Last year, we talked about our ambitions to build a grassroots movement that would enable real change. In our words, we wanted “to throw a giant rock into the middle of the pond that is our hospitality industry and create a ripple effect that would build exponential support, from one side of the country to the other.” Well, 2020 is the year we make that splash!
As a collective, we are excited and inspired by what 2020 holds for OnePlate. We’ll be launching new projects abroad, supervising the ongoing growth of existing projects, and diving headfirst into the publishing game with the upcoming launch of our new Kickstarter funded cookbook – Brunch in Melbourne.
We’re also excited to continue sharing our journey with you, our tribe of passionate supporters. We’ve already come a long way from our humble beginnings, but really, we feel like we’re only just getting started.
Speaking of getting started, what better time to announce our latest project – the Rwandan Healing Gardens.
Think you’ve got it tough? Try living on just $0.87 a day. Not personal income, either. Household income! It’s unfathomable isn’t it. Yet that’s the extreme level of poverty facing many Rwandan families.
Our Rwandan Healing Gardens is a beautiful project focused on improving the lives of women who are survivors of the Rwandan genocide. The project centres around providing them with a source of income (from selling what they grow), as well as a source of nourishment and healing food for themselves and their families.
You’ll know by now that OnePlate thrives on creating sustainability. This project is no different. We’ll be providing the women with education in horticulture (gardening), classes in healthy cooking and how to prevent malnutrition, as well as providing business insights to generate income by selling at local markets.
With the assistance of a Field Officer/Agronomist, the women will also be provided with essentials including seeds, watering cans, organic compost and other gardening tools. Water tanks will provide a guaranteed source of water (that can be replenished) in instances of drought.
More than the tangibles, though, gardens provide so much beauty, nourishment, promise and hope. They ground us and connect us to nature, which is therapeutic in itself. In many cases, the mental respite from the reality of life facing these communities is just as important as the tangible benefits.
Thank you so much for your continued support for OnePlate so that together we can continue creating projects like this one.
"To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow"