Community food gardens can be developed anywhere, including church properties, open spaces, household gardens, dumping grounds and school grounds.
We started developing our first ‘School Garden’ at Dellville Park Primary School in Dellville Park, George in August 2023. The objectives include using the school garden as an educational tool as well as a source of fresh vegetables for the school’s kitchen. The vegetables and herbs are harvested for the school’s kitchen which currently feeds 380 learners one meal per day (they only receive subsidy for 100 learners) and good nutrition is essential for their cognitive development.
Additional objectives of school gardens include that learners get the opportunity to experience hands-on activities, learning the science behind their food systems and creating connections between themselves and nature. Lessons will embrace maths, science, life sciences and literacy.
We educate the children in groups to make them aware that we are all responsible for food security in our world. Long term this could create job opportunities for them in many sectors.
Furthermore the classroom ‘garden’ helps to develop teamwork amongst the learners, assists in developing the learner’s self-worth as they learn new skills and they develop a sense of pride in their school and community.
The learners commenced by learning how to make compost which is essential for healthy soil. Learners contribute daily by bringing kitchen waste such as vegetable peels, egg boxes and egg shells to school. This is collected and taken to the vegetable gardens.
We are grateful for our partnership with this school and believe this project is ultimately going to impact hundreds of households as we continue expanding our programme into 2024 with the training of family members to start small gardens at their homes.
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