PHILIPSBURG:--- On Monday, November 6, 2023, the Department of Community Development, Family & Humanitarian Affairs (CDFHA), an executing department within the Ministry of VSA in collaboration with the Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA), awarded grow bags, soil and a variety of seeds to 25 persons in commemoration of World Food Day. Grow bags are lightweight bags, made from a sturdy environmentally friendly, and breathable fabric and are ideal for planting fruits, leafy vegetables or herbs says Community Development Officer, Mr. Riegnald Arrindell.
CDFHA’s theme for World Food Day “Food Security Starts with Me emerged after careful observation of the effects of extreme weather patterns on food production, the rising cost of imported food, and the growing demand for food assistance around the world and the island. Notwithstanding that, it also presented the ideal opportunity to remind the population of its individual & collective responsibility to combat hunger and overcome food insecurity by establishing or expanding a food garden to supplement one’s diet.
Furthermore, this year’s World Food Day initiative follows several successful interventions, implemented by CDFHA, such as the Backyard Gardening Program, the Agroecology program in collaboration with Spaceless Gardens, and the “Cooking on a Shoestring Budget” cooking demonstration to name a few.
Secretary of the Adventist Development Relief Agency, Ms. Jacqueline Barry, said, “This initiative is something that couldn’t have come at a better time, and I applaud the Ministry of VSA for this. There are so many ways these recipients can benefit from this project namely: health-wise (they will consume organic produce) and economically (they can save a couple of dollars here and there. It will also enable them to get some much-needed exercise while they tend to their plants and last but not least, feeling the joy that comes with planting and eventually reaping their harvest”
In addition, CDFHA will maintain regular contact with the recipients on a quarterly basis during 2024 to monitor the progress achieved thus far and provide assistance if and when needed.
CDFHA encouraged the attendees and wishes to remind the general public “not to wait until another natural hazard, or even worse, to recognize the significance of gardening and agriculture. The BEST time to plant food was TEN years ago! The second-best time to grow your food is RIGHT NOW!”
CDFHA values the cooperative relationship with its social partners and is extremely grateful to the following agencies that supported the initiative in one way or the namely, the Department of Economic Affairs, Spaceless Gardens, Mr. Denicio Wyatt, The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (A.D.R.A.) Ms. Jacqueline Barry, Leaders for Change, the United Haitian Council, and the Helping Hands Foundation.
World Food Day came into existence on October 16, 1945, at the Founding of the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization. It is primarily concerned with raising awareness, promoting policies, programs, and collective action to address global hunger, and eliminate food waste, malnutrition, and food insecurity.
