Page 28 - Tata-Trusts-Annual-Report-2022-23

Nutri-gardens for a Healthier Society
EMPOWERMENT

A mother’s plight and fight against
malnutrition in Andhra Pradesh

One of the key interventions under the Nutrition programme vegetables. As part of the ‘Yes to Poshan’ programme, VCF
is to promote diet diversity through nutri garden models. provided seeds and training on various techniques for
Vijayavahini Charitable Organisation (VCF) facilitated in growing high-yield gardens. With newfound knowledge,
adoption of the nutri garden model at the Anganwadi centres Gousia planted leafy vegetables, spinach, and bottle gourds
and also extended support in setting up fruit and vegetable in her backyard.
garden in the backyard of the individual households.
Community members were motivated and trained to adopt Soon enough she began to reap the benefits of her hard
and grow vegetable gardens in their backyards. The produce work. As a lactating mother, she knew the importance of a
from the nutri gardens were utilised by the Anganwadi nutritious diet. By growing her own vegetables, she could
workers for providing hot, cooked meals to the children, ensure her family got the nutrition needed to thrive. The
while backyard vegetable cultivation promoted diet diversity impact of her nutri-garden extended
at the household level, thereby beyond her family. “With the
ensuring the inclusion of easily handholding of Tata Trusts and
grown nutritious vegetables VCF, I helped my community
and fruits in their diet. members understand the
importance of diet diversity and
One such case is that of Gousia how easy it was to achieve it
Begum, a 28-year-old mother through the nutri-garden.”
from Velvadam, who diversified says Gousia.
her family's diet by cultivating a
garden that is now a model for What started as a small patch of
the village. It all started with a land in a backyard has turned into a
small patch of land in her backyard. large-scale initiative in all five villages of the Yes to Poshan
With the support of VCF, an organisation supported by Tata programme. The 28-year-old mother's dedication to growing
Trusts, she learned about growing a nutri-garden, to produce a nutri-garden not only improved the health of her family, but
a variety of easy-to-grow and manage nutritious fruits and also inspired the village to do the same. Gouisa Begum
reminds us that a small change can lead to a big impact.

2 ZERO HUNGER

PROJECT ALIGNS WITH SDG 2

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