- EarthChild Project Food Garden, funded by Urban Harvest, has established a food garden at Ntwasahlobo Primary School in Khayelitsha to support learners’ nutrition programme.
- The garden provides organic vegetables for over 1 000 learners from Grade 1 to Grade 7, encouraging healthy living lifestyle.
- The initiative has seen a decrease in absenteeism, with learners enjoying their meals more and has fostered a great relationship between the school and Urban Harvest, with hopes for more organisations to come on board.
In an effort to support learners in their nutrition programme, EarthChild Project Food Garden has established a food garden at Ntwasahlobo Primary School in Khayelitsha.
EarthChild is a non-profit organisation (NPO) that is working closely with disadvantaged communities focusing on environment, health and self-development.
The NPO is funded by Urban Harvest, SA’s pioneer edible garden service.
Nokuphiwo Jada, EarthChild project manager, described the initiative as part of giving back to the community.
She said the project is not just about gardening but also about practical skills training and environmental education aligning theory with hands-on experience.
She said the aim is to support the local schools, particularly primary schools. Jada said some of the primary schools that Urban Harvest is working within Khayelitsha are Ikhusi, Sokumlandela and Yomelela primary schools.
“We started our garden this year in April. We started by building trenches for our gardens. Then, we started planting in May. Our food is mainly to feed the learners. We don’t sell it,” she explained.
Jada said they harvest every Tuesday based on the school menu.
“The school has its menu for the learners. We harvest based on their menu for the week. We make sure whatever they are going to eat has vegetables,” she said, adding that they are encouraging healthy living lifestyles.
She said they plant organic vegetables such as cabbage, spring onions, turnip, beetroot, spinach, broccoli, kale and various herbs.
School principal Nomakhaya Mbeki praised the initiative, saying that it is helpful for learners. She said since the nutrition programme, the number of absenteeism has decreased.
“Learners are enjoying their meal more because some of them don’t get it at home. We are feeding all the learners from Grade 1 to Grade 7. We have a great relationship with Urban Harvest and we wish other organisations can also come on board,” said Mbeki, adding that the garden feeds over 1 000 learners.
