Pune Lockdown: Now children at Pune observation get fresh, organic vegetable

Pune, April 28, 2020: “During this lockdown period many people in Pune are facing the problem in getting fresh vegetable but our children are getting organic and fresh vegetable every day because of Hope for the Children Foundation support”, said GN Padghan, Superintendent of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Udyog Kendra in Yerwada.

Hope for the Children Foundation (HFCF) has been collaborating with the Observation Home, the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Udyog Kendra in Yerwada for the past 5 years to help support the rehabilitation of the children in conflict with law.

Over the years, the foundation has help in restoring a training hall, plants flowers and trees on the property and painted the kitchen. But the ultimate dream of HFCF Founder, Audoir de Valter was to utilised the available space of 30,000sqt to the fullest that will contribute to the wellness of the children by developing a Kitchen Garden and sustainable farming. The objectives were to provide fresh produce to the children, engage them in learning how to grow their own organic produce, help them connect with mother earth and support the Observation home with food sustainability.

After studying the land and planning with the authorities of the home, they got on board our knowledge partner, Eco Factory Foundation. A non – profit organization with a great experience in working towards developing sustainable green solution and empowering and strengthening the agro-sector and farmers.

In January 2020, the work started: Plot preparing, setting up a water sprinkler system with electric motor of 1.5hp, preparation of organic & natural fertilizers, compost of bio waste and collection of pesticides, training of the local caretakers and the children in maintaining the kitchen garden and planting seeds.

Three months after the plantation, the kitchen garden is now providing daily fresh organic vegetables such as eggplants, tomatoes, green chillies, corianders, lady fingers, cluster beans, carrots and potatoes, various gourds, curry leaves, onion, sweet corn, methi, spinach and other green leafy vegetables.

Right from the beginning, this has been the children’s project. They are completely taking care of the garden, watering the plants and enjoying the fresh produce grown within the campus area. Through this project, Children have learnt to conserve energy and water, biodiversity, food safety and security, better nutrition and healthy living.

A child says: “I feel so happy and very proud to have been part of the green farming at the Observation home. We have fresh green organic vegetables daily and it’s so tasty and nutritious. I remembered the life skill lesson I learned by HFCF on ‘Staying Healthy’ where I was taught to have green leafy vegetables to stay healthy and eat a balance diet.

“I will like to appreciate the efforts taken by the Observation Home authorities, Mr. Anand Chordia from The Eco Factory Foundation for giving all the technical expertise, Hope for the Children Foundation’s team for coordinating the entire project, our supporters and last but not the least the children from the observation home who took ahead this activity with love and care” says Caroline Audoir de Valter, Founder of Hope for the Children Foundation.

This kitchen garden is an ideal model which can be replicated to all of the childcare institutions. Together with everyone’s effort, the open and dry land is now a land of abundance during this COVID19 crisis.