Suppporting self-Sufficiency among women

 

I participate as a volunteer in “The Women’s Self-Reliance Program that has helped to promote nutrition, community organization and collaboration among the women of El Remate.

 

How? By providing nutrition education, vegetable gardening and self-employment skills.   We understand that we can’t solve the problem of poverty with acts of charity, but rather need to augment peoples’ existing skills and knowledge with the tools of self-reliance.  We work on this program through the Global Coalition for Peace, located in Bethesda, Maryland.  

 

Our program promotes the basics of nutrition and self-sufficiency by enabling women to supply themselves and their families with fresh vegetables through the square foot method of gardening.  After the nutritional needs are met at home, the extra produce can be sold to neighbors, friends and other people in the village.  This provides the women with a much needed additional source of income and boosts their self-worth and self esteem.