What we do
HIM Gardens
Imagine a space where awareness and sensitization about diabetes, hypertension, and many other health challenges about men happens not in clinics, but in a lush organic garden full of life , the scent of spinach, ginger, and carrots blending with the cool shade of fruit trees and the hum of free range chickens.
At HIMZ, we believe healing happens in community and through purpose. Our HIM Gardens are organic spaces developed and tended by elderly men themselves. Here, they:
- Grow Health: They learn to cultivate nutritious, organic foods like ginger, carrots, and cucumbers that directly help manage blood glucose and blood pressure.
- Share Wisdom: The garden becomes an intergenerational meeting place where these men share stories and knowledge with women, youth, and children, breaking down walls of silence.
- Find Purpose: Through the lighter work of gardening and keeping chickens, men stay active and energetic, restoring their confidence and sense of purpose.
The HIM Garden is a powerful antidote to isolation. Men meet regularly to share their transformative journeys, expressing how this intervention has improved their health and made them feel stronger. It’s a place of freedom from societal norms, proving that a healthy diet and a supportive community are powerful medicine.
Mobile Health Vans
H4HIM brings essential healthcare services directly to the vulnerable elderly Zambian men in remote areas, ensuring dignified access to medical care.
For an elderly man in rural Zambia, a hospital can feel a world away. A 50km walk is an impossible barrier, and the societal pressure to be “strong” and avoid seeking help is an even greater one. This is why we created H4HIM (Health For Him).
Our H4HIM program is a mobile medical unit that goes deep into the remotest villages, bringing vital healthcare directly to men’s doorsteps three times a week. This van is more than a clinic on wheels; it’s a lifeline.
What does H4HIM provide?
Critical Screening & Treatment: Equipped with blood pressure monitors, glucometers, and urine analysis machines, we provide immediate diagnosis and medically prescribed drugs for diabetes, hypertension and many other health challenges.
A Bridge to the Hospital: The van can also transport men who need urgent hospital admission, ensuring no one is left behind. But H4HIM’s impact goes beyond medicine. It shortens the emotional distance men feel when seeking help. Men who have benefited from our care ride along to share their testimonies, bravely talking about managing their sugar levels and changing their diets. Their voices normalize health-seeking behavior for others, creating a ripple effect of change that challenges patriarchal norms and empowers an entire community.
HIMZ Livelihood
At HIMZ, we believe that health and purpose are deeply connected. For an elderly man, being able to contribute, provide, and share his knowledge is a powerful form of medicine. This is the heart of our HIMZ Livelihood program.
We go beyond just managing illness; we restore agency and economic dignity. Through our foundational HIM Gardens, elderly men are not just patients, they are active farmers and entrepreneurs.
How does our livelihood model work?
From Garden to Income: Men are supported with farming inputs to grow surplus organic produce and raise free-range chickens. This provides not only a healthy, nutrient rich diet to manage diabetes and hypertension but also a source of income.
Skills & Knowledge as Assets: The men become local experts in organic farming and poultry keeping. They can sell their high quality produce, such as traditional spinach, cucumbers, and eggs, within their communities, turning their wellness activities into a sustainable micro-enterprise.
Intergenerational Exchange: The garden becomes a marketplace of both goods and stories. As women and youth come to learn and listen, the men’s wisdom gains new value, reinforcing their role as respected, productive members of the community.
The HIMZ Livelihood program proves that healing can be productive. It transforms the narrative from one of silent suffering to one of active contribution, allowing men to walk their health journey with strength, confidence, and financial independence