Association for the Rights of Children in Southeast Asia (ARCSEA): cultivating youth participation in addressing food security, through community-led gardens
Barangay Payatas, in the Metro Manila area of the Philippines, is a place defined by decades of chronic poverty-related hardships, including hunger, malnutrition and disease. Some neighbourhoods are also situated within highly polluted garbage dumpsites, where practices such as “pagpag” (eating food scraps from garbage) are common. Growing up in such an environment exposes local youths to a variety of physical and mental health issues, as well as the potential to become involved in antisocial behaviours.
Our #GarbagetoGreens program aims to address these challenges, by offering workshops to youths focused around waste management practices, urban gardening and nutrition. The aim of this activity is to not only divert them away from antisocial behaviours, but also equip them with the knowledge and skills to live a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. All whilst helping to address the community’s poverty and food insecurity issues.
ARCSEA for the children website: http://www.arcsea.org