WORKING WITH PARTNERS: WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME PARTNERSHIP
TEACHING STUDENTS GARDENING English teacher Marie Jeanne peers out from a gaggle of students. “This is a rural area, so some people don’t understand the importance of vegetables, and many children have stunted growth,” she says, “so we educate them.” Across the path, beet plants are peeking through the soil of the Gisovu Primary School gardens. We trained Marie Jeanne in partnership with the UN World Food Programme. Now, she’s in charge of the primary school’s gardening competition. “We created a competition between classes to increase the students’ skills. Each class is trying to make a better garden than the others, and in the process they learn.”
SCHOOL FEEDING INITIATIVE
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The best part, though, is that the students’ newfound knowledge makes its way back home. “When the students cultivate a garden here, they take those skills and start another garden at home. Then, the parents are also learning from their students. I go check on families to see if they’ve created a garden, and I find a spirit for growing veggies and cooking balanced meals.” “I have a dream for my students,” Marie Jeanne reflects, “that we’ll implement gardens in each of their homes and improve the lives of many children. And I’ll achieve that goal!”
