Agnes’s Garden: Growing Nutrition and Stability
Through the NOURISH project, Agnes was trained to establish a backyard garden, using climate smart and innovative approaches for her limited space. To compliment this, Agnes also attending cooking demonstrations where she gained skills on preparing a balanced meal utilising the “Tri Kaen Kakae” (Three kinds of food) using locally available foods and a cookbook to practice recipes at home. Agnes’ garden has been a healthy food source for her family, and beyond nutrition, the garden has become a symbol of resilience. As climate change continues to affect food systems and drive up costs, Agnes’s small plot offers stability and is reducing the financial burden of household food expenses at a time when costs in Port Vila are increasing due to impacts of climate change, inflation, and transport.
Cynthia’s Garden: Resistance in Bloom
This transformation is vividly reflected in the story of Cynthia Kalo. In Port Vila, she turned a modest urban plot into a thriving garden using recycled containers and repurposed wood. What began as a survival strategy evolved into a classroom for her children and a quiet act of defiance against the growing precarity of urban life.
“My first harvest helped me feed my family, pay school fees, and pass on a valuable skill to children, so they’ll have something to rely on, even when I’m no longer here,” she says, her hands resting proudly on the edge of a makeshift garden bed.
Cynthia’s garden, like Agnes’s, is part of a broader movement. Nearly 6,000 people across Vanuatu have joined this quiet revolution, transforming city corners into productive green sanctuaries. These backyard, vertical, and rooftop gardens not only combat hunger and malnutrition but also create safe, restorative spaces for children to play, learn, and dream.