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  • About us
    • What is the Foundation?
  • What We Do
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    • Ark of Taste
    • Slow Food Cooks’ Alliance
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    • What is the Narrative Label?
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Home » 10.000 Orti in Africa » El Salam school garden

El Salam school garden

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Egypt

Faiyum

The middle school El Salam stands in the city of Faiyum (Egypt), at the entrance of its oasis namesake, around 100 kilometers from the capital city.
The school garden is located at the front of the building’s entrance and measures around 300m2; there are 40 students between the ages of 12 and 15 who look after it, supervised by two teachers. They mainly grow cucumbers, lettuce and pumpkin, in addition to aromatic and medicinal plants such as mint, rosemary, basil and lemongrass; the products of the garden are used in the preparation of meals served at the school’s canteen.
The soil is fertilized with compost and organic fertilizers, and the crop is protected from disease and parasites in a “clean” way, thanks to the use of non-toxic repellent; a natural enemy of insect infestations.
Currently the seeds are bought in, but in future they intend on using those grown in the garden itself.

Area
Faiyum, Faiyum Oasis

Coordinators
Mohamed El Madani; Ahmed Ibrahim Mohamed Taha

Slow Food in Egypt

Egypt has undergone a dramatic political change during the last four years. The time immediately after the January 25 Revolution in 2011 saw a growth in the civil society movement and increased political activism and entrepreneurial efforts. Three years later, however, the government started to crack down on civil society organizations and put pressure on foreign foundations. Within this context, a general withdrawal into the private sphere has been seen. The increased interest in urban food gardening has been one of the consequences of this process. A relatively risk-free activity, it allows people to shape and change their immediate environment and to literally grow the change they want to see. Against this background, the Slow Food gardens have a clear educational mission: The garden is used to spread knowledge about environmental and ecological topics, to teach the importance of food quality and to foster skills like responsibility, collaboration and communication. At the same time, gardeners young and old have access to fresh, nutritious produce and can learn about the traditional varieties and food cultures of their country. Beyond Cairo, where urban gardens have played an important role in building the Slow Food network, new convivia are forming around various other issues: responsible fishing (Matruh), date biodiversity (Siwa), poultry breeds (the Bigawi Chicken Presidium in Fayoum) and sustainable tourism and the revival of indigenous gastronomy in Sinai.

Garden Informations

Type:School Garden
Slow Food Convivium:Fayoum Convivium
Coordinator:Bianca Fliss
Sibling with:Slow Food Franciacorta Convivium, Italy

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