Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=application/pdf&blobheadername1=Content-Disposition&blobheadername2=MDT-Type&blobheadervalue1=inline;+filename=2012-AstraZeneca-HealthCare-Foundation-Annual-Report

Healing the Ninth Ward
Recent statistics show that 65% of adults in
Louisiana were overweight or obese 1 —a statistic
that does not bode well for the future of New
Orleans youth. In fact, 35.9% of adolescents aged
10-17 years are obese, 2 putting these students at
greater risk for chronic diseases later in adulthood.
Sankofa Community Development Corporation’s
Health, Education, Agriculture, and Leadership
Project (HEAL) helps African American adolescents
understand the benefits of growing and consuming
fresh fruits and vegetables, while positioning them
to be leaders within their community. Through a
combination of indoor and outdoor classroom
work, they explore their roles as peer leaders and
study the foundations of nutrition and agriculture. In
addition to learning about the process of growing
and nurturing plants in a garden, the youth work with
a registered dietitian to learn about the relationship
between cardiovascular risk factors and one’s diet.
Their knowledge is directly applied through the
internship program, which provides an opportunity
to experience agriculture from cultivation, harvest,
and sales.
We are extremely excited to be awarded
this second year of funding from the
Foundation. This grant helps us to maintain
the capacity we need to reach an even broader
audience and the resources to expand our
programs as we work to create a healthier
environment for all New Orleanians.
– Rashida Ferdinand, Executive Director,
Sankofa Community Development Corporation
SUMMARY
GRANT AWARDEE: Sankofa Community
Development Corporation
GOAL: To teach adolescents and their
families about nutrition and the associated
risk reduction for cardiovascular disease and
chronic illnesses.
AREA OF FOCUS: New Orleans, LA
2012 GRANT AWARD: $150,000
TOTAL GRANT AWARD(S): $300,000
In 2012, over 300 participants learned about
heart-healthy lifestyles, nutrition, and techniques
for growing produce and leadership skills. In that
same year, HEAL students scored an average of
86% on cardiovascular knowledge measures,
started reading nutrition labels, started consuming
more fresh produce, and began exercising more
frequently. The HEAL program has received
two consecutive years of funding from the CCH
program, totaling $300,000 to date.
1
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011
2
Targeting Interventions for Ethnic Minority and Low-Income Populations study
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