James Kariuki
13 April 2005
Nairobi — Schools can easily produce nutritious food for own consumption and sale.
The school farms and gardens, previously used solely for examinations in agriculture, have, in the past year, been transformed into major sources of food for 20 public schools in three districts.
The "Gardens for Life" pilot project in Nakuru, Laikipia and Nyandarua districts has proved that the cost of lunch in schools can be drastically reduced if pupils are encouraged to grow crops for lunch.
Run by the Kenya Youth Education and Community Development Programme, the project seeks to reintroduce agriculture in schools as an essential and practical method of equipping children with easy techniques.
The project officer Ignatius Wang'ombe said the project had also introduced new crops to area residents.
The project, he said, would also see the 20 primary and secondary schools benefit from a donation of two computers each, which will be linked to the internet for use in the student-to-student information exchange.
"The children will know about other parts of the world sharing similar climate with a view to introducing crops reported to do well in places like the UK and India," said Mr Wang'ombe.
The project has received a donation of 40 computers worth Sh500,000 from the Computer Aid International.
Mr Wang'ombe said the project was prompted by the Government's decision to exclude agriculture as an examinable subject in primary schools five years ago.
"This made teachers discuss the way forward for agriculture, which is the backbone of our economy. Teachers from 80 primary and secondary schools in Kenya, India and UK met for two weeks in Britain and came up with the action plan we are now implementing," he said.
The action plan declared agriculture an essential discipline that should be integrated in all subjects.
School gardens were then established on experiment as the source of vegetable. Pupils were then allocated duties to tend the crops, from land preparation to harvesting. Nyandarua Boarding Primary School in Nyahururu Town is pleased that courgettes, usually found only in high cost hotel menus, can be made easily available in school and at home. Courgette is a small variety of vegetable marrow, cooked and eaten as a vegetable.
Deputy headteacher Teresiah Ruga and Gfl lead teacher Amos Wacira said they were surprised to see parents flocking the school to see how a courgette plant looked like. The parents were taught by their children about the nutritional value of courgettes.
Mr Wacira, who attended the UK educational exchange, has ignited interest in practical agriculture as a way of life.
Mrs Ruga said last year, the school, which has 750 pupils, saved about Sh200,000 which it used to spend on vegetable.
The school has introduced carrots, spinach and courgettes as daily supplements to the usual maize, beans and potatoes.
The waste from the kitchen, which used to be thrown away, is now used to make compost manure for the one-acre garden.
"Children hardly see any chemicals applied. We use natural methods to control pests and other crop diseases. The surplus cabbages, carrots and courgettes are then sold to the neighbouring communities as 'chemical free' food," Mrs Ruga said.
The community at Maina slums are elated at the news that their school, Munyaka Secondary, has been linked to the outside world via the internet.
Munyaka, for long considered a "slum-school", has now shed its skin and seen an upsurge of enrolment by 38 per cent.
Headteacher Stephen Karanja said the school, at Sh12,000 a year, charges the lowest fees in the district. The fees could go down further if the garden project realises the school's dream of being self sustaining in food.
The students have also introduced radish plant, whose roots are edible, in Laikipia District.
The nearby Maina slums, which has a large number of Aids orphans, suffered another blow last year after the Government banned cultivation of forest land. Many slum residents still suffer from the ailment that destroys immunity.
Now, Mr Karanja said, they have reason to smile after the school started growing beet roots, garlic onions and radish plant, all known for high vitamin contents.
Students from poor families have also benefited from the project after the work-for-fees programme was introduced.
Sixteen-year-old Nahashon Kimuku, who was the best pupil in Maina Primary School in the 2003 Kenya Certificate of Primary Examination(KCPE), got a chance to continue with studies after the project started.
During school holidays, he works at the school farm to raise money for fees.
To ensure the project continues throughout the year, Gfl provided all the schools with a drip irrigation kit.
Students Kimuku and his colleague Benjamin Chege, both involved in the work-for-fees programme, said the health of students improved due to the quality of meals offered at school.
Even during the holidays, many students visit the school for lunch.
Mr Wang'ombe believes that poverty would be reduced if all schoolchildren took a keen interest in the Gfl project, and transferred the techniques home.
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