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| Jenga Mwendo, SU Ag Leadership Program Graduate |
Baton Rouge, LA - Jenga Mwendo enrolled
in the Small Farmer Leadership Institute Class III at the SU Ag Center in 2009,
graduating in 2011. The same year that she registered for the Leadership Institute,
Mwendo founded Backyard
Gardeners Network (BGN) in New Orleans, LA. The
organization utilizes volunteers in the areas of Education, Music, Sociology
and Marketing/Communications to engage the community.
The 2014 Aetna’s African American History Calendar spotlights the
SU Ag Center Institute graduate Jenga Mwendo in the month of March. The
calendar entitled “Community transformations: African Americans creating
sustainable neighborhoods,” encourages
healthy living. Aetna is an American managed health care company which takes healthy living
seriously. Aetna is a member of the Fortune 100. The calendar is available
online at www.aetnaafricanamericanhistorycalendar.com
The Lower Ninth Ward native returned to New Orleans in 2007
to help rebuild the community after the 2005 Katrina disaster. Mwendo is director of BGN and
community organizer who
focuses on strengthening the community through urban agriculture. The
non-profit organization’s mission is community building, neighborhood
revitalization and cultural preservation through urban gardening. They organize
food demonstrations, educational workshops, potluck meals, and live musical
entertainment. “We get to share home-cooked foods with each other,” she said,
adding that her 9-year-old daughter has been a big part of her work. The kids
in the neighborhood now appreciate what it takes to grow good food.”
“If
you have your own food source, you can bounce back a lot quicker after
hurricanes,” Mwendo said.
Jenga enjoys living in New Orleans “despite all the
obstacles.” To learn more about BGN, visit backyardgardenersnetwork.org at http://backyardgardenersnetwork.org/
Following
her graduation from the Leadership Institute in 2011, Mwendo was among 14 fellows selected by the Institute for
Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) Food and Community to receive an award. The
2011-2013 class of Fellows was a mix of grassroots
advocates, thought leaders, writers, and
entrepreneurs. The award came with a two-year fellowship that provided an
annual stipend of $35,000 in addition to communications support, trainings, and
travel. The program supports leaders working to create a food system that
strengthens the health of communities, particularly children. For this class of
fellows, the selection committee focused on work that creates a just, equitable
and healthy food system from its roots up. Over 560 individuals applied for
fellowships that year.
14 African American History Calendar
Southern University Ag Center Small Farmer Agricultural Leadership Institute, a two-year course of study specifically designed to guide small, socially disadvantaged, limited resource and minority farmers through the transformative process of becoming successful agricultural entrepreneurs has produced outstanding community leaders across the nation since its inception. Dr. Dawn Mellion-Patin directs the Institute which is supported by the USDA Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Rancher Competitive Grants Program, National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Southern University Ag Center Small Farmer Agricultural Leadership Institute, a two-year course of study specifically designed to guide small, socially disadvantaged, limited resource and minority farmers through the transformative process of becoming successful agricultural entrepreneurs has produced outstanding community leaders across the nation since its inception. Dr. Dawn Mellion-Patin directs the Institute which is supported by the USDA Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Rancher Competitive Grants Program, National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
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Contact:
Bridget Udoh
(225) 771-5714
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