Paraisópolis Favela in São Paulo Gets a Community Garden

October 16 marked World Food Day. On this date in 2020, the Stop Hunger Institute launched a project that includes a community garden and training and educational initiatives for the Paraisópolis community, a favela in São Paulo's South Zone.

Developed in partnership with the Instituto Escola do Povo, the project establishes a new space of approximately 900 square meters for growing vegetables. The goal is to educate, train, and distribute the harvest to registered community residents, ensuring access to healthier food.

The site will also feature modules for planting fruits, vegetables, and vertical gardens. Workshops will offer training in cultivation techniques, as well as the reduction and reuse of organic waste as fertilizer. More than 60 species of fruits and vegetables will be grown, and the project is expected to benefit over a thousand people, with an emphasis on training women.

Women's Empowerment

The project contributes to women's empowerment as a driver for social transformation, a key ally in breaking the cycle of domestic violence and improving the quality of life for community members.

“The goal is to enable these women to grow vegetables in their homes, helping to improve their families' diets. The partnership began in 2019, with the goal of improving the quality of the food consumed by residents,” explains Fernando Cosenza, Vice President of Strategic Marketing, Innovation, and Digital at Sodexo, the company that supports the Stop Hunger Institute.

“Since a large portion of the Paraisópolis population is socially vulnerable, growing vegetables will ensure healthier and more nutritious meals. We will also distribute seedlings for planting in homes, schools, and institutions, thereby promoting the project both inside and outside the community,” Fernando adds.

Horta na Laje

The project launched in 2020 joins forces with the “Horta na Laje” initiative, launched in May 2017, also in partnership with the Instituto Escola do Povo. The initiative focused on container gardening techniques so that women could grow food inside their homes, creating small green spaces on rooftops or in backyards.

The Paraisópolis community garden is located at the Associação das Mulheres de Paraisópolis (Rua Itamotinga, 100 – Paraisópolis, São Paulo/SP).

Via CicloVivo.