Objective 3: To promote urban farming to the new communities within Upper Kinta Basin to enhance food security, community welfare and nutrition
Activity 3.1 Encouraging urban farming practices as part of sustaining food security and nutrition initiatives.
i) Develop and share module and training materials on community-based urban farming module.
Community based urban farming module has been developed and printed as well be circulated to communities within Upper Kinta Basin. At least eighty-five (85) community representatives from 24 different communities, namely KRT Klebang Selatan, KRT Taman Tasek Jaya, KRT Buntong, KRT Kampung Pengkalan Gate, KRT Desa Pengkalan Bandaraya, KRT Chepor Sentosa, Orang Asli Kampung Sungai Tonggang, Orang Asli Kampung Makmur, Orang Asli Kampung Pawong and more have received this module. The urban farming module covers different types of urban farming; how to establish it for different community and housing types; measures to improve nutrition and food safety; maintenance techniques, and sustainability options for community gardens. Moreover, training has also been conducted to the selected community to encourage urban farming practices. The Urban Farming Training was carried out back-to-back in partnership with Urban Farm Hq (urban farming expert) on the 19th March 2023, in the morning and evening.
ii) Establish urban farming initiatives within community living in terraced houses.
Urban Farming practices in terrace houses have been proven successful through KRT Taman Chemor Idaman communities, where all communities show motivation to run the urban farming initiative with determination and enthusiasm. Around 20 Hydroponic Urban kits have been handed to KRT Chemor Idaman communities for household use. This community also run the urban farming. The adopted three type of technique which is hydroponics, fertigation, and bordering vegetation. The community harvest their agricultural product for their daily use and get the additional income with sell the agricultural product with reasonable price. The vegetables products are: ginger, lemongrass, banana, tomato, spinach, papaya and pineapple. The success of the growth of their plants can be observed clearly through photos below:
iii) Establish urban farming initiatives within community living in high rised building.
The establishment of urban farming involving high rise communities also have been conducted. This initiative was conducted in KRT Rumah Pangsa Taman Mewah. Initial discussion through telecommunication and site visit has been carried out by the project team to explain and promote the initiative with the community. A total of fifteen (15) urban farming kit and module has been distributed to the respective community for them to initiate the initiatives within their balcony. After the initiative was successfully promoted to the targeted community, the participants shared their post-training hydroponic farming activities in common WhatsApp group. Besides that, one (1) hydroponic set has been installed within the community area to enhance their urban farming initiatives.
iv)Training on healthy diet and cooking linked to urban farming.
Training session on healthy diet and cooking linked to urban farming has been conducted to targeted communities including healthy cooking, food selection, nutritional value and eating. For instance, a healthy diet training entitled ‘Latihan Pemerkasaan Komuniti dalam Diet Kesihatan melalui Amalan Terbaik Pemilihan Makanan, Corak Pemakanan, Masakan dan Nilai Nutrisi bagi Melestarikan Pertanian Bandar’ was organized in support of Klinik Kesihatan Buntong on 6th May 2023 (Saturday) at KRT Klebang Selatan. The total number of participants were twenty (20) people from different communities within the Kinta District. All in all, the project’s aim to improve the livelihood of community through improved healthy diet habit can be deemed as successful through the observation of community habits via WhatsApp and results given in the analysed qualitative data.