Laughing, she shared “once my husband put the whole basil plant, stem and leaves, he said it was all good. I have made tomato sauce, I have made garlic sauce and tried new dishes for the children, I baked pizza for them, made some delicious soups and even cut the cucumbers and put them in the freezer, when they return from school they have a healthy popsicle, they love it,” said Alisi.  

Rising above other challenges, Alisi and other mothers in the group developed their own solutions to promoting healthy lifestyles through home gardening. Apart from access to free healthy vegetables, they were able to strengthen social capital through community interactions and sharing around the gardens. Beyond the skills and knowledge developed, these groups were able to inspire others in the community to build on their vision to provide for their families and community at large. 

Resilience and Traditional Knowledge  

Lead of FWC Women in Development Group, Ms. Salele Oliveti, said “resilience was key to us, we are truly happy because we worked hard and did not wait for help, these women are agents of change. We have overcome difficulties, the women pushed through for our families and communities. We are not sitting here at home, not waiting for donors. We work and try to supply for the family and help with financial burdens at home.”

Traditional knowledge around planting fruit trees was also revived, and networks created for sustainability. Gardening as a family deepened family relationships and has many benefits apart from instant gratification, accessibility, and convenience.  

The project benefits for the 22 families included a strong support system working towards food security, addressing poverty, healthy and tastier food prepared at home, savings from not purchasing processed foods, and increased physical activity which helps reduce the high cases of Non-Communicable Diseases in Tonga. Tonga’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery provided training to the women on planting methods.