Liza Gundowry - Beauty with a Purpose
Nou Later Nou Lafors: Sowing Seeds of Empowerment
My Beauty With A Purpose project, Nou Later Nou Lafors (translated from Creole into English as “Our Soil, Our Strength”), is an initiative aimed at addressing food insecurity while promoting women's empowerment. With a focus on rooftop and yard gardening, this project endeavours to equip women with the necessary skills and resources to cultivate their own crops, thereby fostering self-sustainability as well as resilience in the face of food scarcity and climate change uncertainties.
Through a holistic approach that combines education, empowerment, and community engagement, Nou Later Nou Lafors has achieved to create a lasting impact on the lives of women and their families in the community of Sainte Croix in Mauritius. The project aspires to replicate this impact in other vulnerable communities by empowering the women of Sainte Croix to extend their knowledge and skills to women in neighbouring suburbs across Mauritius, to ignite a chain reaction of women’s empowerment and self-sustainability.
Objectives:
Combatting Food Insecurity: Like other small island developing state, Mauritius is particularly vulnerable to the severe consequences of climate change. Grappling with cyclones and storms on a regular basis, Mauritius often faces a scarcity of local produce, which causes the cost of food to skyrocket. This leaves countless families struggling to afford basic necessities and being well-fed. In response to this pressing issue, Nou Later Nou Lafors is dedicated to providing solutions to overcome food insecurity following climate change-induced disasters.
Women's Empowerment: Recent United Nations data highlights the disproportionate impact of global hunger on women. Yet, in many parts of the world, particularly in Africa, women themselves are the essential change agents to ensure climate-resilient food systems. Recognising the pivotal role of women in food security, this project aims to empower women by providing them with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to grow their own crops. By taking charge of their own food production, women gain a sense of autonomy and agency, contributing to their overall well-being and socio-economic empowerment.
Environmental Sustainability: Through practices such as rainwater harvesting, organic farming, and composting, Nou Later Nou Lafors promotes environmental sustainability and resilience. By reducing reliance on imported produce and adopting eco-friendly gardening techniques, the project contributes to a greener, more sustainable Mauritius.
Implementation:
Nou Later Nou Lafors emerged in October 2022, drawing a fervent response from enthusiastic women keen to participate. From that initial seed of hope, a remarkable transformation began to take root within the community. With the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and their Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute, we conducted comprehensive training sessions for participants, guiding them through both theoretical and practical aspects of gardening. Expert guidance and collaboration with local NGOs facilitated these sessions, empowering these women to embark on their home gardening journeys.
Securing essential resources was a crucial next step in materialising this project. Thanks to generous sponsorships from local companies like Cernol Mauritius, Espace Maison, and Duraco, participants received vital resources such as recycled plastic drums, gardening tools, and rainwater tanks. These contributions have been instrumental in fostering self-sustainability among the women involved.
Recognising the importance of educating future generations, I launched school outreach programs to instil a culture of sustainability from a young age. Beginning with my alma mater, Hampstead Junior School, I conducted practical sessions to demonstrate gardening techniques and provide students with hands-on experience. The success of these initiatives led us to expand our outreach to other schools, including St Antoine pre-primary school, engaging younger children and introducing them to the joys of gardening.
With each step of our journey, Nou Later Nou Lafors has evolved into a thriving community-driven initiative, guided by a shared commitment to fostering self-sustainability and resilience in the face of food insecurity and climate change uncertainties.
Impact:
Over the course of the project, 15 households in the locality of Sainte Croix have been equipped with the knowledge and resources to cultivate their own crops.
The project has empowered women to take control of their food security, reducing reliance on external sources and promoting self-sufficiency.
Through educational outreach, the project has raised awareness about the importance of sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship among local schools and children.
Next Steps:
Nou Later Nou Lafors plans to expand its reach to more households and schools in other vulnerable communities in Mauritius. The project aims to serve as a model for community-led initiatives promoting food security, women's empowerment, and environmental sustainability on the island. By empowering the women of Sainte Croix to share their knowledge and skills with women in neighbouring suburbs, the project aims to spark a chain reaction of empowerment and self-sustainability.
Conclusion:
Nou Later Nou Lafors is not just a gardening project; it is a catalyst for positive change, empowering women, fostering community resilience, and promoting environmental sustainability. Through grassroots initiatives and collective action, this project embodies the spirit of resilience and demonstrates the transformative power of local solutions to global challenges.
