Cooking in Zanzibar!
WorldVeg, Helen Keller International, and representatives from Zanzibar’s ministries of Health and Agriculture, Natural Resources, Livestock, and Fisheries held a series of planning meetings and cook shows in 12 villages identified for USAID-funded Home Garden Scaling Project activities from 9-28 April 2017 in Unguja district.
At the planning meetings, the village authorities were briefed on proposed project activities. A short seminar was presented to villagers by nutritional experts from the ministries of Agriculture and Health, who provided an overview of the causes, symptoms and effects of malnutrition and strategies to combat malnutrition, including vegetable consumption.
During the cook shows, dishes with amaranth, African eggplant and okra were prepared and sampled by participants.
A total of 36 (3 from each village) Community Based Trainers (CBT) were selected by respected villagers to receive training to guide others in their communities. About 1550 villagers in total registered as project beneficiaries, forming 60 groups with an average of 20 to 30 members. The meetings and cook shows received coverage on a local radio station; members of the project implementation team were interviewed, and used the opportunity to explain the purpose of the home garden scaling project to a wider audience.
Villagers from Kitogani village test recipes for traditional vegetables.
Sensitization meeting at Kianga village.
Story and photos: Radegunda Kessy
Cook show in progress at Tasaani village.
Villagers in Fuoni learn about the home garden project.
