A Harvest of Rich Experience

Children developed focus in academics as their  retention time went up 

The academic year that we spent in the schools of Marthally region supporting the schools to develop an organic kitchen garden has left us with rich experiences in working with the  community and school authorities. Since we had an Eco-club approach, we were able to continuously engage the children of varied age group. Though the initial aim of the project was to address only the seventh to ninth graders the popularity of the program in the schools prompted the teachers to request us to include other classes. Though we were a bit firm about not pulling in the tenth grade students who would be taking up their Board examinations the teachers themselves would ask us to include them for at least the lessons on Terrace gardening.

Overcoming fear of creepy creatures...... 

The syllabus of the tenth standard had a solid lesson on terrace gardening and its benefit. Secondly, the teachers felt that the seventh and the sixth graders would any how be distracted with any thing happening in the school without their involvement. Hence the teachers insisted the admittance of the little ones into most of the activities. For a while it was a bit irritating as their retention was low yet we knew it was  a wonderful opportunity for enhancing our tribe of vegetable growers. If we look forward to work with the same schools in the next year these “under aged” would be a great asset for the project.

Boys looking for pests on a plant

At the end of this year’s project we had a brainstorming session between Anisha and Hasiru Hejje. Valli who was keeping the minutes, listed our learning in reams. We contemplated about what should have happened and how it should have happened. Based on the setbacks we had this season, a convincing list of things to be done before the beginning of the next academic year was also charted. At the top of the list of learning was the priority to be given in setting up the garden. And to do so one had to adhere to the sowing season. That would in tern call for the distribution of seeds beforehand. Secondly, the teachers had to be oriented well before the commencing of the program. When we went with a quiver of education capsules that linked the syllabus with kitchen garden a lot of teachers appreciated it.

Preparations for sowing develops a community feeling

Some science teachers asked if we could part with any education material so that they follow and try out in their teaching. This fact undoubtedly suggests the necessity of a resource book that enables the teachers to use their kitchen garden as an out door classroom.

For a creative mind there is infinitesimal example to pick up from nature to explain many simple scientific principals. Somebody had to try out and compile a few of the possibilities and make it available to the needy. Along with a teacher’s manual, children must also have something to carry back home which is more than a mere memorabilia.  Probably it should be a ‘How to do it?’ manual which also has certain identification keys to plant varieties, their pests and other essential, friendly insects upon them. Also there is a dearth of resource materials in the local language of any sort and that could be bridged through some consolidated efforts of artists and logistical supporters.

She loves watering the plants and never parts with the pot 

In a meeting held at Bandipur for teachers involved in the project, a vast majority of them expressed their willingness for the continuation of the project in their schools pointing out the sole benefit of enhancing the interest of the children in schooling itself. It is such an important gesture when the education department and the governments are fighting a difficult battle to keep the school drop outs in check across rural India. And as far as the kitchen gardening is concerned there is an extra two folds of individuals in our reach. Children have impressed their neighbors with their dedication and harvest of healthy vegetables for the house hold. In every school we worked there was a constant flow of housewives approaching for seeds. Valli had to distribute seeds even to them out of obligation; but not without some lessons on the need to preserve native seeds. She would also coax them into a verbal agreement of returning back ten times the seeds they received, once they harvest.

The innovative spaces children find for themselves

To an outsider the ingenuity and the sincere attempts that the children have put in may not be visible. But when our teams toured through the villages to check up their backyards the hard work and desperate attempts put up by the children unravels. With absolutely no or little support from their families, they had established gardens, collaborated with one another and even shared spaces. They had maintained the plants with untiring resilience against the worst drought in the region.

A solid fence to hold the cattle out

Children of Godest Nagar School carried a bottle of water every day and shared half of it with the plants designated into their custody. During Dasara holidays they had improvised a sort of drip irrigation using disposed intravenous injection sets procured through a village nurse. Some had explored every sort of containers and spaces they could put their hands at. 

An intricate fence to keep off chicken 

One boy had made use of the spare bricks to make a raised bed upon a septic tank of their toilet and made the place look aesthetically appealing. Another girl in Ponnachi had planted radish in broken plastic pots and buried it in her father’s maize plot. She very well knew that in the drought what ever good happened to her father’s plants happened to hers. But any bit of extra care for her plants never slipped into the larger field. Her father proudly showed the selfish pranks of his admirable daughter.

The project took us to some of the most beautiful landscapes 

Likewise the innovations shown in fencing their crops against a host of nuisances was incredible. The problems were peculiarly unique in every set up. 

They varied from pigs and cattle to monkeys and humans. In some places it was neighbor’s envy and owner’s bane. To overcome them all they had scouted for old saris, bushy branches of bamboo thicket and many things unimaginable for fencing a garden. Some had pole-planted drumstick along the edge of their garden so that it can be improvised as a live fences at a later date.

All the clouds than didn't bring any rain

At the end, the district authorities comprising of the Education Department and the Pollution Control Board along with KRVP had meticulously went through 300 schools and identified a ‘Green School’ for hefty cash award for the performance of the previous year in keeping the school campus green. Of course none of the schools in Marthally region was even in the list. But as far as the selection of the next year’s Green School is concerned a set of forty schools are short listed as “Yellow- Schools”.  The Govt. Higher Primary Schools at Anthoniar Kovil and Sulavadi have been selected yellow. The headmasters have already become restless in their pursuit of the Green School award and become very industrious in and outside the class room.

-Manu.K

All the custodians of Native Seeds for tomorrow