By TERRY DAVIS / Register & Bee staff writer
Jun 2, 2002

  Visit http://helpforthehungry.org for updates on this story.

DANVILLE, Va. - Stephen Keel wants to help insure that citizens in the Dominican Republic receive the nutrition they need to sustain a healthy life.

On Thursday, Keel, a Pittsylvania County resident, will ship 40 of his food spas to the Dominican Republic which will not only give the citizens a source of food, but fertilize the land as well.

"I have had people say this is one of the most exciting rural development projects," Keel said.

Keel's food spa consist of a 21-foot diameter circular garden covered with 16 inches of composite matter, an underground irrigation system and a portable chicken/pig coop which holds 10 chickens and two pigs.

The estimated cost for the food spa is $2,000 per family. Keel said the chicken coop will require a local manager.

"The community will be turned into a small farm," Keel said.

Keel said the plywood food spa with roof will last indefinitely if it is well-maintained.

Keel pointed out that one of the best benefits to his food spa is it will allow the soil to continuously be prepared for growing vegetables.

Paul Rahill of Orlando, Fla., is project manager for the mission trip to the Los Guayuyos mission. He said Keel's food spa will help feed 500 people in the village of Los Guayuyos on the island of Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic.

"The people are extremely poor in the mountainous area," Rahill said. "The mountain village has no electric and no running water."

Rahill estimated the rural population to be 5,000.

Rahill said the mission group looked into acquiring chicken coops for the villagers after a research scientist from the National Institute of Health determined the best source of protein for the village conditions would be eggs.

"This is the first nutritional program attempt," Rahill said. "We are trying to provide people with a micro farm with pigs, chickens and organic vegetable gardens."

Rahill said Keel's food spa will allow the villagers to produce a surplus of eggs, pork and vegetables to sell.

Rahill said the Los Guayuyos villagers can not raise any vegetables currently. He said Keel's food spa will allow the villagers to have a initial garden consisting of tomatoes, onions, okra, spinach, squash and garlic.

Contact Terry Davis at tdavis@registerbee.com or (434) 793-2311, Ext. 3048.