About Home Garden
A home garden, literally known in Nepali as GharBagaincha, refers to the traditional land use system around a homestead, where traditional as well as improved varieties of vegetables, fruits, spices, fish, poultry and livestock are grown and/or maintained by the household members and the products thus generated are primarily intended for family consumption
The governments of Nepal and Switzerland have signed a bilateral agreement to fund the fourth phase of HGP, which is a 4 year project (October 2014 – June 2018). The Government of Nepal is the main implementing agency with LIBIRD as Project Support Unit providing technical backstopping, mentoring and capacity strengthening of government staff and PNGOs. The programme aim to benefit 40,000 families, directly representing the community groups in each wards within VDC’s of programme districts, including project network members beyond its coverage. RIMS Nepal and YAC Nepal as Partner NGOs are implementing the project in 5 districts of Province 7 as Cluster IV.
Coverage
| SN | District | VDCs under RIMS/YAC Nepal | VDCs under DADO |
| 1 | Kailali | Khairala, Mohnyal, Pandaun, Urma, Basauti, Pahalmanpur and Ramsikharjhala | Godawari, Nigali and Sahajpur |
| 2 | Dadeldhura | Belapur, Ajaymeru, Kailpalmandu, Bhadrapur, Rupal, Chipur and Debaldivyapur. | Bhageshowr, Mastamandu and Koteli |
| 3 | Doti | Kalena, Waglekh, Khirsain, Gairagaun, Ganjari, Kadamandu and Sanagaun. | Bhumirajmandu, Ganagaun and Kapalleki |
| 4 | Baitadi | Sittad, Bijayapur, Kotpatera, Mathiraj, Kataujpani, Dilasaini and Mahadevsthan. | Sirkot, Deulekh and Rim |
| 5 | Achham | Kalakada, Barala, Sokat, Devisthan, Patalkot, Raniban and Rahaph. | Siundi, Timilsain and Layati |
| Total (50) | 35 | 15 |
Goal
The overall goal of the project is to contribute to improve family nutrition and resilience of smallholders and disadvantaged groups, especially women, by scaling up home garden practices’.
Outcomes
Outcome 1
Smallholders and disadvantaged groups adopt home garden practices and disseminate the adopted practices in their vicinity to improve family nutrition through diversified dietary sources and build resilience.Outcome 2
Government line agencies, local government and non-government organizations in working districts integrate home garden into regular plans and strengthen capacity to respond to the demands of home garden farmers for inputs and services
Major Activities
The major activities under Outcomes 1 and 2 are summarized as below:Outcome 1:
• Home garden orientation training, Training on nutrition, hygiene and food preparation, Home garden diversity and food fair, Drama and documentary at local level to convey nutrition message, Periodic health monitoring of women and children (malnutrition, VA, Iron etc), Home garden orientation training to Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs)
• Distribution of seasonal vegetable seed kits and fruit saplings, Training on low cost HG management.
• Exposure visit for farmers
• Support on groups institutional activities by mentoring and coaching, Public hearing and social audit
• Training on strengthening small level saving and credit cooperative
• Need based support to resource Home garden
• Support community fund for IGA
Outcome 2:
• Scoping exercise in home garden sites and On-farm testing of promising landraces for farmers’ acceptance test.
• Introducing home garden activities in their existing food security and development programmes/projects through amending their annual work plan
• Supporting OJTs are supported to expand home garden concept beyond project districts.
• Planning and coordination meeting with local service providers is conducted to facilitate them in planning and resource leverage for home garden groups.
• District coordination meeting is held which contributes for smooth implementation of project and minimizes duplication of activities.
Major Achievements:
• Introduced the concept of home garden in 245 groups of cluster IV and importance of Home garden to improve family nutrition
• Seed kits and fruit sapling distribution has diversified the sources of family nutrition
• Integration of IGA (mushroom, small livestocks, beehive, etc) have not only contributed for better nutrition but also supported livelihood via income generation
• Several trainings like nursery management, shed improvement, nutrition management, IPM etc are provided which has supported farmers to maintain their home garden at low cost.
• Established linkage of group with LSPs for resource leverage and service seeking
• Promotion of leadership (especially women and DAGs) and development of Resource persons in each group.
• Learning sharing and leadership development of group members by exposure visits.
• Model and Resource home garden is developed in each group by providing technical and material support on need basis.
• Local crop varieties promoted.
• Increase access to saving and credit and creation of community fund for income generating activities.
• Increased production of HG products by supporting micro-irrigation materials.
• The concept of HG is expanded by supporting OJTs and providing orientation on Home garden, its importance and relevance to the partner NGOs of various districts of Cluster IV.