Ohangwena school feeds itself

Many pupils at rural northern schools only eat fruits and vegetables when they make a turn in town to buy them. But things are different with the pupils of the Mwadinomho Combined School of Ohangwena.

The school has a thriving garden which not only serves as a teaching aid to pupils doing agriculture but also as a source of food for the school. They grow tomatoes, cabbages, chilli, onions, lettuce, spinach, carrots, sugar cane and other vegetables. They also grow fruits such as mangoes, guavas, lemons and oranges.

“To tell the truth, this garden means a lot to our school. We grow our vegetables and fruits that our pupils and teachers eat,” said garden head and head of the department at the school Hilma Shipahu when The Namibian visited the school on Wednesday.

She said the garden was set up in 2009 with funds donated funds by Dr Mihe Colvard, an America-based eye specialist. Colvard is a friend of the school and makes annual donations to the school, which goes to the development of the school.

When Colvard donated in 2009, they decided to set up a garden. The school board and parents saw the need for a garden, and that is how it was set up,” Shipahu narrated.

She stressed that the garden now is a source of nutritious meals for pupils. “The school-feeding programme is supplemented now. The pupils can now eat vegetables and fruits,” she noted.

The garden also feeds the Grade 10 pupils who camp at the school each year towards the end of the year in preparation for their year-end examinations.

The garden has a state-of-the-art irrigation system and is run and managed by a community member who is paid by the school each month.

Although run by a community member, Shipahu explained that the pupils are the ones left with the task of working and maintaining it.

Because the garden also produces more than what the pupils can consume, they at times sell some vegetables and fruits to community members.

“The garden looks after itself. Everything needed in the garden is bought with the money from the sales of fruit and vegetables,” she noted.

Agriculture teacher at the school, Mbatjiua Mbaahama, told The Namibian that having a garden at the school does not only help with the food but also makes lessons easier for pupils.

“Pupils understand better when they are practising. That is why they have to be brought here for lessons when it is needed,” he said.

Learners’ representative council member Matheus David expressed gratitude at Colvard for supporting their school.

“Most of the schools do not have gardens due to a lack of funds. Therefore, we feel lucky that Colvard is a friend of our school,” the Grade 9 pupil observed.

Both Shipahu and Mbaahama said the school is now working towards improving the shading of the garden, as well as introducing more vegetable and fruit types.

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