Figure 10. Happy Martin, an appropriate technology trainer for ECHO East Africa, instructed Hand-in-hand training participants on how to create a keyhole or kitchen garden for growing vegetables in their groups. Source: ECHO East Africa Staff
In recent years, ECHO has collaborated with HAND IN HAND Eastern Africa to train smallholder farmers and community members to acquire knowledge on best practices to improve their livelihood and overall food and nutrition security. ECHO East Africa was engaged with Hand in Hand Eastern Africa to provide training for their beneficiaries in the Arusha branch. The project targeted specific wards and villages, with an estimated 1,300 beneficiaries. The main focus of the training was to enhance food and nutritional security through bio-intensive home gardening practices. Training sessions were conducted over several weeks from August 2022 through March 2023, with the participation of both ECHO East Africa and Hand in Hand Eastern Africa staff to ensure comprehensive coverage.
The training aimed to improve food security and nutritional needs for beneficiaries in several wards (Matevesi, Kisongo, Oljoro, Mwandeti, and Laroi) in the region with 60 groups from their beneficiaries’ database of the Gunvor project.
Figure 11. The establishment of a sack garden for green vegetable production involved participants in gardening training sponsored by Hand in Hand. Source: ECHO East Africa Staff
Happy Martin, an appropriate technology trainer for ECHO East Africa, instructed Hand-in-hand training participants on how to create a keyhole or kitchen garden for growing vegetables in their groups
As a result of these collaborative efforts, significant progress in promoting food security and environmental sustainability has been made. Participants positively adopted home gardening techniques. They worked hard to establish various types of vegetable gardens such as sack gardens, keyhole/kitchen gardens, and double-dug beds.
Many of these individuals had limited experience and knowledge in gardening activities; but with this partnership, they were able to acquire the skills needed for vegetable production and consumption. They were given invaluable knowledge and resources to help them become self-sufficient in terms of food security. They were provided with shovels, rakes, watering cans, hoes, and folk hoes, as well as seed packets of amaranth, African nightshade, and eggplant as useful resources for the establishment of home gardens in their respective homesteads.
Beneficiaries needed to incorporate the best practices learned during the training into their gardens to ensure long-term food and nutrition security. They were also encouraged to share their knowledge to impact others in their communities for the better. ECHO East Africa is optimistic about the long-term impact of this training on the lives of these people. With their positive attitudes and newly acquired skills, we believe they will continue to practice and promote home gardening, thereby improving the overall food and nutrition security in their households and communities. They are also expected to pass on their knowledge to others to increase the adoption rate.
The collaboration with HAND IN HAND aims to support community development activities in the targeted area, thus increasing the multiplication effects on the beneficiaries. Also, working with pre-existing groups is an effective strategy for community development and is adaptable and suitable for diverse circumstances; thus, making it possible for ECHO East Africa to facilitate the mission of ECHO in providing hope against hunger.