PUVeP News

Senior Indian Government Official Visits PUVeP

Dr. Vani Mohan, Additional Commissioner for Advertisement, Parks, Estate, Aasara & IT of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation visited Cagayan de Oro from July 22-25, 2008 within the framework of the "Cities Farming for the Future Program" of the RUAF Foundation.

Part of the included a visit of the Balulang Elementary School where Dr. Mohan was welcomed by hundreds of pupils. Dr. Mohan was able to see on how the “Essential Health Care Package (ECHP)” is implemented in the school, which includes daily handwashing and toothbrushing as well as deworming twice a year. This program is implemented in all schools of Cagayan de Oro as well as in the provinces of Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon as a joint effort of the local government units and the Department of Education under the coordination of CIM Expert Dr. Bella Monse with financial support from GTZ, the private industry as well as the Philippine government.

In addition to the EHCP, the Balulang Elementary School has also implemented successfully a school-based allotment garden as well as two ecosan urine-diversion toilets in 2006 Dr. Vani Mohan was able to discuss the impact and effectiveness of these programs with different stakeholders, such as teachers, parents, school health parents, project staff as well as pupils.

Thereafter, a visit to the “RUAF Christa Holtz Allotment Garden” in Barangay Macasandig as well as the “Sto. Niño Allotment Garden” in barangay Lapasan followed. While the garden in Macasanig is the “youngest” of all gardens in Cagayan de Oro being launched last December 2007, the Lapasan garden, which opened in December 2003, is the oldest one. Both gardens also avail of a urine-diversion dehydration toilet each as well as composting and vermicomposting facilities.

In both gardens, Dr. Mohan was able to discuss with the gardeners the impact of the project to them. They all agreed that the garden is really helping them in terms of food security and improved income, especially in these times of food and fertilizer crises. While they consume about 25 % of the garden produce by themselves, about 75 % is sold to outsiders, most of which come directly to the garden to buy the vegetables. With average sales of 800 to 1200 PhP per week, their available household income has more than doubled as compared to before engaging in allotment gardening.

The gardeners also appreciate the ecosan toilets in their garden since they have improved the sanitary situation and give them access to free fertilizer.

Dr. Vani Mohan also shared her experience in working for more than 10 years in the micro credit sector, where she was able to help ten thousands of Indian women. Women were organized in groups and taught to save the equivalent of 1 Peso a day, which allowed them to get access to low interest credits after a period of one year of saving. She encouraged the gardeners to adapt such a system and asked the local government officials and the PUVeP staff to support and endorse such efforts.

Dr. Mohan will recommend to introduce the allotment garden system to Hyderabad City upon her return. She is especially interested to adapt the ecological sanitation concept since scarcity of water is a major concern in this part of India. The RUAF CFF program will organize a seminar on "Urban Agriculture in South and Southeast Asia" in Hyderabad by end of October 2008, where this will be discussed further.

Back 30.07.2008.