food security
Food security is defined as a situation ‘when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life’ FAO, (2002).
Alongside the Elephant Pump, nutrition gardens are encouraged, created by families living close by. Trees and small gardens are supported with water from the pumps. Pump Aid also partners with organisations such as CARE where pumps are provided for nutrition garden programmes. With a whole generation decimated by HIV/AIDS, the knowledge and skills of farming have often not been passed down to children. Agricultural training is provided when planting the nutrition gardens, ensuring the gardens can be maintained by the communities.
Nutrition gardens provide food and help ensure communities enjoy a healthy diet. They can also be used to generate an income too with produce sold at local markets, so helping communities to break the cycle of poverty.
“Households with access to improved water supply and productive water use (irrigation) have significantly lower overall and food poverty levels in terms of incidence, depth and severity.” Fitsum Hagos et al. (2008)
Cecelia, Namdzi Village
“The run off water from the Elephant Pump has also provided irrigation to the land nearby which this year has produce a good crop of green beans. We can sell most of these which will help feed our families.”
