The new project, run by our partners at Shape Lives Foundation, is teaching Ghanaian school children how to grow their own food, sustainably and efficiently. Our intrepid riders witnessed the beginning of this project first-hand, visiting the plot as the gardens were being created.
Just a few months later and we are thilled to report that 270 school children from four primary schools in the Santrokofi community are currently undergoing practical agriculture lessons at the project!
The gardens began receiving school children in December, and since then the children have learned how to prepare the ground for planting, clear weeds, create nursery beds and ridges and have planted okra and transplanted seedlings. The children are growing staple vegetables including tomato, garden egg, pepper and okra.
Everyone is very excited to harvest the first crop of vegetables from their gardens! After the harvest, Shape Lives will be engaging with the childrens’ parents – to share what their children have learned. They will use the produce from the school garden to teach the whole family about the more efficient way to store and prepare the food.
These are exactly the kind of skills that help communities to break the cycle of poverty and support themselves in the long term. A massive thank you to all our Ride Africa riders and their supporters. Without you, this project would not exist.
The team asked the children to write down in their own words what they have learned so far in the school garden. You can really tell from their responses how much information the children have taken in and remembered! Here are some of their reports:
Sandra Tepretu
“We learn about sunken bed and flat top bed. We also learn how to plant tomatoes, garden egg, pepper and okra.”
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Francisca Ohene
“The first thing we learned was how to use cutlass and how to weed the grass.”
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Florence Kornyo
“We learn about how to plant in lines, we learn how to water the plant. When we have finished planting them, we stake tomatoes, garden egg and kukumba.”
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Courage Agbodza
“The third thing we learned was how to care for the plant.”
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