Optimizing Model Kitchen Gardening and Implementation in North Kivu (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

This case highlights an adaptation MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience (MIHR), a project which mainstreams resilience strengthening to improve health outcomes, adopted in North Kivu, a province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where shocks are common. MIHR leveraged Ukraine Supplemental funds it received during its third program year (2022 – 2023) to strengthen its nutrition assistance by supporting families to set up kitchen gardens to mitigate the impact of local and the Ukraine-war-related global disruptions in food supply chains. MIHR therefore had to optimize the germination and growth of seeds it donated for kitchen gardening, given that inflation in the targeted communities also affected farming supplies such as seeds. Despite coaching by agriculture extension workers (AEWs) MIHR collaborated with, the first dozen families did not properly care for sprouts from the donated seeds which resulted in waste. They lacked knowledge on growing techniques required for the seeds (those for green leafy and orange fleshed foods, and drought resistant perennials), which were different from carbohydrate-rich staples, beneficiaries were accustomed to growing. MIHR paused, reflected and engaged AEWs about how to reduce seed loss, who suggested setting-up model gardens to serve as learning sites, and nurseries whose sprouts on reaching an appropriate size, families could transplant to their kitchen gardens. In addition to the initially targeted 236 families, other families set-up kitchen gardens from sprouts got from the model gardens where seed loss was less common. The model gardens adaptation enabled MIHR to increase beneficiary reach and gardening learning sites.