In Bilinsa, in the Builsa North District, Akanjaglie Awaazi has cared for her two grandchildren since her son and his wife migrated to southern Ghana. Without a job and often without enough food, she struggled for three years to meet their basic needs, but she never gave up on giving them a better future.
Her oldest grandson, five years old and in primary one, was her greatest concern. In the dry season, when the family’s food ran low, the children’s meals became irregular.
“I had to feed them with whatever I had. But my oldest grandson started falling ill frequently, and he was diagnosed with anaemia. His blood levels were consistently low. I felt worried because health workers had warned me about the dangers of malnutrition.”
When Awaazi joined the Food Security Project, she gained a plot in a solar-powered vegetable garden where she can grow local vegetables all year round. At cooking demonstrations and nutrition training sessions for women in the community, she learned about the value of local foods such as orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, soybeans and potato leaves, and about cheap, local ingredients that make meals more nutritious.
“Before, I cooked whatever food I could afford. But the garden has made life easier for us. I can now grow vegetables all year round. This has greatly improved the children’s nutrition. They eat well, and their health has significantly improved.”
The garden has given Awaazi food, knowledge about healthy eating and a closer bond with her grandchildren, whose health has improved remarkably.
Part of the Food Security Project, funded by Kindermissionswerk ‘Die Sternsinger’, Germany.
Story and photos: Moses Apana Apobona, NABOCADO Media & Communications.