Earlier this month, we celebrated with 18 graduates from the Huerto de Vida (Garden of Life) gardening program in Manchay, Peru! Each graduate received a gardening manual and a certificate. We are so proud of each one!
There is much to be celebrated with this group of graduates, as during the program, five students contracted COVID-19. Fortunately, all regained health and were able to return and complete the program.
The gardening program is just one of the programs run at the Communities for Life Center in Manchay. The program runs for five to six months and typically holds up to 40 students. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions, our most recent program had less than twenty students. Both Eduardo and Rocio teach the program classes. Eduardo is a local agricultural engineer who owns a farm just south of Manchay. On his farm, he has both indoor and outdoor greenhouses where he teaches classes. Eduardo teaches students about gardening during the Communities for Life gardening program course, including pest control, fertilization, and growing different vegetables. Rocio, one of the center's leaders, teaches the gardening class about values and ethics.
The end goal of the gardening program is to teach people how to create a sustainable future for themselves and their families. At the end of each course, graduates receive soil, fertilizer, and knowledge about starting their own gardens to provide food for their families and sell the harvest at the local market for a profit.
Please join us in celebrating these graduates!
If you would like to support our classes and the individuals in Manchay, please visit communitiesforlife.com/donate.
