Nutrition and Agriculture
- ASAP provides community-based organizations with organic agriculture
training and gardening supplies, poultry and water harvesting equipment so that
they are able to offer sustainable food security for orphans and vulnerable
children.
- ASAP believes that good nutrition for children is essential for healthy
growth of the body, cognitive development, and as a hedge against disease.
- Good nutrition is plays a vital part of a good education as children
cannot learn on an empty stomach.
- There is also a certain emotional stability that comes from food
security.
Challenges
- Orphans and vulnerable children are suffering from hunger and chronic
malnutrition.
- The lack of sustainable agriculture and shortages of water have resulted
in persistent food insecurity in their communities.
- Orphans and vulnerable children are further disadvantaged by the lack of
agricultural skills usually passed on by parents.
- School nutrition programmes in rural areas often have weak linkages and
inefficient service delivery, and therefore cannot be relied upon to meet the
basic nutritional needs of orphans and vulnerable children.
Services Provided
Emergency Food Aid:
Orphans and vulnerable children are provided with
nutritious meals in the safe, nurturing environments of Drop-in Centres, Daycare
Centres and at the homes of some child care workers. In addition, emergency
food may be distributed to child-headed families.
Agricultural Development:
In an effort to establish sustainable
nutritional sources for orphans and vulnerable children; as well as to encourage
the self-sufficiency of the child care workers, ASAP provides fencing, tools,
seedlings and nitrogen-replacing trees to establish vegetable gardens at Drop-in
and Daycare centres. Proficient and enthusiastic food gardeners are encouraged
to develop resource centres that provide training, seeds and seedlings to other
child care workers with gardens.
Agricultural Training:
ASAP, in partnership with Food and Trees for
Africa (FTFA), provides hands-on training in organic food production FTFA has
trained the staff of our partner community-based organizations to be trainers
themselves. Child care workers extend their food gardening expertise to
child-headed families and the guardians of orphans and vulnerable
children.
Water:
ASAP provides Drop-In and Daycare centers with water storage
tanks, gutters, irrigation equipment, boreholes and pumps. Techniques include
the digging of swales and mulching to aid water retention.
Poultry:
ASAP provides laying hens at Drop-In and Daycare centers so
that orphans and vulnerable children benefit from high caliber protein in the
form of fresh eggs.
