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Home » 10.000 Orti in Africa » Maria Magdalena School Garden

Maria Magdalena School Garden

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Kenya

Central

The garden is located in Maria Magdalena Catholic Parish special school, few kilometers away from Thika town, Kiambu county. They have been working in collaboration with local Ngo known as G-BIAK (Grow Biointensive Agriculture Centre of Kenya) and Sustainable Agriculture Slow Food convivium. These handicapped students do not only study in classrooms but also in the garden to gain hands-on experience, especially the sustainable way of growing indigenous food. The school has over one acre of land where a wide range of crops is cultivated, including the following: cabbage, kale, sweet potatoes, cassava, yams, Irish potatoes, carrots, spinach, pig weed, spider weed, back nightshade, millet, sorghum, cow peas, beans, beetroots and other crops. Bananas, tree tomato and strawberries are some fruits that are found on the garden. They also keep poultry for eggs, meat and manure. The fertilization of the garden is done by use of farm yard manure and application of compost made by the students and the patron. Plant extracts, on the other hand, are used for defense and fight against pests and diseases. The harvests are used for the school cafeteria program where some seeds are stored for seeds.

Area
Maria Magdalena Catholic Parish special school, Thika town, Kiambu county

Coordinator
Jeff Kahuho

Slow Food in Kenya

Kenya, the richest and most dynamic East African country, whose capital Nairobi is home to a series of major international institutions (the UN, FAO, World Bank and others), has for years embodied great contradictions and is constantly grappling with difficult challenges. These include the internal movement of people due to climate change—the extended droughts experienced over the last 30 years are becoming increasingly frequent and intense—and political instability, as well as constant pressure from multinationals on the government, pushing Kenya to focus on production for export. This is resulting in the pollution and depletion of resources, arable land speculation and the privatization and financialization of public services. In 2016 the National Assembly Committee of Agriculture confirmed a ban on GMO cultivation, but experiments continue. The main investments in the national agriculture sector, which engages around 75% of the population, are focused on specific categories (maize and grains, intensive livestock farming) and revolve around increased productivity rather than differentiated production, better environmental sustainability or the improved distribution of community goods. Slow Food has been active in Kenya since 2004 and now has a strong network working to defend local biodiversity, promote sustainable food production and responsible consumption and create links between indigenous groups, herders and farmers and producers and cooks. The association is formally registered and recognized by the government and partners with local and international organizations, public authorities, institutions and the media. Young people are involved in the Gardens in Africa project and the fight against food waste, promoting sustainable agriculture, raising awareness about threats to food sovereignty, encouraging peaceful coexistence between communities through knowledge exchanges and fostering pride in Kenyan culinary traditions. The important task of mapping foods at risk of extinction has been going on over the last few years, leading to a book on Ark products in Kenya and the launch of several Presidia, thanks to the involvement of an extensive network and collaboration with the University of Gastronomic Students. Through the Slow Food scholarship program, so far more than 10 students from the country have been able to study at the university in Italy. The Chefs’ Alliance was launched in 2016 and the Slow Travel responsible tourism initiative has started to raise awareness among consumers and visitors on local foods and initiatives and sustainable development. Blog: slowfoodkenya.wordpress.com

Garden Informations

Type:School Garden
Surface in m2:5000
Slow Food Convivium:Sustainable Agriculture Convivium
Coordinator:Samson Kiiru Ngugi
Sibling with:Vienna Foodie Quest, Austria

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