Agricultural training conducted by the Episcopal diocese of Cuba has helped Cuban farmers become more self-sufficient and has made their families healthier.
Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, is urging Canadian Anglicans to help the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) raise $45,000 to train 150 people in sustainable farming techniques in Cuba.
Speaking in a video as part of Fred Says, a three-year campaign aimed at raising awareness about food security, Hiltz said the Cuban Council of Churches has already conducted some training that includes teaching participants how to preserve and cook the new produce they are growing.
Hiltz cited the case of a farmer named Roberto, who has developed a successful rooftop garden that allows him to be self-sufficient. The hope is that there may be 150 more Robertos, Hiltz said.
PWRDF, the relief and development arm of the Anglican Church of Canada, quoted Bishop Griselda Delgado del Carpio of the Episcopal Church of Cuba as having said that the training has helped to improve the health of the community. “Before the training, people had a very static diet of pork, rice and beans. Many people had diabetes with this diet. Now, people are growing carrots, tomatoes, onions, mango and other crops,” said del Carpio. “Each month, they bring their extra harvest to the church, where it is blessed and given to those who have need-pregnant women and vulnerable people in the community.” Some produce is also sold to families.
“In Cuba, summer is the period when there is very little harvest. So people have learned how to make jams and other preserves to make sure they have enough to eat during those months as well,” she added.
For more information, go to fredsays.ca