MiFOOD team in Ecuador initiates its “Manos Al Huerto” (Gardening Together) project by installing an irrigation system together with migrants from Venezuela and Colombia at the Foundation Nuestros Jovenes in Quito on September 22nd, 2024. The project is part of the MiFOOD SSHRC Project and involves the collaboration between ConQuito, FNJ, Agrupar and has been made possible through a USFQ Outreach grant.
The community garden project with the Foundation Nuestro Jovenes in Quito seeks to address food insecurity, within the Shelter system in Ecuador, which typically relies on large quantities of dried and processed foods. It aims to 1) develop a sustainable source of fresh vegetables and fruit for the shelter; 2) provide training to migrant adults and children in the skills required for growing of their own food and in the procedures to conserve food; 3) foster a space where the municipality, local schools and organizations collaborate in the medium and long term in the maintenance of a sustainable food system.
The team culminated Phase 1 of the project by planting vegetables and fruit trees with the participation of migrants at the Foundation Nuestros Jovenes in Quito, students from the CVE school and Universidad San Francisco de Quito and the municipality of Quito.