Moshi, TZ – Ermysted students provide activation energy to begin Maendeleo garden expansion – 30 Jul 2017
The young men of Ermysted Grammer School provided the energy and enthusiasm needed to start the expansion of Maendeleo Primary School’s Self-Sustaining Breakfast Farm. Over 6 days the group’s 16 students and 3 leaders worked with students, parents, and teachers to begin expanding the farm’s banana and vegetable gardens with the following projects:
- Trenching and installing over 100 meters of irrigation pipes
- Building 2 water standpipes
- Planting 50 banana trees
- Planting 12 vegetable garden beds
- Clearing ¼ of an acre for future planting
- Connecting Maendeleo Primary School with electricity
- Building 3 compost piles
- Manufacturing organic booster and pest repellant sprays
The vegetable and banana gardens the boys planted are part of Tupendane’s Self-Reliant School Breakfast Farm design. The gardens will be maintained by Maendeleo Primary School students and harvested to contribute to the school’s daily breakfast program.
The work Ermysted students did trenching, laying pipes, and clearing land staged the area for other student groups to come and efficiently implement more banana and vegetable gardens, all with the goal of helping students at Maendeleo Primary School harvest breakfast every day. School breakfast has proven to be one of the most impactful interventions for primary school students. Daily nutritious breakfast reduces illness and absenteeism. Full bellies help students focus in school and retain knowledge. Good health improves education, which leads to better opportunities for children as they grow older. As the community comes to appreciate the health, education, and income benefits of daily breakfast, they become more supportive of the Self-Reliant School Breakfast Farm and the students who are running it.
With the energy and competitive spirit, the Erymsted boys attracted a number of challenges from local soccer teams. In their first match, the boys pulled off a 1-0 upset of the local team. The second match, played in front of hundreds of students, parents, and teachers, saw a revamped local team take a 4-1 victory over their visitors.
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