritious food and our children’s gardens also give them the emotional support they are also lacking.

More big news — we are excited to add one of the world’s greatest farmers to our team.

We knew from the very beginning that we would confront different challenges with our Children’s Gardens in different parts of the world, especially Afghanistan.

Meet Beth Holnacki — Global Roots lead botanist and plant pathologist.

Beth, along with her family, owns and operates Goodfoot Farm, a small, diversified market farm whose mission is to provide unconventionally grown food for the local community. The farm takes a systematic approach in an effort to balance food production with responsibility for the local forest, field and river life. The farm is certified organic and Demeter certified Biodynamic® and works hard to minimize the use of off-farm and petroleum dependent inputs. Rather, the farm practices a method of regenerative agriculture that strives to emulate a natural system.  Fundamental to the success of the production system is the integration of animals for fertility and weed management, the selection of crops and cultivars for pest and disease control and the practice of “farmscaping” which provides habitat for native pollinators and natural predators of pests. 

Along with growing food for people, Beth engages in on-farm research with scientists from Oregon State University to evaluate crop varieties for agronomic and culinary traits within organic production systems.   She also collaborates with the OSU Center for Small Farms and Community Food Systems to identify areas for program development and support for small farmers.

Beth received her PhD in Botany and Plant Pathology from Oregon State University.

Why Global Roots?

Beth met our director a few years ago when Rick was buying Beth’s blueberries at a farmer’s market in Corvallis. Rick knew immediately that he was talking to a genius.

We are deeply honored to have Beth on our team as we expand our Children’s Gardens from Baharak to other areas in Afghanistan and around the world where children need a nutritional and emotional boost.

Links:

• Global Roots Website