Our Mission
Gardens for Health International provides sustainable agricultural solutions to malnutrition.
To tackle the root causes of malnutrition, we work toward a world in which all families and communities have the knowledge, resources, and support to meet their nutritional needs.
The majority of the world’s poor are farmers, yet millions are malnourished. In Rwanda, the disconnect between agriculture and nutrition is striking: 72% of families grow food for a living, yet 33% of young children are chronically malnourished. This simple concept, that food does not equal good nutrition, is at the heart of our mission.
Transformative impact is possible by investing in the nutrition of mothers and young children because well-nourished children get sick less often, perform better in school, and thrive.
Our roots are in Rwanda. Since 2009, we have been working hand-in-hand with local communities to provide solutions to malnutrition. Our innovative curriculum on agriculture, nutrition, and health topics is designed in partnership with local mothers, and our trainings are led by talented educators who come directly from the communities they serve. We are proudly Rwandan-led.
We believe in changing systems, not treating symptoms. Integrating agriculture and nutrition into the health system is the only sustainable solution to effectively treat and prevent malnutrition. We work in close partnership with the Government of Rwanda by advising national policy, delivering trainings at local health clinics, and teaming up with Community Health Workers.
Currently, we have our interventions in 3 districts including, Gasabo, Burera, and Kayonza districts. We are also proud to mention that we have successfully implemented our program and impacted families for 9 years (2013 - 2021) in Musanze District and 5 years (2017 - 2022) in Karongi, Nyamagabe, Rutsiro, and Nyaruguru Districts where we handed over activities to the respective district authorities in March 2022.