Fruit & Crop Cultivation Programme

The aim:

To provide healthy and nutritious food for the staff and patients of Bansang in the most cost-effective manner

Government facilities such as Bansang Hospital are acutely vulnerable to price fluctuations on core commodities. Fuel costs for the hospitals vehicles and generators have rocketed in recent years, drawing an ever bigger slice of the hospitals subvention fund. The price of other commodities have risen dramatically too. In this climate of ever-increasing costs, Anita and the hospital management are determined to become as efficient and cost-effective as possible in those things that they can influence. Reducing the hospitals dependance upon purchased foods is one way that the hospital can dramatically reduce core costs – freeing up funds for patient care.

The project:

Although working towards the same objective, the fruit and crop initiative is made up of two distinctively different projects.

The Crop Project - this project commenced in 2009, thanks to the support and long-term financial commitment provided by the Scooter’s in the Sahara team. Their funding has allowed for the cultivation of 20 hectares of land donated to the hospital by a local village chief.

The Fruit Project – this has been funded by two long-term friends of the Appeal. With their financial backing, various fruit trees have been planted throughout the grounds of the hospital – providing fresh fruit to the hospital throughout the year.

 

Impact:

Although only in its infancy, the fruit and crop project has already harvested a crop of cous cous that will last the hospital for an entire year. Thanks to the ever-dedicated gardening team, the numerous fruit plants around the hospital site are also thriving – providing staff and patients with nutritious food to compliment the standard hospital food. As the project matures in future years, there is the very real prospect of the hospital being entirely independent in arable food production (and actually being in a position to sell some of their fruit and crops, with profits reinvested in patient care).

Funding status:

The core aspects of this project are being funded long-term by friends of the Bansang Hospital Appeal. To learn more about the Scooter’s in the Sahara team who fund the crop project, please click here.