Gardens for Health International (Rwanda)

Since 2009, Gardens for Health International, a Rwandan-staffed and led NGO, has worked hand-in-hand with local communities to provide agricultural solutions to malnutrition. Their innovative curriculum was designed in partnership with local mothers. Talented educators who come directly from the communities they serve lead the training.

Gardens for Health International (GHI) believes in changing systems, not treating symptoms. Their programme revolves around the idea that integrating agriculture and nutrition into the existing health system is essential to ending malnutrition. To tackle the root causes of malnutrition, they equip families with seeds, skills, and knowledge to create vegetable gardens, prepare balanced meals, and keep their children healthy.

Over the past decade, over 19,448 families have graduated from the programme and improved the lives of themselves and their families. Their work has been adopted at a national level and by like-minded organisations across the country.

In 2021/2022, the Eurofins Foundation supported Gardens for Health International, whose objective is to improve vulnerable families' access to nutritious food and build resilience, especially in the current health and climate situation.

25% of women of reproductive age are anaemic and about 44% attend prenatal care visits, when pregnant. The project targets pregnant mothers to address these risk factors and also educate them on their nutrition needs during pregnancy. During the course of 14 weeks, mothers and their partners are empowered with knowledge, skills, and resources about healthy pregnancy, safe delivery, and post-natal care. Gardens for Health International also also connect women to health clinics for prenatal care services and clinical assistance. The Eurofins Foundation's support enabled Garden to Health International to provide access to nutritious food for 278 families. These families were equipped with the knowledge, seeds, and livestock that they need to meet their nutritional needs sustainably. This support also galvanised GHI footprint of support in the area, leading to buy-in and meaningful collaboration with the local government, and the community.

They also noticed significant changes in pregnant women, including:

Minimum dietary diversity threshold increased from 21% to 70%;
Iron-rich food consumption increased from 47% to 70%;
Vitamin A-rich food consumption increased from 74% to 96%;
Animal-source protein intake increased from 22% to 68%;
Alcohol consumption decreased from 21% to 6%;
Drinking water purification practice increased from 70.7% to 93.3%
Non-food consumption decreased from 8% to 0%
- Non-food is categorised in this instance as soil, mud, termite hill, and other mud-made products. Some pregnant women tend to have a strong desire to consume such items due to a lack of essential micronutrients – this practice is harmful and can negatively affect both the baby and the mother.

In 2023/2024, the Eurofins Foundation renewed its support for Gardens for Health International, which works to support underprivileged communities to deal with climate change related incidents.

Rwanda has experienced severe impacts of climate change since the beginning of 2023, ranging from landslides, floods, destruction of property, and sadly, the loss of life. These events have exacerbated pre-existing in food and health inequity and have increased the risk of food and nutrition insecurity.

The Eurofins Foundation’s grant has contributed to the following Gardens for Health International activity:

Two enrollment sessions coinciding with agricultural seasons in Rwanda. During these sessions, Gardens for Health International partnered with families most vulnerable to malnutrition and trained them to develop home gardens that will provide a consistent supply of nutritious vegetables. Gardens for Health International also provided these families with organic starter seeds and seedlings to plant a range of fruits, legumes, leafy greens, and other vegetables to foster lasting healthy eating habits.
GHI trained mothers and their partners on creative ways to prepare balanced meals for their families using the One-Pot One-Hour cooking model. Participants learned how to cook quick healthy meals using limited resources from their gardens.
Malnutrition is complex and affected by many factors. With that in mind, GHI , on an ongoing basis, teaches families to incorporate healthy habits into their day-to-day lives. They also train mothers and their partners on water purification and practical ways to identify and mitigate against hygiene-related illnesses.

In addition to working with families, GHI established demonstration gardens in eight of their health centres throughout the Gasabo and Burera Districts. The demonstration gardens serve as learning sites for the wider community to study and then replicate gardening practices at home. The harvests from the gardens are also distributed to families identified as at-risk of malnutrition.

In 2024/2025, the Eurofins Foundation renews its support to Gardens for Health International.

This project contributes to the following United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals

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