Seeding, planting, growing... the art of vegetable gardening now holds no secrets for almost 4,000 pupils in the communes of Doutchi, Filingué and Mirriah in Niger, who have benefited from the School Vegetable Garden project run by Aide et Action with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Over the past two years, almost 70 gardens have been created. The youngest children have been invited to plant cabbages, carrots, potatoes, lettuces and peppers... to learn about the most complex cultivation methods and to use the equipment made available to them by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
What does this have to do with education, some may ask? These are simply "green" activities, others will say. And yet... in these regions with unstable climates and increasing droughts, knowing the land well also means knowing what crops need to grow, and thus being able to anticipate the disastrous consequences of global warming.
"The school vegetable garden initiative was immediately well received. After an initial period of community awareness-raising, everyone got into the game," explains Aboubacar Maman, National Office Coordinator. "The children learnt market gardening techniques and passed on their knowledge to their parents. The School Vegetable Gardens have thus contributed to the discovery, within the community, of seed varieties adapted to local climatic conditions. They have also taught the younger members of the community that it will be necessary in the years to come to adapt to climate change and develop techniques to limit food crises", adds Aboubacar. From a nutritional point of view, the garden's produce has given pupils the opportunity to eat healthy fruit and vegetables, and this has helped to change eating habits in the region.
There has also been a great deal of progress in terms of teaching and learning. "The school vegetable gardens have also improved the quality of teaching. Teachers have learned to use the gardens they have at their disposal in an educational way", adds Aboubacar Maman. "The garden has helped me develop my powers of observation. We and our families found something to supplement our diet. We quickly learnt the lessons, as we were soon able to put them into practice in the school vegetable gardens", explains one of the pupils from Gofawa primary school, who took part in the project.
