Roots of Hope
As the new planting and mentoring season begins, we thought we’d share some more detail of how the annual cycle works, and the impact this has on our supported families.
The Roots of Hope project adopts a three-year approach aimed at supporting caregivers of orphaned and vulnerable children to develop the knowledge, skills and resources required to manage sustainable household livelihoods beyond project support.
During the first year, caregivers receive direct agricultural support comprising two bags of fertiliser and 10 kg of certified maize seed for cultivation of a one-acre farm. They are also supported with practical knowledge on improved farming practices, food production and management.
During the second year, the level of direct input support is reduced to one bag of fertiliser, with caregivers encouraged to purchase an additional bag themselves. This approach increases household ownership and reduces dependency. Caregivers are monitored to assess their ability to sustain agricultural production using their own resources.
In the third year, as caregivers prepare to graduate from the project, the focus shifts from direct material support towards skills development, livelihood diversification and household self-reliance. The proposed training practical knowledge in sustainable agriculture, entrepreneurship, household food and nutrition, child protection, positive parenting, child health and preventive practices.
The training is intended to ensure that caregivers leave the project with the knowledge and practical skills required to sustain household livelihoods, protect and support the wellbeing of children in their care, make informed household decisions and reduce the risk of reverting to high levels of vulnerability following graduation from the project.
Training is given by professionals in agriculture, healthcare, social welfare, and child protection, alongside and coordinated by our Medicom Foundation staff. The training package includes:
- Budgeting and enterprise management;
- Locally appropriate and sustainable farming practice;
- Post-harvest management;
- Food resource management and nutrition, and food diversity;
- Positive parenting and child protection, child health and immunisation, hygiene and sanitation.
Knowledge is used at a household and community level, sharing the learning and health benefits more broadly than simply to the vulnerable children initially registered in the programme. The long-term benefits to participants is that they are better equipped to sustain household livelihoods and provide appropriate care, protection, health and education support to vulnerable children beyond the project period, reducing the risk of households reverting to high levels of vulnerability following graduation.
It’s been another positive start to the programme, and it has such impact given the simplicity of the concept. We’re hoping that as we firmly establish the programme we can expand Roots of Hope and bring it to more families supporting vulnerable children so they can be cared for in a home environment, access education and have the opportunity to thrive we so wish for them.
Please do consider how making a regular gift can support the ongoing costs for this and our other work.