Rooftop gardens: cultivating health and agroecology education

Fundacion Abriendo Camino

Think Human Fund

Mission & History

The Abriendo Camino Foundation is a secular non-governmental organization (NGO), founded in 2003 in the neighborhood of Villas Agrícolas, Dominican Republic.

Nelia Barletta, Mijo Leurent and Elisabeth Puig, three women from civil society, began a small project of educational and recreational activities on Saturdays in a place lent by the San Mateo Apóstol Parish in the Dominican Republic. The growing attendance of children and adolescents led them to reflect on the need to expand the scope of their actions and increase the coverage and quality of their interventions.

This is how the idea of creating a Foundation came about, building its own building on a plot belonging to the Church in the heart of Villas Agrícolas, Dominican Republic. They began their actions with the opening of a library and the development of technical and professional training workshops in collaboration with INFOTEP aimed at young people and adults for their insertion in the labor market.

Country Information

The Dominican Republic, with a population exceeding 10.9 million in 2023, has approximately 82% of its inhabitants living in urban areas, which creates space limitations for traditional agricultural activities. Approximately 12% of the population faces moderate to severe food insecurity, according to the FAO in 2022, highlighting the urgent need for local solutions such as urban gardens.

Environmental education is limited within school curricula, making community projects like educational gardens crucial for fostering ecological awareness. The country is also one of the most vulnerable to climate change, with droughts, hurricanes, and rising sea levels significantly impacting agricultural production and natural resources.

While agriculture contributes 5% to the GDP and provides employment for 12% of the population, most farming occurs in rural areas, restricting access for urban residents, particularly in places like Santo Domingo. Although educational coverage has improved, access to complementary programs such as practical workshops remains insufficient, particularly in vulnerable communities like Villas Agrícolas.

In response to these challenges, sustainable community initiatives, such as urban gardens, are emerging to promote food self-sufficiency and strengthen social cohesion in marginalized neighborhoods.

The Need

To build an educational urban rooftop garden that fosters agroecology, encourages home gardening, and promotes healthy eating among children and their communities.

The Project We Fund

The project, rooted in Fundación Abriendo Camino’s experience in environmental education and rooftop gardening since 2014, aims to evolve into a scalable model by 2025. The 211.24 square meter rooftop garden will serve as a living classroom, engaging children and adolescents in hands-on activities that promote a passion for nature and food production. Participants will learn essential skills like plant identification, seed germination, and pest management, along with workshops on home gardening, healthy eating, and market commercialization of produce.

Building on past success with over 2,000 impacted youth, this updated program targets 422 families directly and 1,648 indirectly in Villas Agrícolas. Partnering with local schools and organizations will enhance outreach. The garden’s design includes an automated irrigation system and dedicated educational spaces, fostering agroecology connections. This initiative reaffirms Fundación Abriendo Camino’s commitment to sustainability, aiming to enhance food security, environmental education, and community empowerment in 2025 and beyond.

The Result

Quantitative indicators include tracking the number of direct and indirect beneficiaries, such as families and schools involved in garden activities, the volume of crops harvested, workshop attendance for training in home gardening and healthy eating, and the number of new home gardens established.

Qualitative indicators focus on participant knowledge and attitude shifts through surveys and interviews, success stories from children and families, community interest gauged by engagement in activities, and monitoring of the garden’s progress. Activity records will detail completed workshops, markets, and school visits, along with observations on best practices implementation. Collaboration with schools will be assessed by evaluating practices in current participants and interest from new schools. Lastly, monthly and annual reports will summarize impact metrics, achievements, and improvement areas.

2025 Midterm Report

Fundación Abriendo Camino undertook impactful actions through the “Mi Plantita y Yo” project. The initiative saw 238 direct beneficiaries, including children and adolescents, who participated in workshops and activities that educated them on agricultural and environmental topics. Along with 714 indirect beneficiaries, these efforts aimed to foster environmental commitment and healthy living habits. Workshops trained 158 children in plant care, preparing them to maintain crops at home, thus expanding their horticultural skills. The project demonstrates concrete impact, seen in the enhanced environmental knowledge, healthier eating habits among participants, and a stronger sense of community solidarity.

Game-changers have volunteered with the children at Fundación Abriendo Camino on two occasions and are currently engaged as volunteers in the summer camp program.