Strategies and action
Organic farming and ecology
Diversification of family kitchen gardens contributes to improved nutrition and better health. If carried out using organic farming techniques, it also helps to protect the environment. Therefore CESESMA promotes organic vegetable-growing, encouraging people to make the most of the resources already available in their communities. We run training programmes and provide ongoing technical support to help the young educators develop their knowledge of organic food-growing, and pass on practical gardening skills to others in their community.
Current activities include:
School and community vegetable gardens, supporting children and young people tending family vegetable plots
CESESMA implements this strategy by increasing the potential of family vegetable plots, which serves both as a learning opportunity for the young people, and as a way of improving family health and nutrition. We are currently working with 220 families, who have on average five perennial crops in their gardens, including cassava, quequisque, plantains and gandul, as well as chickens and pigs, all helping to provide a balanced and healthy diet for the family.
Promoting natural medicine through medicinal plants
We are currently combining the organic vegetable project with work on natural medicines. In Yasica Sur we have two medicinal plant nurseries; one in La Chocolata and one in La Grecia. In Samulalí we have a community medicinal plant garden, and this is also used as an educational resource by local teachers and other community organisations. The young people have learned techniques for making medicinal soaps, syrups and ointments, and some have distributed these through the local shop.
Cookery and nutrition course
Alongside the diversification of the kitchen gardens, we work with local families on how to use the foodstuffs available in the community to improve their diet. With gandul (a pulse crop similar to soya) they are making vegetarian sausage and meat substitutes, as well as healthy drinks. They are making use of green-leaved plants to make jocote leaf pies, and extracts from ayote, chaya, pipián and yucca leaves. They have made jams and syrups from local fruits. This work on cookery and nutrition complements the training on community health issues run by local health workers.
Associativity: chaya growing, bee-keeping, poultry-farming
Click here to go to the Associativity Strategy page
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