Jhole mein baagicha

MEENA’s FIGHT with The hunger “JHOLE MEIN BAAGICHA”

FACT: There are 230 million people undernourished in India – Highest for any country in the world. Malnutrition accounts for 50% child deaths in India

Hi, My name is Meena. I am 13 years old and live in Faridabad with my grandmother. Two years ago I lost my parents in an accident. Since then it was a struggle for me and my grandma to arrange our daily food. Initially neighbours helped us but that could not have gone for ever. My old grandma is unable to work outside and helps me with cooking. I go to school thanks to some savings left by my parents but we have to be very cautious in spending that money. Many times we went hungry as no food was available.

But, now I have been able to win over hunger and I am going to tell you how I did it.

One day in the school we were given a presentation by Sahodar for a sustainable life practices.

Afterwards we participated in projects which trained us on waste management, vegetable gardening and water conservation.

People from Sahodar provided us with help to establish these simple but effective projects.

After Sahodar’s training, I decided to make my own vegetable garden. My friend Saloni who lives nearby also volunteered to help in setting up the garden. Saloni’s father makes his living by selling milk from the two cows he owns. Saloni’s mother comes to our house often to help my grandma and spend her afternoons with her. Saloni and I play together in the open space in front of my house. This open space is now providing us with nutritious vegetables. We call it -

“JHOLE MEIN BAAGICHA” Which means a garden in a sack.

JHOLE MEIN BAAGICHA – STEP 1 First we collected some easily available materials required for the setup of garden 1. A mixture of soil & compost (gobar ki khaad) & we also added dried leaves to it.

2. Some gravel or small broken pieces of bricks & stones

3. A discarded plastic jar Of about 5” or 6” diameter.

5. And an old jute sack which can be found in a grocery shop

JHOLE MEIN BAAGICHA – STEP 2 Find a place in an open space of your home or at roof where plenty of sunlight is available

Such a place must be open to sky and generally in the south side of your house as sun travel via south and you can get maximum sunlight in this side.

JHOLE MEIN BAAGICHA – STEP 3 Cut the jar’s top & bottom to get a hollow cylinder.

Set up your jute sack with its edges folded in the chosen space so that it does not interfere with your movements

JHOLE MEIN BAAGICHA – STEP 4 Place the hollow jar in centre of the sack.

Lift the jar and position it again in the centre

Fill the jar with gravel stone and then fill the sides with the soil to the top of the jar

Fill the jar again with gravel and follow with soil as previously done. You can unfold the edges of the sack as you keep filling in the same manner

JHOLE MEIN BAAGICHA – STEP 5

This is how your filled sack looks like from inside & outside ! Well done. Now you can water it by pouring it in the gravel centre

JHOLE MEIN BAAGICHA – STEP 6

You can put the seed of your vegetable or a seedling by gently inserting it inside the holes. Make sure that the soil in the sack remains moist

Now take a cutter and make holes about 5” apart in a random fashion the holes can be ¾” size.

JHOLE MEIN BAAGICHA – STEP 7

Try tomatoes, brinjals, chillies, beans, carrots, beetroots, cabbage, cauliflowers etc.. Make as many gardens as you like. Sometimes you can add manure as well.

Your garden is ready. Keep watering it daily and see your plants grow. You can add kitchen waste as manure.

JHOLE MEIN BAAGICHA

Presented By Satyakam Garg