Food Security

Covid-19 and its associated restrictions affected the participants of BNUU’s community mental health programme. Many households didn’t have enough food to eat, yet eating regularly and well is crucial if you are taking anti-psychotic or epilepsy medication. Whilst many of the participants have agriculture land that they cultivate, drought and unseasonably hot conditions, in addition to unpredictable weather patterns has adversely affected many harvests.

In September 2021, in order to mitigate against food shortages, BNUU decided to support its clients and their families with seeds for vegetable gardens that they could cultivate near their homes. With the help of a crowdfunding page and a grant from the Kenneth Miller Trust, Network for Africa was able to provide funds to help our participants create a simple, but sustainable solution, growing beans and vegetable seeds that can be harvested in the participants’ own gardens. The aim is to prevent families from going hungry and to provide them with enough to feed their families, with any extra being sold locally to generate some additional income. So far this has helped 534 families.