In many schools in rural areas of Tanzania pupils have no access to healthy food during the day. In partnership with Tanzania Project, we plan to target 7 secondary schools (5200 pupils) supporting the initial costs for planting maize (seeds and fertilizer) to grow food on their land. Teachings on practical food production will be incorporated into the students' education, providing them with invaluable skills for life and helping create a sustainable food program for schools.
Secondary school enrollment in Tanzania was reported at 28.67 % in 2021. For more than 20 years Tanzania Project, in close collaboration with local authorities and schools, has sponsored new classrooms, teachers' houses, and learning resources, leading to measurable improvements in the students' tests. Nonetheless, the general poverty in the region has left many children attending school without meals, and the schools themselves do not have the financial means to provide meals.
In many countries, provision of food in schools has been shown to improve enrolment, attendance and has positive effects on learning. The School Garden Project targets 7 secondary schools with the goal to prepare the school land for farming, to invest in seeds and fertilizer and begin planting with the onset of the rainy season (November to March), anticipating the first harvest by May 2024. Norwegian farming experts will help the schools develop their farming skills to grow food sustainably.
The School Garden Project not only provides a solution to the pressing food scarcity for about 5200 pupils during the school day, but also empowers students with new knowledge and skills around agriculture and nutrition, allowing them to contribute constructively to their communities in the future. This model of direct developmental aid can significantly improve the quality of life and education in the local communities and can be replicated in similar settings in other communities.
