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University of KwaZulu-Natal African Centre for Food Security Studying Isipho Garden Programs

316_1_ACFSBADGE(SHERI) This week Isipho received some really exciting news.  The University of KwaZulu-Natal African Centre for Food Security is beginning a research project tomorrow, October 20, to study Isipho’s impact on nutrition in the village of Nzinga.

Specifically, they will examine whether Isipho’s approach of providing gardening training in conjunction with fencing and other gardening supplies results in improved health. This will be measured by making a baseline health assessment of the Isipho gardening participants in Nzinga, and then tracking their nutritional levels over time and comparing the Isipho garden recipients with recipients of other (non-Isipho) gardens in South Africa that do not include the training component.

This is especially exciting for us because the African Centre for Food Security is one of the leading organizations in eradicating food deprivation and promoting sustainable livelihoods among the people and nations of sub-Saharan Africa.  This study will give us valuable data that will help quantify what we’re doing in Nzinga, and if what we’re doing is working as well as we hope, this study will provide a template for other nonprofit groups to use in other villages.

In Nzinga, their malnutrition is not caused by a lack of food. In fact, some people in Nzinga are overweight. Malnutrition in Nzinga stems from a lack of variety in the diet. Because the village didn’t have access to fresh vegetables, there was an imbalance in vitamin and mineral levels, resulting in stunted growth, chronic illnesses and birth defects. By reintroducing spinach, beets, chard, beans, lettuce, carrots, potatoes, butternut and cabbage, Isipho hopes to improve the nutritional levels in Nzinga. This study will substantiate our success.

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