Home Gardens Project Promising Approach to Enhance Household Food Security, 1880 New Beneficiaries in Damascus Countryside for 2020

Our mother earth is going through a very tough situation . We are destroying our environment consciously or unconsciously. We have to act very smartly and plan something to sustain what we still have. We have to think about our future generations well, so that they get all necessary support from nature to lead a healthy life. 

Gardening is always an excellent and environment friendly idea. Growing your own food is always good. 

 Home gardens project aims at  improving  the income level of poor rural families and reinvesting  agricultural lands, in addition to manufacturing the surplus agricultural production and introducing  it in  the market at competitive prices. 

The project, which is being  carried  out  by the World Food Program  ( WFP ) and the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Agriculture in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform  consists of the summer and winter agricultural seasons  in addition to food processing units  and poultry farming. 

 Head of  Damascus Chamber of Agriculture Eng. Omar al-Shalet told   SANA  that the project  kicked off  in 2017 in 6 regions in  Damascus Countryside province , including Yabroud, Rankous, and Qatana as a first stage, and the number of beneficiaries of the project reached 685,  while  the second phase included Zabadani area , Madaya and Bu’kin , while the third phase included  Ghouta after liberating it from the terrorist gangs in the regions of Douma, Harran al-Amamid, and al-Kiswah. The number of beneficiaries of  the three stages reached 2800.  

Al-Shalt indicated that the implementation of the fourth phase of the project included 1880 rural families in the eastern Ghouta , Al-Nashabiyeh area and part of  Douma with  500 families  for each area whom they  will be provided with all components of the  project. 

He explained that the components  include a 500-square-meter drip irrigation network ,  summer  vegetable seedlings,  as well as winter seeds in addition to 5 kg of balanced fertilizers and agricultural medicines. 

With regard to the food processing unit, Al-Shalet  pointed out it aims at  manufacturing  the surplus from  of the home garden production including pickles, jams and dairy products  to be sold in the local markets in a way that ensures an income of the families. 

He underscored that the number of the units reached 16 units which serve 80 families. 

Concerning  the poultry farming  , Al-Shalet  said  that 300 families were selected for the project as they were supplied with the equipment to carry out the project. 

It is noteworthy that the project is one of the micro-agricultural projects which  contributes to achieving self-sufficiency for the targeted families of summer and winter vegetables and eggs, and providing a source of income for the beneficiary families through  selling  their production in the local markets.  

Rawaa Ghanam