 Four ashore residents continue to benefit from a series of theoretical and practical training geared at improving the economic empowerment of parents enrolled in the community after school backyard kitchen garden program. The empowerment comes from months of agricultural training that saw participants learning crop cultivation techniques resulting in the eventual harvesting of fresh produce that their households will consume. The initiative comes as a result of a partnership with the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment, the St. Lucia Conservation Fund and the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund. Fidore Justin Alcindor is the Social Transformation Officer for Cassville Central and South. For some people, backyard gardening is just another hobby but for the participants of the Four Ashore After School Program Community Kitchen Garden Project it is a vehicle for cultivating community and soil. When I think of community empowerment I think of projects such as these that encourages food security, environmental conservation and unifies communities with the private and public sector. The kitchen garden project began with a comprehensive 3D training in agricultural best practices for the program's 30 parents. In addition to cultivating crops, the program also serves as a vital bridge in helping to unite the community. It is going to bring the community back together. A lot of people have the notion that once you have four Ashore it is not something very good. However, as a community, any time we have a project, we want to, we get together and we execute it together as one big family, as one happy family and at the end of the day, we are noted and seen as the community. With the theme cultivating community and soil, the project seeks to encourage deeper community values and a deeper appreciation for growing what we eat. Participants learned soil types, alternative methods of small scale gardening, compost making and the application process. They also got an opportunity to visit an established farm to gain a better understanding of how a farm operates. I'm hoping that it benefits me in the future to learn more about agriculture and understand the well-being of agriculture to actually manifest it in the community and develop ourselves more towards the agriculture because it's beneficial for the whole community as well and for our youth coming up in the community as well. The project included at least two farmers markets and will conclude with a graduation ceremony. The farmland for the community garden was donated by former agricultural minister, the late Ira Duvay, with monetary contributions to Tallinn EC $5,500, coming from Sandoz Grand, the St. Lucia A&C Port Authority and the St. Lucia National Lottery from the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment. Shivrai Marius.