At Gardens for Health we are working to transform the way that malnutrition is treated by using agriculture as a key driver of better health. Our innovative approach operates at the nexus of health and agriculture to fight malnutrition by:
-Partnering with health centers in Rwanda to integrate agricultural support and comprehensive health education into the clinical treatment of malnutrition
-Advocating for policies and programs that include agriculture in the prevention and treatment of malnutrition
-Training partners throughout the region who are interested in adapting our model and methodology for their communities
To date, we have worked with more than 7,000 families through our Health Center Program, helping to ensure that an estimated 20,000 people have access to the healthy food they need to grow and thrive. In 2016 alone, a total of 2,100 children enrolled in our program.
In addition to our Health Center Program, we work to build the capacity of the Rwandan health care system and to provide technical assistance to regional partners who are using agriculture to address malnutrition in their own communities. In 2014 we formed an official partnership with the District of Musanze, in Northern Rwanda, to improve the community level identification, treatment and prevention of malnutrition. We are training government Nutritionists, Agronomists, Community Health Workers and Village Agriculture Promoters, and are providing training and technical support to partner organizations throughout the region, who are interested in adapting our model to fit their communities.
