A CRS food security project provides rural Afghans like Maryam (l) and her daughter Sharifa (r) the materials and skills necessary to develop household vegetable gardens. “Vegetable production is very good work for women,” Maryam says.

Under a three-year food security project, which started in January 2014, CRS is working in 21 communities in Bamiyan and Ghor provinces, and aims to reach around 900 families. The project is being funded by the European Union.

Under the project’s vegetable garden component, CRS is teaching 540 women to cultivate vegetables and legumes, like red beans, lentils, and peas, in an effort to decrease malnutrition and increase the consumption of diverse, healthy foods. These new skills extend far beyond the life of the project, as women are also taught how to produce vegetable seeds that can be planted year after year.

Photo by Nikki Gamer/Catholic Relief Services