Moshi, TZ – Parmiters students help Mwangaria develop sustainable school breakfast – 16 Aug 2017

Parmiters D group arrived at Mwangaria Primary School full of energy and ready to get to work. The group of 14 students and 3 leaders made the most of their 5 work days with Mwangaria Primary School by completing a number of projects to develop the school’s Self-Reliant School Breakfast Farm. Projects included:

• 3 compost piles
• 3 days serving school breakfast
• Organic seedlings and spray production
• 1 new water standpipe at the school farm

In addition to these small projects the group undertook 2 larger projects: a Happy Pig Pen and an expansion of the school’s banana and vegetable gardens.

Students, teachers, and parents all came out to work shoulder-to-shoulder with Parmiters D group. They understood the importance of the school farms and they knew the hard work in the hot sun would be tiring. Local parents and teachers couldn’t believe how hard-working their visitors were!

“We were so surprised,” said Mwangaria’s headmaster, “we thought they have never farmed before and now they are here working in the sun from morning up to night. It was so exciting for us to see!”

The hard work paid off and the students managed to plant all 75 banana trees and 36 vegetable garden beds they were targeting to plant. The vegetables and bananas will be maintained by students and harvests will contribute to Mwangaria’s daily school breakfast. The gardens are part of Tupendane’s larger design for the school’s Self-Reliant School Breakfast Farm.

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.

Parmiters D students also constructed a Happy Pig Pen for Mama Elias – Tupendane’s employee responsible for organizing Mwangaria Primary School students to run the farm. The banda will be run as a joint venture between Mama Elias and Tupendane. The objective of the banda is to generate income to help Tupendane pay for Mama Elias’ salary for working at the school. When Tupendane can cover Mama Elias’ salary and Mama Elias can help students grow enough food for daily school breakfast, the program will be self-reliant and Tupendane can bring the model to other schools in the Kahe area.