Monday, 25 June 2012

School Gardens improves Pupils study opportunities


Case story one: Parent, Masika Polonia in Kyaminyawandi P. School

When BIC called us for a meeting at  school, we questioned why at that time of the year since our children were almost breaking off for Christmas. As a concerned parent, I prepared my self, since i did not know how to read, i asked my son to tell me if he had completed paying school development fund. I got to my neighbour and we went to school. At the school, the chairman briefed us about the school developments and that we had got a program that involved the parents, pupils and teachers and leaders in the sub county. At that point no issue about money had been mentioned, i got relieved, because my cotton was not ready for harvesting. The BIC team then was given chance to talk. As parents we welcomed the idea and agreed to make a workplan. In the next meeting, we selected cassava and maize as our enterprises. To be sincere, we had lost hope in cassava growing because of the cassava mosaic which had cleared all our gardens. These people from BIC, gave us hope that, they work with people from Kampala (NARO). We cleared the land with support from BIC, then they brought cassava cuttings which they told us was our Christmas package!! We planted the school garden, then we asked BIC to get cassava cuttings for our gardens at home which they did. I can assure you that, the cassava variety was indeed different from the one we had at home. They told us  not to mix with the old cassava, but we try in a different garden to work as a multiplication for the next season. Surely this cassava has even emerged, and grew vegetatively  during dry season. I have used my garden to share with my group members at home for which we believe the school garden was the turning point to our new cassava variety. (Loose translation from Masika Polonia)

Story two: Head teacher in Kyaminyawandi P/S
The school garden concept has brought parents together to look at the school not coming for PTA meetings, I am happy that parents realised the need to rehabilitate the water tank at the school that has been neglected since the technician had advised otherwise but parents while opening the school garden needed water to clean up, only to be surprised that the water tank was just a decoration. Then a team was selected including BIC to get a water technician to advise on whether we can change the tank or maintain it at its current location. The technician advised the tank was place well accept needed new gutter and a tap. The repport was presented to parents during weeding of cassava in the school garden for which the managed to raise some funds and work on the tank started. I am happy that the tank is functioning, pupils are getting water as it has started raining, parents who come to work at the school garden have realised the need for participating and monitoring school project. 

Case story two: Pupil: Biira Joy ( P.7)

At home i dig but at school digging was like a punishment because, i come in uniform which is not meant for digging. In class we learnt about school gardens, but we never prepared on until we saw parents coming to school with hoes. The next time, our science teacher took us to the garden where the parents were talking about us at school. One thing struck me, “ how do we send our children to school with lunch” then those people from BIC asked the teacher to give chance to the pupils to talk to the parents, we shied away but we later talked and asked the parents to pack lunch for us if we must pass well. Then the next week, we saw parents planting bananas in the school gardens, we asked our teacher to allow us join the parents which they did. Since then i have believed that a school garden was not for punishing pupils but supporting the pupils to learn and copy the good practices of agriculture and also as a  source of food. At school now (2012) all P.7, get their lunch and remain at school for remedial classes. ( loosely translated as told by Joy)



 As told to the BIC Out Research
Zeverio B

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