COMMUNITY ACTION WITH DAPP STUDENTS
Included in the plan of making vegetables gardens in the primary schools, the action with DAPP students started in the morning and it took 2 hours.
We went on foot to Bawa Primary School, carrying with us some tools: hoes, shovels and wheelbarrows.
All together we clear the place, cutting out the sod and after that we dig 30 cm deep trench and we filled it per layers. On the bottom we put branches and logs.
According to permaculture technics, the logs and branches act like a sponge. Rainwater is stored and then released during drier times.
Additionally, the gradual decay of wood is a consistent source of long-term nutrients for the plants. A large bed might give out a constant supply of nutrients for more than 10 years. Soil aeration also increases as those branches and logs break down, meaning the bed will be no till, long term.
Then we covered the logs with a mix of sandy soil, clay, green and brown compost and some manure. A kind of upside down turf.
Some students continued to dig the other two beds while others went to pick branches and to collect clay and compost with the wheelbarrows.
Small actions like the one that we did with DAPP students are not only vital for the development and progress of the communities in the rural areas but it is also a bridge between the future teachers and their pupils. Through these experiences, DAPP students learn to develop leadership skills as well as new techniques and knowledge. The bond between DAPP and the communities is strengthened and both benefit from it.