Garden of Hope at Otjomuise school progressing well

WINDHOEK – The Dr Sam Nujoma Garden of Hope, a project of the Otjomuise Project School, has made good progress since it was started in August 2010.

According to Irja Keendjele, who is running the project, the aim of the garden is to feed orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) at the school.She said business was slow last year, and she only sold vegetables worth N$3 000 to the surrounding communities.Keendjele, a relief teacher at the school, said she sold N$1 600 worth of parsley and lettuce to a fruit and vegetable shop in Windhoek this week.The project grows Italian parsley, lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, green peppers, spring onions, beetroot and spinach, and it plans to start planting pumpkin and watermelon this year.’It was slow last year, but I believe this year we will do better,’ she said.Keendjele said the project is hampered by a lack of transport, and they rely on the Ministry of Agriculture to get their produce to some customers.’The cost of seeds is very high,’ she said, adding that the project used to get seeds from the ministry when the garden was started, but is now buying seeds.Keendjele said once the kitchen at the Otjomuise Project School is opened, the children will be fed from the garden.She added that the school plans to expand the garden in order to grow more vegetables.The garden is also used for learning purposes, particularly practical sessions for children who have agriculture as a subject. – Nampa