Ekuro lihuguvaro [growing hope]: The Koranyara Garden Project
by Anna
Patrick Shikukutu was the first person in Sambyu to approach me with an idea to expand his community garden, written down, on paper. Together we wrote a proposal for the Koranyara Garden Project and received the Peace Corps VAST grant (funded by PEPFAR). These funds will go towards barbed wire for a fence, water tank, irrigation pipes, watering cans, shovels, and seeds. These materials will allow for expansion of the garden and, as a result, more villagers benefitting from the project. Below is some background on the project, our goal, and some photographs of the existing garden.
Background
Because Mupapama is 54 km away from the nearest shopping town and many of its inhabitants live in poverty, they cannot afford to make the trip into town or to buy nutritious vegetables to supplement their diets. A nutrient-rich diet is important to anyone, however; it is vital to people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). PLWHA need a consistent source of nutritious food in order for them to adhere to their daily drug regimen, therefore enabling them to live healthy lives. As part of the generalized epidemic in Namibia, Kavango Region has the second highest HIV prevalence, a staggering 23.2% of pregnant women, according to the 2010 National HIV Sentinel Survey. With HIV prevalence this high, even if an individual isn’t actually infected with HIV they are definitely affected, in one way or another, by the disease.
Three years ago, Patrick Shikukutu and two other individuals identified the above needs within their community and vowed to make a difference by increasing the quality of life for the people of Mupapama village. Thus, in 2007, based on the needs of the community, cultivation of the Koranyara garden project began. The initial land consisted of a small plot belonging to the late Lucas Manuel and Patrick Shikukutu, both members of the project. Since then, the project has expanded and currently includes 8 individuals planting various seasonal vegetables including onion, cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, green pepper, papaya (1 tree), and guava (4 trees). Vegetables are harvested for personal consumption, enriching the diets and providing increased nutrition, thus bettering the lifestyles of the families involved in the project. The Mupapama community also benefits from the access to purchase fresh, nutritious, homegrown vegetables. This community is primarily composed of individuals who are HIV positive and/or living below the poverty line. They have joined together to expand this garden, allowing for more individuals to participate, thus more homestays benefitting from nutritious vegetables.
Mobilized by each other and lead by Mr. Shikukutu, the Mupapama community had come together, without any sort of outside resources, to create a garden on the Kavango riverbank for their own benefit. This project is created of the people, for the people, and sustained by the people of Mupapama village. This desire to put into action efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of the community should serve as an example to others across the country. Now, for the first time, the people are asking for help. They require supplies to expand their garden to make a bigger impact, further increasing the quality of life of the needy within their community.
In Rukwangali the word koranyara means self sufficient, independent, and hard working; everything that this community aspires to become and maintain. The group specifically chose this name to express their motivation, dedication, and hard work. The name also functions as a regular reminder of their ultimate goal of being self sufficient. The Koranyara garden project has been sustained entirely by the community for the past three years and will continue to operate under the same principals.
Project Goal
Our goal is to help people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), pregnant women, and OVC’s with nutritional support in an effort to better their quality of life and provide economical support to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS.
