Vegetable gardening is one of the passions that requires zealous and hardworking attitude towards taking

care of plants from planting to harvesting.

Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL) of Ballesteros District Jail established a garden for their additional
food consumption. These are some of the vegetables that were planted; eggplant, cabbage, string beans,
and lettuce. By eating fresh vegetables will help them maintain healthy body while they are inside the
facility. It is also helping them to lessen their stress while taking care of the garden.

In addition to providing nutritious veggies for their dinner table, gardening offers variety of health
benefits like exposure to Vitamin D increases calcium levels, which benefits their bones and immune
system. A 2014 Italian study, published on the National Institutes of Health Website, found that exposure
to sunlight helped older adult achieve adequate serum vitamin D levels.

Moreover, a 2006 study found that gardening lowers risk of dementia by 36 percent. The word ‘dementia’
describes a set of symptoms that may include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving
or language (www.alzheimers.org.uk). Researchers tracked more than 2, 800 people over the age of 60 for
16 years and concluded that physical activity particularly gardening could reduce the incidence of
dementia in future years.

Also, gardening gives a mind-boosting benefit according to a study in the Netherlands, cited by CNN.
They suggest that gardening fight stress even better than other relaxations. It is also an enjoyable form of
aerobic exercise and helps fight loneliness.

So, this superb outdoor activity (gardening) initiated by the Ballesteros District Jail is one way of helping
the detainees physically, emotionally, mentally and socially due to its health benefits.