Faux-a-Chaux residents continue to benefit from a series of theoretical and practical training geared at improving the economic empowerment of parents enrolled in the Community After School Backyard Kitchen Garden Program. Months of agricultural training saw participants learning crop cultivation techniques, and the eventual harvesting of fresh produce.

The initiative comes as a result of a partnership with the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment, the Saint Lucia Conservation Fund (SLUNCF), and the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund.

Social Transformation Officer for Castries Central and South, Fredora Justin-Alcindor, said: “For some people, backyard gardening is just another hobby, but for the participants of the Faux-a-Chaux Backyard Kitchen Garden Program, it is a vehicle for cultivating community and soil. It also provides participants with a means to grow what they eat. When I think of community empowerment, I think of projects such as these that unify the public sector, private sector, and disadvantaged communities.”

The Backyard Kitchen Garden project began with a comprehensive three-day training course in agricultural best practices for the program's 30 parents. In addition to cultivating crops, the program also serves as a vital bridge in helping to unite the community.

“The project will bring the community together because they work as one family to execute it,” she said.

Held under the theme “Cultivating Community and Soil”, the project seeks to encourage deeper community values and a greater appreciation for growing what we eat. Participants learned soil types, alternative methods of small-scale gardening, compost-making, and the application processes. They also got an opportunity to visit an established farm to gain a better understanding of how a farm operates.

“I am hoping that this helps me gain a greater appreciation for agriculture and ways in which we, as a community, can develop. This is beneficial for the whole community as well and the youth coming up in the community,” noted participant Shane Verneuil.

The project included at least two farmers’ markets and will conclude with a graduation ceremony. The farmland for the community garden was donated by former Agriculture Minister the late Ira d’Auvergne, with monetary contributions totaling $5500 coming from Sandals Grande, the Saint Lucia Air and Seaport Authority (SLASPA) and the Saint Lucia National Lottery.

Watch video news report: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMpoZq7ye_g

Listen to podcast: https://pod.co/government-of-saint-lucia/vulnerable-families-benefit-from-theoretical-and-practical-training-in-gardening