A new urban gardening initiative is helping Filipino families eat better
By Lindsey Quinn
Something new is sprouting up around sponsored homes in Manila, Philippines! Participants of a new initiative are beautifying their homes while growing the healthy vegetables their families need.
During 12 “Health Sessions” held recently, Children International piloted this family-centered model for nutrition rehabilitation and education. In each session, mothers learned how their daily choices impact their children’s health. Afterward, moms purchased and prepared wholesome foods from the market to serve to their children – this immediate hands-on practice reinforced the lesson they just learned.
New cooking methods only work when you can ensure families’ access to the healthy foods they need. So, a key feature of the program was helping mothers grow their own vegetables. These low-cost or often free gardens were made from empty plastic bottles and soil.
Lightweight and easy to make, the containers could be hung anywhere. These “hanging gardens” let families grow nutritious food without sacrificing space in their small homes or very limited yards. Thanks to hanging gardens, families now are growing swamp cabbage (kangkong), malabar nightshade (alugbati) and sweet potato leaves (kamote). These flavors may be unfamiliar to the Western palette, but are high in vitamin A, calcium, iron and protein. Some families are also growing herbs to flavor food and are also using them as medicinal plants.
One of the most exciting aspects of this approach is that it allows non-sponsored children to benefit alongside their sponsored siblings, as the program focuses on providing overall nutrition. This new curriculum has proven so successful, with nearly 90 percent of participating children showing improved nutritional status, that other sponsored communities are implementing the program too.
Vegetables in Coconut Milk
Typical Filipino Dish, Serves 4; 1 cup per serving
Ingredients:
1 dried anchovy fillet*
6 oz. unsweetened coconut milk
¾ cup onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
2 oz. fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 Tbsp. turmeric
2 cups zucchini, cleaned and cubed
1 cup okra, whole
1 ½ cups bitter gourd, cleaned and cubed+
1 cup eggplant, cleaned and cubed
1 cup green beans
3 cups green cabbage, shredded
– In a dry pan, briefly fry the dried anchovy over high heat.
Using a mortar and pestle, or bowl and spoon, grind the
anchovy into a powder. (Alternatively, add fish sauce or
Worcestershire sauce to coconut milk.)
– In a large pot, heat ¼ of the coconut milk.
– Add onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric and anchovy
(or substitute); bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
– Add the remaining coconut milk.
– Add all the vegetables except the cabbage.
Continue to boil until vegetables are tender-crisp.
– Add cabbage; reduce heat to medium.
– Cook vegetables until tender and the sauce is reduced.
– Serve over rice.
* Substitute 1 tsp fish sauce or Worcestershire sauce
+ Substitute red bell peppers, if needed
Reporting assistance and photos by Joel Abelinde in Manila, Philippines.
