School Demonstration Gardens Launch
March 11, 2015March 3rd was a very exciting day for AR as we launched our new School Demonstration Gardens (SDG) project! The grand launch in Amuru, Northern Uganda brought together almost 100 project stakeholders – including representatives from our partner schools, district officers and the Chief Administrative Officer of the district.
As the day got underway Colleen (CEO) gave an overview of AR’s history, objectives and activities. Francis (Livelihoods Project Co-ordinator) then explained how the project will work and what we hope to achieve.
Over 3 years, the project will help 700 direct and 3,500 indirect beneficiaries through increased food security. Supported by our field-based agricultural officers, the parent and student led gardens will enable the whole community to learn more about nutrition, increase their entrepreneurial know-how and gain agricultural skills whilst growing nutritious crops. These skills will enable families to maximise their own yields at home and share their knowledge with others.
Everything we do at AR is motivated by our aim to improve access to, and quality of, education. We all know no-one can concentrate on an empty stomach; many children in Northern Uganda walk considerable distances to school every day under the hot sun without eating during the day. Some of the crops produced from the project will therefore contribute towards feeding students nutritious midday meals. This will increase their concentration and energy levels, positively impacting their academic performance. Moreover, the project will also bring parents’ into their children’s school more frequently, increasing their involvement with their children’s education. Parents’ presence on school property will also decrease teacher absenteeism and lateness, keeping them accountable.
We have already successfully implemented similar school garden projects in neighbouring districts (Abim, Nwoya and Agago) where groups have successfully produced coffee, rice and vegetables. Head teacher Walter Oduch from Paminyai Primary school explained how the garden project had helped his school at the launch. His school garden’s meals increased attendance from 315 students in 2012 to a whopping 708 students in 2015. Since implementing the garden, students’ test scores improved and more students than ever achievied top band grades.
The project was officially launched by the district’s Chief Administrative Officer who praised the programme, saying that “agriculture is key for development in this region; it is a pertinent area of investment in this district because agriculture is so important to Uganda”. He further echoed the programme’s benefits, agreeing that “a healthy mind needs food, and food is needed to sustain children, and keep them focused”. We are very thankful for the support and cooperation of the district’s officials in implementing this programme.
In true Ugandan style, the day finished with a hearty late lunch, giving guests an opportunity to mingle and speak to AR representatives in an informal setting. The next phase of this programme will involve mobilising parents and students to commence agricultural training. Here in Uganda, we are eagerly awaiting the imminent rains, so that planting may soon begin – as always, we will be bringing you updates along the way!
Thank you to the Bestseller Fund for funding this project.
