Mission

Gardens for Health International provides agricultural solutions to chronic child malnutrition in Rwanda. We do this by empowering families to grow and healthy food.

What We Do

The majority of the world's poor are farmers, yet millions are malnourished. In Rwanda, this disconnect between agriculture and nutrition is striking: 80% of families grow food for a living, yet 35% of young children are chronically malnourished. This simple concept, that food alone does not equal good nutrition, is at the heart of our mission.

To tackle the root causes of malnutrition, we equip families with seeds, skills, and knowledge to create vegetable gardens, prepare balanced meals, and keep children healthy. Transformative impact is possible by investing in the nutrition of mothers and young children, since well-nourished children get sick less often, perform better in school, and are more likely to escape poverty.

Our roots are in Rwanda. For over a decade, Gardens for Health International has been working hand-in-hand with local communities to end chronic malnutrition. Our innovative curriculum on agriculture, nutrition and health topics was designed in partnership with local mothers, our trainings are led by talented educators who come directly from the communities they serve, and our dedicated staff is over 90% Rwandan.

We believe in changing systems, not treating symptoms. Integrating agriculture and nutrition into the health system is the only sustainable solution to effectively treat and prevent malnutrition. We work in close partnership with the Government of Rwanda by teaming up with community health workers, delivering trainings at local health clinics, and advising policy.