Update on school vegetable garden
How is the first school vegetable garden doing after one year of hard work?
Almost a year ago, we started a school vegetable garden in the village of Den/ui. Working together with the Nyae Nyae Development Foundation Namibia (NNDFN). You can find more information on who made this project possible in our blog of December. Gardeners were trained and showed how to mulch, manure and co-plant. They were exposed to annual crop production and learned about the annual product- cycle.
We had a good Summer season with abundance of crops: melons, pumpkins, beans harvested in the crop field and gardens. After the rains in March the garden underwent a incredible transformation.
Pumpkin field after summer rains
Currently, it is winter in Namibia, but still there is plently in production and ready to harvest in the garden: carrots, tomatoes, green peppers, and spinach.
Winter crops
The many fruit trees that were planted in December have stabilized and are strong. Expectations are good. In the future the trees should provide: oranges, lemons, figs, guavas, and papayas. Depending on the kind of tree they will start bearing fruit in 2 till 4 years.
School children are planting the fruit trees
Even thought this project is finished, the NNDFN and JDF are committed to keep following up with the garden. There will be regular visits and when necessary help with seeds. Also, the integration of stable sweet potato production will be done at a later stage.
Gabriel Hipandulwa (NNDFN): "Den/ui has transformed and as always small positive changes in Nyae Nyae create positive influences and role modelling, thereby contributing to change and growth in the area."
