Ubunthu last week on the 17th of April spent a day at Zambia –German Agricultural Knowledge and Training Center AKTC in Chisamba District with teachers from Nakeempa and Shalom secondary Schools from Choma for an enriching workshop aimed at enhancing school gardens and agricultural programs.
The training focused on practical skills and sustainable practices to empower Teachers of agricultural education. Ubunthu’s approach to School Gardens feeding program is different from the usual handing of food to pupils. We believes that with climate changes the southern province is experiencing, crop diversification and taking farming as a business can successfully be achieved if we start to implement it in Schools.
We believe that with teachers properly equipped in improved School garden techniques, pupils will no longer look at gardens as punishment but something that can productively transform ones life. The pupils today stand a high chance of changing the narrative of farming by introduce best farming ways that the pupils can adapt to.
Some of the Key Highlights of the Training at AKTC were:
• Gardening Techniques: Our teachers explored soil preparation, crop selection/ rotation and efficient irrigation methods, laying the foundation for successful school gardens.
• Organic Manure Production: The session covered composting and vermicomposting, emphasizing their benefits for soil health and sustainable agriculture.
• Natural Pest Control: Through hands-on demonstrations, teachers learned to utilize greens/ brownies and botanical pesticides, offering eco-friendly solutions to pest management.
• Garden Management: The training included modules on record-keeping, budgeting, and marketing, equipping educators to manage school gardens as sustainable business units.
The idea of conducting a field/ training day for the teachers was to equip them with hands on information on how best to run the school gardens in a way that the pupils will learn and adapt to the best agricultural practices
During the field/training day, the trainers fostered an interactive environment, encouraging questions and sharing of experiences. By the end of the workshop, the teachers felt empowered with new knowledge and skills to enhance their school gardens.
The Head teachers expressed gratitude to UBUNTHU ENABLERS for the trip to AKTC about 355 KM from Choma for the valuable training and committed to implementing the best practices learned, marking the beginning of a new chapter in school garden development at shalom and Nakeempa schools.