Church and Government Offer 'Backyard Garden Training' in Vanuatu

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and friends joined together in a one-day backyard garden training in Port Vila, Vanuatu recently.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) facilitated the training in cooperation with a Church self-reliance program called the "Stake Self Reliance Backyard Gardening" (SSRBG) project. A second training occurred the following day at the Blacksands Ward (congregation) in an effort to reach more people.

Participants learned about topics such as establishing nurseries, fertilizing soil, and pests and disease. DARD supplied vegetable seed packs, seed trays, and information materials.

“The COVID-19 situation has paved a way forward for people to go back to agriculture to ensure food security and to sustain their livelihood,” Stake (a group of congregations) Specialist for SSRBG, Daniel Ringiau, said.

The Vanuatu Daily Post featured the story in the paper following the first training.

“Over 40 participants who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and non-members, including people with special needs were fortunate to undergo a one-day training on backyard gardening facilitated by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD)," the newspaper reported.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that “Self-reliance does not mean that we can accomplish or obtain anything we want. If we are self-reliant, we believe that through the power of Christ, and through our own effort, we can work for the spiritual and practical needs of life. Many people can become more self-reliant. The self-reliance initiative is a tool to help.”

For more information on the Church’s self-reliance initiative click here.