In a small garden riches with its seasonal food crops and vegetables, a young man with his family members are enjoying the harvest of their planted vegetables and the taste of them, whether as fresh or cooked food. Mr. Murad, aged 33 is living in Marah Muala village, Bethlehem Governorate. He is the sole breadwinner for his family, which is composed of seven persons, including his old parents. Murad suffers from thyroid problems, and back pains and underwent three surgeries. He used to be a worker but stopped due to his health conditions and started farming.
Presently, his project is flourishing. He conveyed his thanks to the UPA & ARIJ support, through which he was provided with a drip irrigation network of balanced pressure along with the required tools to transform his small land into a productive home garden. “I am happy that I had the chance to benefit from this support”, Mr. Murad said. “I now cultivate my land not just to provide food for my family, but also to generate income. I was able to make an income of 1,137 USD during the summer season of 2022 through selling the produced vegetables in the local market. I used to plant my land with wheat after leaving my work, making only an average of 285 USD per year. Now, I started to make more and sustainable source of income”. He added.
He continued, “Through the generated income, I was able to pay off some of the family’s debts and expand the cultivation area as well”. Despite his health issues, Murad makes every effort to go down to the land to tend the plants with the help of his family members for sure.
Due to the continued success in cultivating his garden, Mr. Murad decided to continue growing his garden with seasonal crops as a sustainable source of both food and income, which contributed to improving the family’s livelihood and food security.
