Amazing Ripple Effect of Victory Gardens (Part 3) — By Julie-Craig Lautens
In April, I spent five days in Pursat Province, one of the poorest parts of rural Cambodia, with Founder and Executive Director Ken Wong, Country Manager In Sakara, and F2F board members Keo Sovannary and Kov Sok. Our team visited 30 families, spot-checking their efforts, hearing recent results, clarifying next actions, and celebrating wins and deepening commitment. We travelled together across the area around Pursat city along dry, dusty rural roads, the local team on motorbikes and Ken and me in a three-wheeler with a driver (I’m not a motorcycle rider).
The timing of our visit was at the height of the dry season, right after the Cambodian Khmer New Year. Each day, the temperature peaked at 41C / 105 F (real feel 46C, very hot!). Many gardeners struggle to keep plants going this time of year unless they have water nearby (most don’t). At each stop, our conversations explored techniques to continue producing food from now into the rainy season, with the team encouraging people to try new ideas. Examples included the use of foam containers and cement bags to contain moisture and nutrients and to cool the soil (and protect the plants from the extreme flooding that can occur.)
Villagers reported benefits from their victory gardens, such as more food, better nutrition, easing of health problems, and income for groceries like rice, fish, and pork. Some work in their garden almost daily, others have lapsed since the dry season, and most had harvested the previous week for the New Year celebrations. The F2F team has three levels for a standard garden and visits each family monthly (or more) to monitor the level and advise the gardener. At the time of our trip, the project had reached 1,070 gardens, aided in part by a 2023 grant from The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives.
At one stop, I interviewed beneficiary Chhun Ny. Chhun Ny plans to grow melon and okra this year. Perched on a dusty slope by her victory garden with a Face-to-Face facilitator Chay Yeat and board member Keo Sovannary translating, we women chatted and laughed and uncovered a shared sense of determination. I was astonished to learn this garden will be under 10 feet of water during the rainy season. Ny plans to dismantle the surrounding fence and overhead lattice (covered in gourd vine that day) before the heavy rains and then reinstall in them November.
Ny created her first small victory garden by her house which doesn’t flood. She then created this larger garden in front of us a few months ago using only a hoe. I wonder what motivates Ny? She seems worn down, and yet so dedicated to her garden!
Ny works in her gardens almost every day. The vegetables and fruit give her family and neighbors better nutrition—and her own health has significantly improved. She sells her produce and buys groceries like fish and pork. She can now make offerings for the Four Buddhas, wistfully hoping she’ll have a better next life.
As I interviewed Ny, I felt facilitator Yeat’s magical connection with Ny. Yeat is a new village chief and hopes to build community with victory gardens and seed sharing. Yeat visits Ny every week and has taught her about natural pesticides and compost — Ny now has her own special “4-day compost” made from green scraps and cow manure.
As we left, Sovannary playfully hugged Ny and suggested Ny put some profits into new front teeth so she can smile even more!
