Empowering Communities Through Food Security: Insights from Mercy's Paddock to Plate Project

World Food Day 2025

This was the second World Food Day event organised by Mercy ‘Paddock to Plate’ project. The main idea was to encourage the Mercy Beneficiary's families to become self-sufficient in food production through maximising the utilisation of the available spaces on their land.

The participants were challenged to produce and prepare different types of food from their Kitchen Garden then bring the same for exhibition. The idea of addition of art and culture was volunteered and actualised by Azizi Africa Community project group. This group also believes in encouraging cultural methods of farming and production of cultural foods. 

The idea was to bring the whole community together to think food sufficiency is in the best interest of the child. One of the major issues in Child Protection is food security. As we transition our vulnerable children back into the community, we note with concern, the major challenge for families is food and nutrition.

Participants were particularly excited and thrilled to have an opportunity to show case what they were producing in their gardens. They were elated seeing guests; dignitaries like Ward Administrators, Chiefs, County Government officials, Ministry officers etc. tasting their homemade foods. These women managed to collect recipes of their own, prepared food using their own fuel, and other necessities, transported the food to the event at their own cost and then offered to the guests and other participants.

This is a huge step towards our goal of ensuring food security and good nutrition for the children in the community. When the School Kitchen and Dining Hall is complete it will go a long way in helping accommodate such visibility and community transformation activities.  - Summary of the event by Ps George Wanyonyi

Consolate Muga, Founder of Mercy Ministries, is a Community leader in sustainable agriculture.