As gardens go, Violet Mapfumo's wasn't blessed with variety.
Hers featured one type of vegetable and her approach to growing was that "food was food."
That was before she trained in running a low input garden (LIG), as part of Phase II of the Protracted Relief Programme (PRP).
Now, that same garden is producing a vibrant spread of vegetables, along with a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals.
After training given by the programme, Violet has learned how to harvest, preserve and cook those vegetables to harness their positive effects.
Violet says: "My life has changed. I'm able to get the vegetables I need such as tomatoes, carrots and beetroots from my garden."
Through this latest phase of the PRP households receive vegetable starter packs while volunteers and farmers get training on pest and disease control, post-harvest handling and nutrition.
Catholic Relief Services is one the project's partners for gardens that are helping the poor, chronically ill, disabled and elderly people across 12 districts.
Key among the benefits are vitamins and minerals from spinach, carrots, onions and other vegetables that help boost immunity and slow the progression to AIDS among HIV sufferers.
Under phase two of the PRP, garden activity has increased dramatically to include 20,000 community, nursery and household gardens by this August.
Key facts
- The UK is contributing nearly £54 million to the Protracted Relief Programme Phase II from between 2008 and 2013. Other donors -including AusAid, Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, EC, and the World Bank - are contributing an additional £12 million.
- Funding is channelled through 17 local and international civil society organisation partners and seven technical partners. It also manages short term imput delivery contracts for an additional four NGOs.
- By August 2009, 20,000 vulnerable households were benefiting from nutrition gardens under PRPII. The aim is to reach 45,000 over the next 18 months.
