Enimwahn Development Association-Improving the sustainability and diversity of home farming activities
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- Category: News
- Published: Tuesday, 19 March 2019 05:06
- Written by Bill Jaynes
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Back on May 24th, 2016, the President of the Enimwahn Development Association (EDA), Mr. Stuard Penias, signed an MOA with the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP), which is implemented by United Nations Development Program (UNDP), for a planning grant given under the Small Grants Programme for the project entitled “Improving the sustainability and diversity of home farming activities in Enimwahn”. This started the two-and-a-half-year project where the people of Enimwahn have been working to increase their food security and grow more banana and yam varieties. Now, as the project is concluding, they are reaping the fruits of their labor – literally.
The Enimwahn community used this grant to educate themselves on the issue of climate change and biodiversity and planted different varieties of bananas and yams to improve the diversity of crops that they grow. In addition, they created nurseries, a tool shed and a greenhouse to continue to grow planting materials for the community. Not only was this project successful in improving the sustainability of community’s resources, it now produces enough crops for the families to eat and sell the excess to the local markets to increase the availability of local food in Pohnpei.
A site visit was held by the FSM SGP Programme Assistant, Mrs. Laverine Pretrick, on Sunday, December 9, 2018 where new planting tools were given out to community members so that they can continue to plant and take care of their new farms.
The Enimwahn community would like to thank all the stakeholders in Pohnpei that assisted with them with their project such as the Pohnpei State Agriculture Office, COM-Land Grant, USDA-NRCS, State Forestry, the Madolenihmw Municipal Government, Senator Shelten Neth, Micronesian Productions, and the Island Food Community of Pohnpei. Through their collaboration they held meetings and workshops and helped implement the project in Alohkapw, Ipwitek, Kinakapw, Malewe, Elenieng, Areu and Ohwa villages in Madolenihmw municipality. Also, a big KALAHNGAN to the UN GEF FSM Small Grants Program for giving us this opportunity to improve our lives and our livelihoods.
