In the wake of soaring food prices, Alliance for Change (AFC) members with support from private and religious organizations yesterday handed out a variety of vegetable seedlings to Sophia families and community groups to promote farming.
The AFC said the initiative, titled ‘Seeds of Change’ aims at helping residents to empower themselves in the wake of rising food prices. The project was officially launched at the Pattensen Community Centre. Sophia residents were the first to benefit from the distribution of pepper, pak choy, eggplant, celery, pigeon peas and calaloo seedlings but the programme will be extended countrywide. The overall objective of the project is to deliver a minimum of 25,000 vegetable plants and seeds to needy households.
AFC MP Sheila Holder said the party was just offering practical assistance to residents. She said the party received assistance from a number of organizations and individuals and has started to collaborate with some other agencies that are prepared to help. These partners include the Guyana Action Party, pastors and members of the Full Gospel Fellowship of Guyana and Guyanese in the Diaspora. Technical assistance partners have also come on board. Holder urged community groups to come forward and collect the seedlings and meet with like-minded individuals.
The AFC feels certain that some food items will become unaffordable or will disappear from supermarket shelves requiring a reliance on seasonal indigenous vegetables. Holder pointed out that this initiative is aimed at supporting families in lowering their food costs in keeping with the Chinese proverb, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” She explained that the idea had been discussed more than two months ago and was already in the making, though the party needed to raise funds to make it a reality. Holder said too that the project in no way detracts from government’s ‘Grow more’ campaign adding that her party supported it, though the AFC is offering “more meaningful support.” She also said the response to the project would be monitored and sustained accordingly.
Meanwhile party leader Raphael Trotman, in brief remarks, said the AFC expected the government to do more as Guyana strives to stave off the full force of rising food prices globally. He also said that while the party is preparing to deal with its concerns in Parliament, in the interim it would take steps to assist those in need.
Grateful
Though many persons did not attend the launching of the project, the attendees were thankful for the initiative and were motivated to get back to their kitchen gardens. In the ‘B’ Field community near the Centre several kitchen gardens were easily spotted in the backyards of many homes. Tracey Rodney told Stabroek News that the initiative was very considerate and would help her to provide for her family. She said “for those of us who have a little yard space at least we could provide for our families.”
Harauruni [Linden Soesdyke Highway] farmer Vivian Fredericks was also on hand to collect seedlings. He noted that the distribution was timely since he only recently scaled down poultry farming and had started to plant vegetables for self sustenance as well as to sell to persons in his community. Compton Lewis who cultivates fruits and vegetables also applauded the initiative adding that it went beyond simply telling persons to grow more. “This is more encouragement and at least people would be able to provide healthy food for their children and this will add to what I have,” he said. Kelvan Niles expressed similar sentiments. He said it was good that persons in the area have started to grow food and that he was currently engaged in assisting his friend to weed and prepare land for cultivation. He said in this way the AFC venture has come in handy.
Interested persons and communities can contact Co-ordinator Desmond Moses on telephone number 693-5131 or 227-5202 for arrangements to be made for delivery.
