Dr. Hena and Her Staff Preparing the Center’s Garden
The economic situation and widespread poverty in Liberia caused a very high inflation rate that diminished the value of the country’s currency. The Liberian people are also still involved in nation-building. Dr. Hena wanted to promote self-sufficiency in her staff and initiated the first garden at the Center this year to supply the Canteen with corn and cassava.
The staff was directed to till the land near the compound for a garden to grow corn and cassava. “We are trying to grow our own food. Hopefully, it will be a good experience for the younger men and ladies and everyone is enjoying the experience,” says Dr. Hena.
It is a very hard job, because the staff has to use machetes to cut down the undergrowth to prepare the soil. Dr. Hena worked alongside her crew and she and others on the team developed blisters on their hands from brushing and cutting stumps. After they brushed, the garden, it had to dry before burning and before they could plant their corn and cassava.
Cassava is a tuber crop like yams and potatoes and is a starchy food substance obtained from the plant’s root. It comes from a shrubby tree and is native to the tropics. It is a calorie-rich vegetable that contains plenty of carbohydrate. It provides key vitamins and minerals and is a good source of vitamin C, riboflavin, niacin, and thiamine. The leaves are also edible if they are cooked or dried in the sun and contains up to 25 percent protein.*
The tuber can never be eaten raw and must be peeled to avoid ingesting the toxic cyanide, unless it is thoroughly cooked. Cassava can be ground, boiled, baked, roasted or fried.*
Dr. Hena said that cassava is widely used in Liberia and that she knows five different ways to prepare it. She said, “Hopefully, the Center will benefit from their crops. We are praying that it will not be stolen before harvest time. It is very bad here when it comes to stealing.”
*Cassava: Dresden D. Medical News Today. “What to know about cassava: Nutrition and toxicity.” Nov 2018. Accessed April 1, 2020. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323756
Cleaning up the Garden 
Preparig the Garden
