First of all, I cannot even express how happy this organization makes me. Like, I can’t even.
Now that we’ve established my excitement, I can tell you about the actual organization. Julie Carney co-founded Gardens for Health in 2007 with her friend Emma Clippinger. The original idea was to work with people with HIV/AIDS in Rwanda to help them grow their own food for consumption and sale. However, after two years of living and working toward this goal in Rwanda, Julie realized that they were working on the wrong problem. Malnutrition was the bigger issue in Rwanda. So Gardens for Health developed accordingly. This is a fantastic example of reframing the problem and pivoting in your idea to address the problem more effectively and be more successful in your entrepreneurial endeavors.
Now Gardens for Health fights malnutrition in Rwanda by “partnering with local health centers to integrate agricultural support and comprehensive health education into the clinical treatment of malnutrition.” They work to include agriculture training for local families in the usual assistance provided by public health centers.
“Our agriculture team works to blend international innovations in sustainable agriculture with time-tested Rwandan farming practices in order to help every family with whom we work to make the most of their existing resources.
Through our work, we are changing the way that malnutrition is treated by moving away from short-term handouts and towards equipping families with the knowledge and resources to grow their own nutritious food and improve their health. We envision a future in which the key to lasting food and nutrient security for vulnerable families lies in their own backyards.”
Again, I LOVE the mission of this organization!!! This is innovation the world needs! Find out more about Gardens for Health at their website.
This is a very thoughtful idea and I love the goal that they are trying to meet. Your excitement also makes me love the idea more! Helping a society and group of people become more sustainable is a huge thing and this is making it easier!
I am a huge fan of this idea not only because of the people that Gardens for Health will help, but because of the concept itself. Planting gardens and growing food as a business isn’t necessarily the newest idea in the world, in fact its been around nearly forever! However, I think that it takes really smart people to realize that to be a successful entrepreneur you don’t need to create a brand new app or machine, or anything technologically advanced really. All an entrepreneur must do is help meet the needs of others, and that is exactly what Gardens for Health is doing.