Mariam spots a bright smile, as she is looking at her garden, which is located in Al-Ma’sarah, Bethlehem. Ms. Mariam is unmarried, 51 years old, and selected as one of the project beneficiaries through the UPA & ARIJ support. She was provided with a balanced drip irrigation network and the required tools to convert her 700 m2 owned land into a productive home garden. She lives with her brother’s family, which contains seven people.
“Growing and harvesting our food feels so rewarding. I had no previous experience in farming. However, I am now a farmer who knows how to generate income from growing crops, thanks to the training sessions and coaching visits”. I was able to sell the excess vegetables for 370 USD which I used to cover part of my debt and to cover other home needs,” she said. “The best part of growing our vegetables is being able to share the produced vegetables with others”, She added. Mariam shared/ distributed her fresh produce with eight families from neighbors and relatives in the community.
