Siem Reap, KH – Garden program spreads

Mr. SCL is 32 years old and a member of our Food Always In The Home (FAITH) garden program in Peak Snaing village, Angkor Thom, Cambodia. He and his wife are blessed with three children, and he is one of the successful gardeners that adopted the FAITH organic garden technique.

The garden showed that that it is possible for individual gardeners to increase their incomes and health by improving vegetables production and marketing. However, the true success lies not in the success of one person, but in the community seeing this technique and starting to learn and apply these new techniques for their own families and communities. Early signs are showing that it is starting to happen for a few families who are adopting the faith garden program.

Mr. SCL is a seasonal farmer who mostly depend on the rainy season, because during the dry season he can’t grow enough rice to sell at the market. Most of the rice is use to feed the family, so he does not get extra money for all his hard work growing the rice. Mr. SCL told Rey “I think farming is very good, but for me as a farmer I solely depend of one crop. This will not be enough to give my children home, education and better life”.

After hearing all the good things about the FAITH garden program, Mr. SCL came to visit the garden shop’s pilot farm and the shop team agreed to help him. They started visiting and mentoring him in FAITH garden techniques every week. After many months, his hard work paid off. The family stated that their lives are better since joining the FAITH garden program, and identified the three most important areas that it has helped them: the ability to grow sufficient food, and improve their health and income.Ability to grow enough food for the family – Mr. SCL said he has a secure food supply and is able to provide their family with more food since joining garden program.

Improve health – Mr. SCL stated fewer incidences of headache, stomach problems, diarrhea, and vomiting. He believed that this was due to cutting off eating chemically grown vegetables and products, and eating a more nutritious and balanced vegetable diet grown using organic gardening techniques.

Impact on income – Mr. SCL said that his disposable income has increased since joining the garden program because they make fewer hospital visits, which reduces medical expenses. They can also sell surplus vegetables, so the overall economic impact has been very positive and they are able to save a little money for spending on other food and necessities.