help Mona School address food insecurity
Your support today goes towards helping the roll out of Garden to Table in the Solomon Islands.
Good food for growing and learning
All children need good nutrition to grow and learn.
In remote parts of the Solomon Islands, food insecurity is a critical issue. The lack of nutritious food contributes to high levels of malnutrition, stunting, wasting, and low birth weight.
Your support today equips children and the community, with tools, resources and knowledge, to grow more climate-resilient crops and produce locally-grown food.
the challenges
Like many communities in the Pacific Islands, the traditional way of living is under threat.
Rising sea levels result in saltwater intrusion along coastal communities like Napir Village - a remote community in the Solomon Islands. This affects soil quality and crop yield.
With increasingly bad weather causing damage to homes and crops, families are struggling to grow as much fresh produce as they used to.
how it affects the community
In her lifetime, Maelis has witnessed major changes in her community.
"When we were growing up, tropical cabbage and fruit trees were plentiful. We used to bring back a variety of food crops. Now, we only bring back a little. Now there's no variety, no nutrition and our diets are not balanced."
The community not only face challenges with availability of food, but also storing and preserving food. For example, local fishermen are needing to go out every day to fish because there are no fridges or freezers on the remote island to preserve the fish. With changes in fishing patterns, the community also notice there's less fish than there use to be too.
A way forward
In partnership with Mona School and the community of Napir Village, ChildFund is launching the Garden to Table programme.
The Garden to Table programme has successfully rolled out across in New Zealand schools since 2008. It aims to transform how children think about food by showing them the connection between the land and the table. Children (and adults!) work together and celebrate the preparation and sharing of good food.
"The Garden to Table programme is going to be amazing because gardening is a way of life. We can't lose that in our community. It's a must." shares Maelis.
Will you support the community in Napir Village to address food insecurity?
You'll help establish the Garden to Table programme and help provide the community with solar powered freezers to help with the preservation and storage of fish and crops.
timeline
2025 - 2026
FAQ's
Tell me about the Solomon Islands
The Solomon Islands is home to around 740,000 people across 992 islands. ChildFund works with communities in Napir Village in Temotu Province which is located at the far east of the Solomon Islands. The province is made up of three islands - Santa Cruz, Reefs Island, and the Duff Islands (Outer Islands).
What is Food Insecurity?
Food insecurity is the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.
For remote communities like Napir Village in the Solomon Islands, many factors like climate change impact the availability of good, nutritious food.
How will the Garden to Table project help?
The range of accessible and affordable food is limited, particularly in rural areas. The lack of nutritious food results in health problems like diabetes and malnutrition. The less nutritious food available, the more severe malnutrition is which causes stunting and wasting.
The Garden to Table Programme at Mona School will teach children how to grow more climate-resistant, sustainable, local food and move away from a reliance on expensive, imported food with little nutritional value.
What is the Garden to Table programme?
Garden to Table is a curriculum-linked programme for primary school children. The aim of the programme is to help children learn core subjects while getting their hands dirty in the garden and kitchen.
Each Garden to Table session usually last 90 minutes. The class is divided in two, with half the class working in the garden and half working in the kitchen for the first hour. The whole class then come together to share the prepared food in the last 30 minutes of the session.
The programme encourages children to work together and fosters community connectiveness by celebrating the preparation and sharing of nutritious food.
Who is involved in this project?
Different local implementing partners and teachers and parents will be involved to make sure this programme is a success.
- Greenergy Pacific will coordinate garden build and online training.
- Garden to Table NZ will provide training and online resources.
- Mona School will provide teachers.
- Napir Village will provide land for the school garden.
- Napir Village community volunteers will assist with Garden to Table lessons.
- And you! Your support greatly helps this project (and future ones!) to be successful in helping children grow, learn, and ultimately to thrive.
What impact will this project have?
Short-term outcomes: All members of the community have equal access to household and community gardens and seed banks, and the knowledge to use and maintain them.
Medium-term outcomes: Communities are growing and consuming nutritious food from household and community gardens. Women and youth are actively involved in making decisions and running the gardens.
Long-term outcomes: All members of the community have sustainable climate-resilient food systems and additional family income.
Support Good Nutrition for Children today!
You'll help establish the Garden to Table programme and help provide the community with solar powered freezers to help with the preservation and storage of fish and crops.