Enabling women and children in a low-income rural population to become agents of nutritional change

I. INTRODUCTION Since 1963 students and faculty from the University of Gondar have periodically assessed nutritional and health status of low income rural peoples living in the Kossoye district of the Amhara Region in Ethiopia. The findings support similar studies across sub-Saharan Africa indicating declining nutritional status. In response to this problem, a household gardening program was started in 2006. II. METHODS An inter-sectoral collaboration strategy was used with a focus on enabling women and children to grow vegetables for household consumption. Activities included building demonstration gardens in central locations, producing simple manuals on growing and cooking vegetables, and sponsoring public events. III. RESULTS Over the past five years the number of gardens at the peak growing season has increased from 16 to more than 400—more than 25% of all households in the district. IV. DISCUSSION This poster recounts the story of this program and provides analysis of lessons learned as the University of Gondar takes this household gardening program to other communities in the region.