New Vegetable Garden

When helping RPS, we asked David what his priorities were, and he said, “to improve

the nutrition for all pupils; they are all under weight and under height for their ages. Children

learn better when they are adequately nourished. I would like a vegetable garden and a

chicken coup.

The first suggestion was the easier to facilitate and our Unite Community branch sponsored

the digging up, tilling, and feeding the soil, supplying, and planting the seeds of Kale, called

Sukuma Wiki, a local staple vegetable. The weather is harsh, both in sunshine, as the

country lies across the equator; and in rainfall, because the village is high in the mountains

of South West Uganda.

Initially, the cook and some of the staff did the planting; There is no piped water, so irrigation

is a labour-intensive manual process. There are now plans to engage a team of parents to

manage the garden, as staff do not have the time to commit to the project. If this can be

organised on a pro rata basis, engaging parents unable to pay school fees, it maybe that the

garden will flourish and they will be able to diversify their planting.