Hope Garden Project
Many challenges face the Bahamian people, specifically children, as they have suffered through several natural disasters and now the COVID-19 pandemic. Access to books and early childhood education is limited.
Project Information
Project Status: Active
Start Date: 2018
End Date: Ongoing
Countries: Grand Bahama, Bahamas
Empowering Educators and Families so Children can Thrive
Many challenges face the Bahamian people, specifically children, as they have suffered through many natural disasters and now the COVID-19 pandemic. Access to books and early childhood education is limited.
Single-parent homes have risen from 29-62% over the last 40 years (UNICEF); teen moms account for 9.9% of these births. Many children in single-parent homes are unable to access early childhood education and less than 35% of children under age 5 are enrolled in early learning centers.
More than 50% of Bahamian children own less than 3 books (UNICEF). Many preschools on the island of Grand Bahama have fewer than 10 books, and some have none. Literacy development, which is aided by access to books and reading materials, is an important part of early childhood development.
This is why WHI’s Hope Garden Project (HGP) is working to bring sustainable change to the Bahamas. The purpose of HGP is to make a sustainable long-lasting impact in the lives of children and vulnerable communities by giving them safer, healthier and happier lives. If a child is able to attend a preschool in the Bahamas, they are not only offered an education but fed and offered daily care. Having access to preschool and early education dramatically improves their quality of life and overall wellbeing.
Project Goal
- To change the cycle of dependency by empowering, educating, and supporting community leaders
- To reduce hunger and provide sustainable, healthier food choices for children and their families.
- To ensure preschool-aged children have access to quality education.
Outcomes
- • Improved access to excellent early childhood education
- Trained and resourced educators and parents
- Access to sustainable food resources through garden projects at sponsored preschool locations
- Improved childhood literacy
- Enhanced children’s physical, emotional and mental wellbeing
By having World Hope International and the Hope Garden Project show up it has given me hope!
How It Works
Hope Garden Project partners with local, established preschools to see transformation come to the island of Grand Bahama. Through enrollment in educational opportunities and by investing time and effort preschools partner with HGP to plant sustainable garden projects for their school and community and build playgrounds to enhance the development of preschool students.
