The Adel elementary school is situated in the Oyam district, in northern Uganda. There is currently a group of 132 students from 4th – 6th grade and nine teachers who are involved with the running of the garden, which is located within the school. The garden was created in 2009 to teach students traditional cultivation methods and to impress upon them the importance of eating healthy and clean food. The harvest of the garden is used for the meals at the school’s canteen.
The garden is divided into two large sections: the first is at the front of the main school building, the second is behind this, next to the staffroom. Among the plants grown by the students are broad beans, soya, eggplant, maize, onion and dodo, a plant similar to amaranth, whose leaves are eaten. One part of the school’s land is dedicated to growing trees, some of which are very old. The students use association techniques, sowing beans, soya and maize together on two and a half hectares and then eggplant, onions and dodo on half a hectare. This way the plants are protected and nourish each other. A small part of the garden was further subdivided into 10 small plots where the students follow the progress of growing seeds which have been provided by their community.
Area
Village of Adel, sub-county of Minakulu, Oyam district
Coordinators
Nicholas Bernard Opio, Wilfred Atim, Margret Otini