At all primary schools in Maun that participate in the Junior Ranger Programme, school gardens with vegetable beds and fruit trees are planted. In the accompanying educational units, the children learn everything about gardening: sowing seeds, the right soil, staking out beds and how to use tools for gardening.
In addition, an important part of the project is learning how to further process vegetables for sustainable nutrition. The trainers of the partner organisation FEYS, who conduct all educational units of the Junior Ranger Programme, impart this knowledge to the children in practical and theoretical teaching units in an uncomplicated and competent way. To do this, they regularly take part in various workshops with experts.
At the same time, the project garden on the association's premises, which the FEYS staff had planted during the first lockdown, was expanded and a large community garden was planted for the 10 trainers on the premises, which will secure their supply in the long term.
The environmental protection programme stands and falls with the security of our trainers, because they are largely involved on a voluntary basis and the Corona pandemic has also worsened their situation due to the loss of casual jobs in the tourism sector.
The project "Sustainable Nutrition for Children, Youth and Young Adults" started in April 2021 and was financially supported by the Lower Saxony Bingo Environmental Foundation until the end of September 2021.
Our goal is to gradually expand the project and to establish vegetable and fruit gardens at all schools participating in the Junior Ranger Programme (14 in total).
We hope that as many children and young people in the region as possible will learn to grow vegetables for their own consumption and to process them for a balanced diet. This is very important in Botswana, because hunger and malnutrition are widespread.
So far, the cultivation has been very successful and the first harvest of spinach was plentiful, so that family and friends of the trainers could be supplied. The restaurant Marc's Eatery is also happy to buy vegetables from the trainers, if the yield allows. This enables the young adults to supplement their salaries and buy new seeds and seedlings.
We would be happy if you would like to support us in planting the new school gardens!