Associação Coletivo Popular de Saúde e Cultura de Mandacaru (Cozinha Verde)

Cozinha Verde: Cultivando Orgânicos e Novas Oportunidades para Mulheres

Generating Income for Rural Workers in Paraiba

João Pessoa is the sixth most populous city in the Northeast of Brazil with around 1.2 million residents. With low levels of educational attainment, the literacy rate is poor and many people lack the most basic education, contributing to high unemployment in the region.
 
The Associação Coletivo Popular de Saúde e Cultura was created in July of 2011 following visits to understand the means of food production in the region. The project then set up its own kitchen and, in November of that year, began offering training in organic food preparation for women in the Alto do Céu region.
 
Now in its third run, the Cozinha Verde Project is the continuation of a successful project funded by BrazilFoundation, which will be extended to rural workers in the regions of Mata Norte and Brejo in Paraiba. The objective of the project is to promote healthy food, income generation and rights for low-income women, so that they can live a respected, healthy life where they are gainfully employed and free from violence.
 

With support from, BrazilFoundation, Cozinha Verde will:

• Enable 150 women to be involved in organic food production;
• Reduce the social and economic exclusion of women in the region;
• Increase income for participating women taking by 30%;
• Increase the production of highly nutritious food in the region

IMPACT

•150 women trained to produce food
•30% increase in per capita income
 

“Cozinha Verde is very important in my life. I started becoming an independent woman, learning new things, and pursuing my dream of owning a business.” -Manuela Silva, project beneficiary